The unscrupulous banker Ornano sells his house in Italy to make a juicy deal with the three million obtained to the detriment of the population starved by poor harvests. His wife sends her lover a note explaining where the money is hidden. The note is intercepted by Cascaril, a gentleman burglar who, at nightfall, rushes to the banker's home where he comes across his thief friend Tapioca who has come to steal various objects. It is then that the banker (the third thief in Notari's short story) arrives. Tapioca runs away and Casaril rushes into the room of Noris, the banker's wife. He gets her to hold her husband while he empties the safe by threatening to reveal the contents of the note. The police arrest Tapioca believing that it was he who stole the money, and given the importance of the theft, they monitor and spare the author of this "exploit" who becomes the subject of all conversations. Noris, who mistakes him for Casaril, even goes so far as to declare his passion for him. The day of the trial arrives and suddenly Casaril appears and confesses to being the real thief. To demonstrate the hypocrisy of the petty bourgeois present at the hearing, he throws wads of banknotes into the room. Everyone rushes for these counterfeit bills while our two thieves, taking advantage of the crowd, slip away. They share the spoils and go their separate ways. We then see Tapioca again, the little thief who became rich, well dressed and defender of the sacred right of private property.