uried near the south
wall of the Campo Santo. Oh, God! when I think of her sweet flesh
decaying--"

Olive, scarcely knowing what she did, caught at his hand and held it
tightly.

"Hush, oh, hush!" she said tremulously. She felt as though she were
seeing him racked. "I do believe that her soul was borne into heaven,
God's heaven, on the day she died. She was forgiven."

"Heaven!" he cried. "Where is heaven? I am not guilty of her death.
She was a fool to die, and I shall not soon forgive her for leaving me
so. If she came back I would punish her, torment her, make her scream
with pain--if she came back--oh, Gemma!--_carissima_--"

The hard, hot eyes filled with tears. He tried to drag his hand away,
but the girl held it fast.

"You are kind and good," he said presently in a changed voice. "I am
sorry if I did you any harm with the Lorenzoni, but the woman told me
she meant to send you away in any case because of the Marchese."

Then, as he felt the clasp of her fingers loosening about his wrist,
"Don't let go," he said quickly. "Is he really going to take you to
Monte Carlo with him?"

"Does his wife say so? Do you believe it?"

He answered deliberately. "No, not now. But you cannot go on living
like this."

"No."

He was right. She could not go on. Her little store of coppers was
dwindling fast, so fast that the beggars at the church doors would
soon be richer than she was. And she was tired of her straits, tired
of coarse food and a bare lodging, and of the harsh, clamorous life of
the streets. The yoke of poverty was very heavy.

Filippo drew a little nearer to her. "I could make you love me."

"Never."

He made no answer in words but he caught her to him. She lay for a
moment close in his arms, her heart beating on his, before she cried
to him to let her go.

He released her instantly. "Well?"

"I must light the lamp," she said unsteadily. She was afraid now to be
alone with him in the dim, starlit room, and she fumbled for the
matches. He stood still by the window waiting until the little yellow
flame of the _lucerna_ burnt brightly on the floor between them, then
he smiled at her, well pleased at her pallor. "You see it would be
easy," he said.

She answered nothing.

"I am going to Naples to-morrow by the afternoon train. Will you come
with me? We will go where you like from there, to Capri, or to Sicily;
and you will help me to forget, and I will teach you to live."

There was silence be