in the bay there--it was as smooth and blue as a looking-glass! And
afternoons he would row her out to sea, and she would sing, looking at
the waters ablaze with the sunset, at the plume of smoke curling up from
Vesuvius, at the immense white city with its endless rows of windows
flaming like plaques of gold in the afterglow. Like gipsies they would
wander through the countless towns dotting the shores of the miraculous
Bay; kissing on the open sea among the fisherboats, to the accompaniment
of passionate Neapolitan boat-songs; spending whole nights in the open
air, lying in each other's arms on the sands, hearing the pearly
laughter of mandolins in the distance, just as that night on the island,
they had heard the nightingale! "Oh, Rafael, my god, my king! How
wonderful!"

When day dawned, they were still sitting there weaving fanciful plans
for the future, arranging all the details of their elopement. She would
leave Alcira as soon as possible. He would join her two days later, when
all suspicion had been quieted, when everybody would imagine she was
far, far away. Where would they meet? At first they thought of
Marseilles, but that was a long way off! Then they thought of Barcelona.
But that, too, meant hours of travel, when hours, minutes, counted for
so much. It seemed utterly incredible that they could live two days
without each other! No, the sooner they met again the better! And,
bargaining with time like peasants in a market, at last they chose the
nearest city possible, Valencia.

For love--true love--is fond of brazenness!

VII

They had just finished lunch among the trunks and boxes that occupied a
great part of Leonora's room in the _Hotel de Roma_ in Valencia.

For the first time they were at a table in familiar intimacy, with no
other witness than Beppa, who was quite accustomed to every sort of
surprise in her mistress's adventurous career. The faithful maid was
examining Rafael with a respectful kindliness, as if he were a new idol
that must share the unswerving devotion she showed for Leonora.

This was the first moment of tranquillity and happiness the young man
had tasted for some days. The old hotel, with its spacious rooms, its
high ceilings, its darkened corridors, its monastic silence, seemed to
him a veritable abode of delight, a grateful place of refuge where for
once he would be free of the gossip and the strife that had been
oppressing him like a belt of steel. Besides, he coul