The Call of the Blood

The body on the bed was swollen, but not very much, the face was sodden,

the hair plastered to the head, and on the left temple there was a large

wound, evidently, as the doctor had seen, caused by the forehead striking

violently against a hard, resisting substance. It was not the sea alone

which had killed this man. It was the sea and the rock in the sea. He

had fallen, been stunned and then drowned. The doctor knew the place

where he had been found. The explanation of the tragedy was very

simple--very simple.

While the doctor was thinking this, and fingering his shirt-front

mechanically, and bracing himself to turn towards the quiet woman in the

chair, 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."