There were murmurs of assent and satisfaction at the close of this brief
address, and one of the young men, with grave--almost mysterious--looks,
took up a small spade and went towards that part of the wall where
Ravonino sat. The latter rose to let the young men get at a particular
spot, which was marked on the wall with a small--almost imperceptible--
red square. Here, after turning up a few spadefuls of earth, he struck
upon a stone. Lifting it, he disclosed a hole about a foot square. The
old man who presided at the meeting thrust his hands into this hole and
gently lifted out a thick volume, which he laid reverently upon a flat
rock that formed a sort of natural table in front of him.