noon
This place was nothing other than a blank abutment of a corner house that had long been undergoing repair , and had a great bank of brick and mortar rubbish at its base . A stationary melonseller and some black fig and vegetable stalls occupied the triangular space fronting it . The removal of a square piece of cement showed a recess , where , chiefly during the night , letters and proclamation papers were deposited , for the accredited postman to disperse them . Hither , as one would go to a caffe for the news , Barto Rizzo came in the broad glare of noon , and flinging himself down like a tired man under the strip of shade , worked with a hand behind him , and drew out several folded scraps , of which one was addressed to him by his initials . He opened it and read : ` Your house is watched . ` A corporal of the P. . .