or?" Many voices answered that he was
already there.

Once more she appeared to regain all her energy, and sprang eagerly
forward. Eight or ten people hastened after her, but only two could keep
up with her. She flew! At the cemetery she met Ismaele and another man,
and cried out as soon as she caught sight of them:

"Is she still alive? Is she alive?" Ismaele's companion turned and ran
back to tell them that the mother was coming, but Ismaele was weeping,
and could only answer: "Good God! _Sciora_ Luisa!" as he tried to detain
her. Luisa pushed him wildly aside and rushed on, followed by the
boatman who had now quite lost his head and was calling out to her as
she ran: "Perhaps it is nothing! Perhaps it is nothing, after all!" But
the pelting, ceaseless, even downpour, seemed to be contradicting his
words with its wail.

Gasping for breath, she reached the square by the church of Oria, and
had the strength to call out: "Maria! My Maria!" The window of the
alcove-room was open. She heard Cia crying and Ester chiding her.
Several people, among them Professor Gilardoni, came out to meet her.
The Professor, as pale as a ghost, was weeping silently with clasped
hands. The others whispered: "Courage, there is still hope!" In her
exhaustion she came near falling. The Professor encircled her waist with
one arm and drew her up the stairs, which were crowded with people, as
was also the corridor of the first floor.

As Luisa passed, the Professor almost carrying her, voices laden with
words of comfort murmured: "Courage! Courage! Who can tell? Who can
tell?" At the door of the alcove-room she freed herself from the
Professor's arm, and went in alone.

They had been obliged to light a lamp, because it was already dark in
the alcove, owing to the rain. Poor, sweet little Maria lay naked upon
the bed, her eyes half open, and her lips slightly parted. Her face was
still tinged with pink, but her lips were discoloured and her body was
deathly pale. The doctor, with Ester's help, was trying to induce
artificial breathing, alternately raising the tiny arms above the head
and stretching them along the sides, and compressing the abdomen.

"Doctor! Doctor!" Luisa sobbed.

"We're doing all we can," the doctor answered gravely. She flung herself
face downwards upon her baby's little icy feet, and covered them with
wild kisses. Ester began to tremble. "No, no!" the doctor exclaimed.
"Courage! Courage!" "Help!" shrieked Luisa. The doc