, he has such friends, he has friends who are powerful for him.
And so he is let out just now."

"I understand."

"Well, Signora, and after the white wine we were feeling happy, and
we were going to see everything: the Madonna, and Masaniello, and the
fireworks, and the fire-balloon. Did you see the fire-balloon, Signora?"

"Yes, Ruffo. It was very pretty."

His simple talk soothed her. He was so young, so happy, so free from the
hideous complexities of life; no child of tragedy, but the son surely of
a love that had been gay and utterly contented.

"Si, Signora! Per dio, Signora, it was wonderful! It was just before
the fire-balloon went up, Signora, that I saw the Signorina with the
Neapolitan Signorino. And close behind them was Don Gaspare. I said to
my mamma, 'Mamma, ecco the beautiful Signorina of the island!' My mamma
was excited, Signora. She held on to my arm, and she said: 'Ruffino,'
she said, 'show her to me. Where is she?' my mamma said, Signora. 'And
is the Signora Madre with her?' Just then, Signora, the people moved,
and all of a sudden there we were, my mamma and I, right in front of Don
Gaspare."

Ruffo stopped, and Hermione saw a change, a gravity, come into his
bright face.

"Well, Ruffo?" she said, wondering what was coming.

"I said to my mamma, Signora, 'Mamma, this is Don Gaspare of the
island.' Signora, my mamma looked at Don Gaspare for a minute. Her
face was quite funny. She looked white, Signora, my mamma looked white,
almost like the man at the circus who comes in with the dog to make us
laugh. And Don Gaspare, too, he looked"--Ruffo paused, then used a word
beloved of Sicilians who wish to be impressive--"he looked mysterious,
Signora. Don Gaspare looked mysterious."

"Mysterious? Gaspare?"

"Si, Signora, he did. And he looked almost white, too, but not like my
mamma. And then my mamma said, 'Gaspare!' just like that, Signora, and
put out her hand--so. And Don Gaspare's face got red and hot. And then
for a minute they spoke together, Signora, and I could not hear what
they said. For Don Gaspare stood with his back so that I should not
hear. And then the balloon went sideways and the people ran, and I did
not see Don Gaspare any more. And after that, Signora, my mamma was
crying all the time. And she would not tell me anything. I only heard
her say: 'To think of its being Gaspare! To think of its being Gaspare
on the island!' And when we got home she said to me, 'Ruffo,' she said,