I
must go the other way."

"By Jupiter!" he added, as he went from under the shade of the tree, "it
is not a pleasant time of day to walk from here to the Via de' Bardi; I
am more inclined to lie down and sleep in this shade."

It ended so. Tito had an unconquerable aversion to anything unpleasant,
even when an object very much loved and desired was on the other side of
it. He had risen early; had waited; had seen sights, and had been
already walking in the sun: he was inclined for a siesta, and inclined
all the more because little Tessa was there, and seemed to make the air
softer. He lay down on the grass again, putting his cap under his head
on a green tuft by the side of Tessa. That was not quite comfortable;
so he moved again, and asked Tessa to let him rest his head against her
lap; and in that way he soon fell asleep. Tessa sat quiet as a dove on
its nest, just venturing, when he was fast asleep, to touch the
wonderful dark curls that fell backward from his ear. She was too happy
to go to sleep--too happy to think that Tito would wake up, and that
then he would leave her, and she must go home. It takes very little
water to make a perfect pool for a tiny fish, where it will find its
world and paradise all in one, and never have a presentiment of the dry
bank. The fretted summer shade, and stillness, and the gentle breathing
of some loved life near--it would be paradise to us all, if eager
thought, the strong angel with the implacable brow, had not long since
closed the gates.

It really was a long while before the waking came--before the long dark
eyes opened at Tessa, first with a little surprise, and then with a
smile, which was soon quenched by some preoccupying thought. Tito's
deeper sleep had broken into a doze, in which he felt himself in the Via
de' Bardi, explaining his failure to appear at the appointed time. The
clear images of that doze urged him to start up at once to a sitting
posture, and as he stretched his arms and shook his cap, he said--

"Tessa, little one, you have let me sleep too long. My hunger and the
shadows together tell me that the sun has done much travel since I fell
asleep. I must lose no more time. Addio," he ended, patting her cheek
with one hand, and settling his cap with the other.

She said nothing, but there were signs in her face which made him speak
again in as serious and as chiding a tone as he could command--

"Now, Tessa, you must not cry. I shall be a