and the dark curls mingled for an instant with the
rippling gold. Quick as lightning after that, Tito set his foot on a
projecting ledge of the book-shelves and reached down the needful
volumes. They were both contented to be silent and separate, for that
first blissful experience of mutual consciousness was all the more
exquisite for being unperturbed by immediate sensation.

It had all been as rapid as the irreversible mingling of waters, for
even the eager and jealous Bardo had not become impatient.

"You have the volumes, my Romola?" the old man said, as they came near
him again. "And now you will get your pen ready; for, as Tito marks off
the scholia we determine on extracting, it will be well for you to copy
them without delay--numbering them carefully, mind, to correspond with
the numbers in the text which he will write."

Romola always had some task which gave her a share in this joint work.
Tito took his stand at the leggio, where he both wrote and read, and she
placed herself at a table just in front of him, where she was ready to
give into her father's hands anything that he might happen to want, or
relieve him of a volume that he had done with. They had always been in
that position since the work began, yet on this day it seemed new; it
was so different now for them to be opposite each other; so different
for Tito to take a book from her, as she lifted it from her father's
knee. Yet there was no finesse to secure an additional look or touch.
Each woman creates in her own likeness the love-tokens that are offered
to her; and Romola's deep calm happiness encompassed Tito like the rich
but quiet evening light which dissipates all unrest.

They had been two hours at their work, and were just desisting because
of the fading light, when the door opened and there entered a figure
strangely incongruous with the current of their thoughts and with the
suggestions of every object around them. It was the figure of a short
stout black-eyed woman, about fifty, wearing a black velvet berretta, or
close cap, embroidered with pearls, under which surprisingly massive
black braids surmounted the little bulging forehead, and fell in rich
plaited curves over the ears, while an equally surprising carmine tint
on the upper region of the fat cheeks contrasted with the surrounding
sallowness. Three rows of pearls and a lower necklace of gold reposed
on the horizontal cushion of her neck; the embroidered border of her
trai