But when he came to his own house and Roma opened the door to him, and
he saw her, looking so ill, her cheeks so pale, her beautiful eyes so
large and timid, and her whole face expressing such acute suffering, his
anger began to ebb away, and he wanted to take her into his arms in
spite of all.
Roma knew she was opening the door to Rossi, whatever the strange chance
which had brought him there, and when she saw him she made a faint cry
and a helpless little run toward him, and then stopped and looked
frightened. The momentary sensation of joy and relief had instantly died
away. She looked at his world-worn face, so disfigured by pain and
humiliation, and the arms she had outstretched to meet him she raised
above her head as if to ward off a blow.
He saw under the veil she wore the terror which had seized her at sight
of him, and by that alone he knew the depths of the abyss between them.
But this only increased the measureless pity he felt for her. And he
could not look at her without feeling that whatever she had done he
loved her, and must continue to love her to the last.
Tears rose to his throat and choked him. He opened his mouth to speak,
but at first he could not utter a word. At length he fumbled at his
breast, tore at his shirt front, so that his loose neckerchief became
untied, and finally drew from an inner pocket a crumpled paper.
"Look!" he said with a kind of gasp.
She saw at a glance what the paper was, and dared not look at it a
second time. It was the warrant. She dropped into a chair with bowed
head and humble attitude, as if trying to sink out of sight.
"Tell me you know nothing about it, Roma."
She covered her face with both hands and was silent.
"Tell me."
She had expected that he would flame out at her, but his voice was
breaking. She lifted her head and tried to look at him. His eyes were
fixed on her with an expression she had never seen before. She wanted to
speak, and could not do so. Her lip trembled, and she hung her head and
covered her face again, unable to say a word.
By this time he knew full well that she was guilty, but he tried to
persuade himself that she was innocent, to make excuses for her, and to
find her a way out.
"The newspapers say that the warrant was made at your instruction,
Roma--that you were the informer who denounced me. It cannot be true.
Tell me it is not true."