air, he heard a loud, dry noise in the sitting-room, then in the
bedroom. Gaspare had come in, and was standing at the foot of the bed,
sobbing and staring at the doctor with hopeless eyes, that yet asked a
last question, begged desperately for a lie.

"Gaspare!"

The woman in the chair whispered to him. He took no notice.

"Gaspare!"

She got up and crossed over to the boy, and took one of his hands.

"It's no use," she said. "Perhaps he is happy."

Then the boy began to cry passionately. Tears poured out of his eyes
while he held his padrona's hand. The doctor got up.

"He is dead, signora," he said.

"We knew it," Hermione replied.

She looked at the doctor for a minute. Then she said:

"Hush, Gaspare!"

The doctor stood by the bed.

"Scusi, signora," he said, "but--but will you take him into the next
room?"

He pointed to Gaspare, who shivered as he wept.

"I must make a further examination."

"Why? You see that he is dead."

"Yes, but--there are certain formalities."

He stopped.

"Formalities!" she said. "He is dead."

"Yes. But--but the authorities will have to be informed. I am very
sorry. I should wish to leave everything undisturbed."

"What do you mean? Gaspare! Gaspare!"

"But--according to the law, our law, the body should never have been
moved. It should have been left where it was found until--"

"We could not leave him in the sea."

She still spoke quite quietly, but the doctor felt as if he could not go
on.

"Since it is done--" he began.

He pulled himself together with an effort.

"There will have to be an inquiry, signora--the cause of death will have
to be ascertained."

"You see it. He was coming from the island. He fell and was drowned. It
is very simple."

"Yes, no doubt. Still, there must be an inquiry. Gaspare will have to
explain--"

He looked at the weeping boy, then at the woman who stood there holding
the boy's hand in hers.

"But that will be for to-morrow," he muttered, fingering his shirt-front
and looking down. "That will be for to-morrow."

As he went out he added:

"Signora, do not remain in your wet clothes."

"I--oh, thank you. They do not matter."

She did not follow him into the next room. As he went down the steps to
the terrace the sound of Gaspare's passionate weeping followed him into
the night.

When the doctor was on the donkey and was riding out through the arch,
after a brief colloquy with the fishermen and with Giuseppe, wh