We walked on for some time. We were now under the river’s bed, and water fell in drops upon us from above. Deeper into the ground we went, past still more bones.
“Your vaults are many, and large. There seems to be no end to them.”
“We are a great family, and an old one. It is not far now. But I can see you are trembling with the cold. Come! Let us go back before it is too late.”
“It is nothing. Let us go on. But first, another drink of your
Medoc!”
I took up from among the bones another bottle. It was another wine of a fine quality, a De Grâve. Again I broke off the neck of the
bottle. Fortunato took it and drank it all without stopping for a breath. He laughed, and threw the empty bottle over his shoulder.