The Walls of Malapaga

Résumé

After killing his unfaithful mistress in a fit of jealousy, Pierre flees France by stowing away on a foreign cargo boat. During a stop-over in Genoa excruciating toothache forces him ashore to find a dentist. But first he must change his French money, and his money-changer is a crook. He not only gives Pierre counterfeit Italian notes, but also steals his wallet. Pierre must force a dentist to extract his tooth free of charge. After this, starving and depressed, he decides to give himself up to the police but, while waiting his turn at the busy police station, he meets Marta, a waitress, who suggests he has lunch at her nearby restaurant. When, after the meal, she realizes that Pierre’s Italian notes are false, she takes pity on him and accepts them anyway. Later it is Pierre’s turn to help Marta when her estranged husband tries to strangle her. Pierre and Marta are drawn to each other and Pierre decides to stay with her in Italy. Meanwhile the police have arrested the thief who swindled him and have found the stolen wallet containing his identity card They realize he is wanted for murder in France and set off to arrest him. Cecchina, Marta’s teenage daughter, who has resented her mother’s interest in Pierre, has been trying to get rid of him but now, learning the police are looking for him, she hopes to warn him in time, but fails. He is arrested. Marta and Cecchina together mourn his loss.