he asked for her prayer-book, drew the lamp towards her, had the
windows and the door leading to the terrace thrown open that she might
breathe more easily, and then dismissed the maid, who was prepared to
keep her company. When the young couple had left the room, the engineer
came in to greet his sister before going to church.

"Good-by, Teresa."

"Good-by, Piero. Another load is laid on your shoulders, my poor Piero."

"Amen!" the engineer answered, calmly.

When she was alone Signora Rigey sat listening to the receding
footsteps. The heavy steps of her brother and Signor Giacomo bringing up
the rear, prevented her hearing those others, which she strained her ear
to follow as far as possible.

Another moment and the sounds ceased. She realised that Luisa and Franco
were going away together into the future, whither she might follow them
only for a few months, perhaps only for a few days; that she could
neither divine nor foresee what their fate would be. "Poor children!"
she thought. "Who knows what they may have passed through in five years,
in ten years." She listened again, but the silence was profound; the
open window admitted only the far-away thundering of the cascades of
Rescia, over across the lake. Then, thinking that they must already have
entered the church, she took her prayer-book, and read attentively.

But she soon grew weary; her brain was confused, and the words of the
book blurred before her eyes.

Her mind was becoming drowsy, her will-power was lost. She foresaw the
approach of a vision of unreal things, but she knew she was not asleep,
she understood that this was not a dream, but a condition produced by
her malady. She saw the door leading to the kitchen open, and there
entered old Gilardoni from Dasio, called "el Carlin de Das," father of
the Professor and agent of the Maironi family, for the estates in
Valsolda--he had been dead five-and-twenty years. The figure came
forward, and said, in a natural voice: "Oh, Signora Teresa! Are you
quite well?" She thought she answered--"Oh, Carlin! I am quite well; and
how are you?" But in reality she did not speak.

"I've got the letter here," the figure continued, waving a letter
triumphantly. "I've brought it here for you!" And he placed the letter
on the table.

Signora Teresa saw it quite plainly. A letter, soiled and yellowed by
time, without an envelope, and still bearing traces of a little red
wafer, lay before her and she experienced a sens