Giuseppe came to fetch Hermione from the mountain. He had a note in his
hand and also a message to give. The authorities were already at the
cottage; the Pretore of Marechiaro with his Cancelliere, Dr. Marini and
the Maresciallo of the Carabinieri.
"They have come already?" Hermione said. "So soon?"
She took the note. It was from Artois.
"There is a boy waiting, signora," said Giuseppe. "Gaspare is with the
Signor Pretore."
She opened Emile's note.
"I cannot write anything except this--do you wish me to come?--E."
"Do I wish him to come?" she thought.
She repeated the words mentally several times, while the fisherman stood
by her, staring at her with sympathy. Then she went down to the cottage.
Dr. Marini met her on the terrace. He looked embarrassed. He was
expecting a terrible scene.
"Signora," he said, "I am very sorry, but--but I am obliged to perform my
duty."
"Yes," she said. "Of course. What is it?"
"As there is a hospital in Marechiaro--"
He stopped.
"Yes?" she said.
"The autopsy of the body must take place there. Otherwise I could have--"
"You have come to take him away," she said. "I understand. Very well."
But they could not take him away, these people. For he was gone; he had
gone away into the blue.
The doctor looked relieved, though surprised, at her apparent
nonchalance.
"I am very sorry, signora," he said--"very sorry."
"Must I see the Pretore?" she said.
"I am afraid so, signora. They will want to ask you a few questions. The
body ought not to have been moved from the place where--"
"We could not leave him in the sea," she said, as she had said in the
night.
"No, no. You will only just have to say--"
"I will tell them what I know. He went down to bathe."
"Yes. But the Pretore will want to know why he went to Salvatore's
terreno."
"I suppose he bathed from there. He knew the people in the Casa delle
Sirene, I believe."
She spoke indifferently. It seemed to her so utterly useless, this
inquiry by strangers into the cause of her sorrow.
"I must just write something," she added.
She went up the steps into the sitting-room. Gaspare was there with three
men--the Pretore, the Cancelliere and the Maresciallo. As she came in the
strangers turned and saluted her with grave politeness, all looking
earnestly at her with their dark eyes. But Gaspare did not look at her.
He had the ugly expression on his face that Hermione had noticed the day
before.