- [Fortunato and Montressor are descending into the catacombs]
- General Fortunato: You know, life is nothing but a lot of steps - either you go up or you go down.
- Count Montressor: Early in the war, when the Fascists were in full power, I had to give the property to a General Fortunato. Actually, Fortunato used to be a stable boy here, but he rose by devious means until he became one of Mussolini's favorites and after that a general.