went down till she stood at the edge of the wall. She looked at the
black rock, the black sea that lay motionless far down on either side of
it. Surely Gaspare would not venture to come this way. It seemed to her
that to do so would mean death, or, if not that, a dangerous fall into
the sea--and probably there were rocks below, hidden under the surface of
the water. But Gaspare was daring. She knew that. He was as active as a
cat and did not know the meaning of fear for his own safety. He might--

Out of the darkness on the land beyond the wall, something came, the form
of some one hurrying.

"Gaspare!"

The form stopped.

"Gaspare!"

"Signora! What are you doing here? Madonna!"

"Gaspare, don't come this way! You are not to come this way."

"Why are you here, signora? I told you to wait for me by Isola Bella."

The startled voice was hard.

"You are not to cross the wall. I won't have it."

"The wall--it is nothing, signora. I have crossed it many times. It is
nothing for a man."

"In the day, perhaps, but at night--don't, Gaspare--d'you hear me?--you
are not--"

She stopped, holding her breath, for she saw him coming lightly, poised
on bare feet, straight as an arrow, and balancing himself with his
out-stretched arms.

"Ah!"

She had shrieked out. Just as he was midway Gaspare had looked down at
the sea--the open sea on the far side of the wall. Instantly his foot
slipped, he lost his balance and fell. She thought he had gone, but he
caught the wall with his hands, hung for a moment suspended above the
sea, then raised himself, as a gymnast does on a parallel bar, slowly
till his body was above the wall. Then--Hermione did not know how--he was
beside her.

She caught hold of him with both hands. She felt furiously angry.

"How dare you disobey me?" she said, panting and trembling. "How dare
you--"

But his eyes silenced her. She broke off, staring at him. All the healthy
color had left his face. There was a leaden hue upon it.

"Gaspare--are you--you aren't hurt--you--"

"Let me go, signora! Let me go!"

She let him go instantly.

"What is it? Where are you going?"

He pointed to the beach.

"To the boat. There's--down there in the water--there's something in the
water!"

"Something?" she said.

"Wait in the road."

He rushed away from her, and she heard him saying: "Madonna! Madonna!
Madonna!"--crying it out as he ran.

Something in the water! She felt as if her heart stood still