or the beloved name, "how is she?" Upon learning of the
hallucination he exclaimed: "A letter? She thought she saw a letter? But
what letter?" This Franco did not know. A hissing on the fire
interrupted the conversation; the coffee was boiling hard and bubbling
over.

Gilardoni also resembled his young friend in that his heart might be
read from his face. The young friend who was, however, a far cleverer
and quicker reader of faces than he, at once perceived that he had
thought of some special letter, and inquired, while the coffee was
settling, if he could explain this hallucination. The Professor
hastened to say "no," but no sooner had he uttered that "no" than he
weakened it by adding several other negatives, mingled with inarticulate
grumblings: "Ah, no!--no indeed!--I cannot say--certainly not!" Franco
did not insist, and another extremely significant silence ensued. When
he had taken his coffee, with many involuntary signs of uneasiness, the
Professor promptly proposed that they go to bed. Franco, who must leave
before daybreak, preferred not to go to bed, but wished his friend to do
so, and, after an infinite number of protests and ceremonies, after
hesitating on the very threshold, his basin of sedative water in his
hand, the Professor suddenly faced about, and throwing a "good-night"
over his shoulder, disappeared.

When he was alone Franco put out the lamp and stretched himself in an
easy-chair with the good intention of going to sleep, seeking sleep in
some indifferent thought if he could possibly fix his mind on such a
thought. Not five minutes had passed when there was a knock at the door
and immediately the Professor rushed in, without a light, and
exclaiming: "Well, here I am again!" "What is the matter?" Franco
inquired. "I am sorry I put out the light." At the same moment he felt
the arms of the worthy Beniamino about his neck, his beard brushed
Franco's face, and he smelt the camphor and heard the voice. "Dear,
dear, Don Franco! I have an enormous load on my heart! I did not intend
to speak now; I wanted to leave you in peace, but I cannot, I cannot!"

"But speak! Calm yourself, calm yourself!" said Franco, gently freeing
himself from that embrace.

Gilardoni let him go, and pressed his hands to his forehead, groaning:
"Oh, what a stupid fool, what a stupid fool, what a stupid fool I am! I
might have left him alone; I might have waited until to-morrow or the
next day. But now it is done! It is done