nothing to give them; but the hunchback always had money, and
when he had unlocked the door he handed them a silver florin with an air
as grand as if he had been at least the seneschal of the palace.

Ortensia went on to the sitting-room, still almost unconscious of being
tired; but she had hardly entered, followed closely by Cucurullo, when
her knees suddenly gave way under her, her head swam, and she had barely
time to stagger to the long sofa before she fainted away, utterly worn
out with fatigue and emotion.

She came to herself before long, and Cucurullo was leaning over her and
cooling her forehead and temples with a handkerchief soaked with Felsina
water. But she only sighed as she recognised him, and then he saw that
she fell peacefully asleep, just as she lay. He drew the blinds closer
together to darken the room, and went off to shave himself and restore
his usually neat and clean appearance, which had suffered somewhat
during a whole night spent out of doors.

But Ortensia was outwardly in a far worse plight as she lay sleeping on
the hard sofa, for her pretty silk skirt was soiled and torn at the
edges, her little kid shoes were splashed with mud, covered with dust,
and half worn out by her walking in rough places; the blood-stained
handkerchief on her arm told its own tale, too, and her glorious hair
was all disordered and tangled. Yet, somehow, she was not a whit less
beautiful than when she had left the house with her husband on the
previous afternoon fresh from Pina's skilful hands.

She was dreaming of Stradella now, after she had been asleep more than
four hours, and the sun outside was high and hot. It was not a vision of
terror, either, or of tormenting anxiety; she thought he had come back
to her, and that it had all been a mistake, or a bad dream within the
present sweet one; for he was just the same as when she had seen him
last, his gaze was clear and loving, his touch was tender, and when his
lips met hers----

She awoke with a startled cry of joy, and it was all true; for he was
kneeling beside her, and she felt his kiss before her eyes opened to see
themselves in his. It had all been a bad dream that had turned to a
sweet one and ended in the delicious truth. He had not left her since
she had rested there, on that same sofa after dinner, and they had not
yet been to the Lateran--it was still yesterday.

Then she remembered, and put down her feet to the pavement as she sat up
in his arms