seen it. Gaspare should have left the body."

"But perhaps the povero signore is not really dead, after all! Madonna!
How--"

"Come! come! we must not delay! One minute! I will get some lint and--"

He disappeared into the house. Almost directly he came out again with a
package under his arm and a long, black cigar lighted in his mouth.

"Take these, Giuseppe! Carry them carefully. Now then!"

He hoisted himself onto the donkey.

"A-ah! A-ah!"

They set off, the fisherman walking on naked feet beside the donkey.

"Then we have to go down to the sea?"

"No, Signor Dottore. There were others on the road, Antonio and--"

"The rest of you going to the boats--I know. Well?"

"And the signora would have him carried up to Monte Amato."

"She could give directions?"

"Si, signore. She ordered everything. When she came out of the sea she
was all wet, the poor signora, but she was calm. I called the others.
When they saw the signore they all cried out. They knew him. Some of them
had been to the fishing with him. Oh, they were sorry! They all began to
speak and to try to--"

"Diavolo! They could only make things worse! If the breath of life was
in the signore's body they would drive it out. Per Dio!"

"But the signora stopped them. She told them to be silent and to carry
the signore up to the Casa del Prete. Signore, she--the povera
signora--she took his head in her hands. She held his head and she never
cried, not a tear!"

The man brushed his hand across his eyes.

"Povera signora! Povera signora!" murmured the doctor.

"And she comforted Gaspare, too!" Giuseppe added. "She put her arm round
him and told him to be brave, and help her. She made him walk by her and
put his hand under the padrone's shoulder. Madonna!"

They turned away from the village into a narrow path that led into the
hills.

"And I came to fetch you, Signor Dottore. Perhaps the povero signore is
not really dead. Perhaps you can save him, Signor Dottore!"

"Chi lo sa?" replied the doctor.

He had let his cigar go out and did not know it.

"Chi lo sa?" he repeated, mechanically.

Then they went on in silence--till they reached the shoulder of the
mountain under Castel Vecchio. From here they could see across the ravine
to the steep slope of Monte Amato. Upon it, high up, a light shone, and
presently a second light detached itself from the first, moved a little
way, and then was stationary.

Giuseppe pointed.

"Ecco, Signor Dott