looked down, hesitated, then went slowly to the door,
and shut it softly. Hermione was sitting on the sofa when he turned. He
came back and stood beside her.

"Si, Signora?"

"I'd rather you sat too, Gaspare."

He took a seat on a hard chair. His face had changed. Generally it was
what is called "an open face." Now it looked the opposite to that. When
she glanced at him, almost furtively, Hermione was once more assailed
by fear. She began to speak quickly, with determination, to combat her
fear.

"Gaspare, I may be wrong, but for some time I have felt now and then as
if you and I were not quite as we used to be together, as if--well, now
and then it seems to me as if there was a wall, and I was on one side
of the wall and you were on the other. I don't like that feeling, after
having you with me so long. I don't like it, and I want to get rid of
it."

She paused.

"Si, Signora," he said, in a low voice.

He was now looking at the floor. His arms were resting on his knees, and
his hands hung down touching each other.

"It seems to me that--I never noticed the thing between us until--until
Ruffo came to the island."

"Ruffo?"

"Yes, Gaspare, Ruffo."

She spoke with increasing energy and determination, still combating her
still formless fear. And because of this interior combat her manner and
voice were not quite natural, though she strove to keep them so, knowing
well how swiftly a Sicilian will catch the infection of a strange mood,
will be puzzled by it, be made obstinate, even dogged by it.

"I am sure that all this--I mean that this has something to do with
Ruffo."

Gaspare said nothing.

"I know you like Ruffo, Gaspare. I believe you like him very much. Don't
you?"

"Signora, Ruffo has never done me any harm."

"Ruffo is very fond of you."

She saw Gaspare redden.

"He respects and admires you more than other people. I have noticed
that."

Gaspare cleared his throat but did not look up or make any remark.

"Both the Signorina and I like Ruffo, too. We feel--at least I feel--I
feel as if he had become one of the family."

Gaspare looked up quickly and his eyes were surely fierce.

"One of the family!" he exclaimed.

Hermione wondered if he were jealous.

"I don't mean that I put him with you, Gaspare. No--but he seems to me
quite a friend. Tell me--do you know anything against Ruffo?"

"Non, Signora."

It came very slowly from his lips.

"Absolutely nothing?"

"Signora, I don'