Gaspare looked up at her.

"Signora!" he said. "Signora!"

Suddenly he got up, as if to go out of the room, out of the house. The

sight of his padrona's tears had driven him nearly mad with the desire to

wreak vengeance upon Salvatore. For a moment his body seemed to get

beyond his control. His eyes saw blood, and his hand darted down to his

belt, and caught at the knife that was there, and drew it out. When

Hermione saw the knife she thought the boy was going to kill himself

with it. She sprang up, went swiftly to Gaspare, and put her hand on it

over his hand.

"Gaspare, what are you doing?" she said.

For a moment his face was horrible in its savagery. He opened his mouth,

still keeping his grasp on the knife, which she tried to wrest from him.

"Lasci andare! Lasci andare!" he said, beginning to struggle with her.

"No, Gaspare."

"Allora--"

He paused with his mouth open.

At that moment he was on the very verge of a revelation of the truth. He

was on the point of telling Hermione that he was sure that the padrone

had been murdered, and that he meant to avenge the murder. Hermione

believed that for the moment he was mad, and was determined to destroy

himself in her presence. It was useless to pit her strength against his.

In a physical struggle she must be overcome. Her only chance was to

subdue him by other means.

"Gaspare," she said, quickly, breathlessly, pointing to the bed. "Don't

you think the padrone would have wished you to take care of me now? He

trusted you. I think he would. I think he would rather you were with me

than any one else in the whole world. You must take care of me. You must

take care of me. You must never leave me!"

The boy looked at her. His face changed, grew softer.

"I've got nobody now," she added. "Nobody but you."

The knife fell on the floor.

In that moment Gaspare's resolve was taken. The battle within him was

over. He must protect the padrona. The padrone would have wished it. Then

he must let Salvatore go.

He bent down and kissed Hermione's hand.

"Lei non piange!" he muttered. "Forse Dio la aiuterà."

In the morning, early, Hermione left the body for the first time, went

into the dressing-room, changed her clothes, then came back and said to

Gaspare: "I am going a little way up the mountain, Gaspare. I shall not be long.

No, don't come with me. Stay with him. Are you dreadfully tired?"




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