eard, nor her gesture of welcome seen,
but now Maurice looked up, waved his cap, and shouted. Gaspare, too, took
off his linen hat with a stentorian cry of "Buon giorno, signora."

"Signora!" said Lucrezia.

"Yes?"

"Look! Was not I right? Are they carrying anything?"

Hermione looked eagerly, almost passionately, at the two figures now
drawing near to the last ascent up the bare mountain flank. Maurice had a
stick in one hand, the other hung empty at his side. Gaspare still waved
his hat wildly, holding it with both hands as a sailor holds the
signalling-flag.

"Perhaps," she said--"perhaps it wasn't a good night, and they've caught
nothing."

"Oh, signora, the sea was calm. They must have taken--"

"Perhaps their pockets are full of fish. I am sure they are."

She spoke with a cheerful assurance.

"If they have caught any fish, I know your frying-pan will be wanted,"
she said.

"Chi lo sa?" said Lucrezia, with rather perfunctory politeness.

Secretly she thought that the padrona had only one fault. She was a
little obstinate sometimes, and disinclined to be told the truth. And
certainly she did not know very much about men, although she had a
husband.

Through the old Norman arch came Delarey and Gaspare, with hot faces and
gay, shining eyes, splendidly tired with their exertions and happy in the
thought of rest. Delarey took Hermione's hand in his. He would have
kissed her before Lucrezia and Gaspare, quite naturally, but he felt that
her hand stiffened slightly in his as he leaned forward, and he forbore.
She longed for his kiss, but to receive it there would have spoiled a
joy. And kind and familiar though she was with those beneath her, she
could not bear to show the deeps of her heart before them. To her his
kiss after her lonely night would be an event. Did he know that? She
wondered.

He still kept her hand in his as he began to tell her about their
expedition.

"Did you enjoy it?" she asked, thinking what a boy he looked in his
eager, physical happiness.

"Ask Gaspare!"

"I don't think I need. Your eyes tell me."

"I never enjoyed any night so much before, out there under the moon. Why
don't we always sleep out-of-doors?"

"Shall we try some night on the terrace?"

"By Jove, we will! What a lark!"

"Did you go into the sea?"

"I should think so! Ask Gaspare if I didn't beat them all. I had to swim,
too."

"And the fish?" she said, trying to speak, carelessly.

"They were stunni