ding in the full light, she turned to look smilingly at her husband,
stretching out her hand to him. He pressed it and shook it, his heart
aflame, but his tongue speechless. They felt like soldiers, who,
conscious of the distant roar of cannon, are being led along a quiet
road, towards what fate God only knows.

CHAPTER IV

THE HAND WITHIN THE GLOVE

The Engineer-in-Chief noticed nothing, and two days later, the term of
his leave having expired, he went away peacefully in his boat, wrapped
in his great, grey travelling cloak, and accompanied by Cia, the
housekeeper. Ten days passed without further developments, and Franco
and Luisa concluded that a trap had been set for them, and that, after
all, the police would not appear. On the evening of the first of October
they played _tarocchi_ merrily with Puttini and Pasotti, and then, their
guests having left early, they went to bed. When Luisa kissed the child,
who was sleeping, she noticed that her flesh was hot. She felt of her
hands and legs. "Maria is feverish," she said.

Franco took up the candle and looked at her. Maria was sleeping with her
little head drooping towards her left shoulder as usual. The lovely
little face which always wore a frown when she was asleep, was slightly
flushed, and the breathing rather quick. Franco was alarmed, and at once
thought of scarlet fever, the measles, gastric, and brain fever. Luisa,
who was more calm, thought of worms, and prepared a dose of santonine,
which she placed ready on the pedestal. Then both father and mother went
noiselessly to bed, put out the light and lay listening anxiously to the
little one's short, quick breathing. At last they dozed, but towards
midnight they were aroused by Maria, who was crying. They lighted the
candle and Maria became quiet and took the santonine. Then presently she
began to cry again, and wanted to be taken into the big bed, between
mamma and papa, and finally went to sleep there; but her sleep was
uneasy and often interrupted by sobs.

Franco kept the candle burning that he might watch her more closely. He
and his wife were bending over their darling when two knocks sounded in
quick succession on the street-door. Franco started up in bed. "Did you
hear?" said he. "Hush!" said Luisa, grasping his arm, and listening. Two
more knocks sounded, louder still, and Franco exclaimed: "The Police!"
and sprang to the floor. "Go, go!" Luisa begged in a low tone. "Don't
let them take you! G