Her throat was throbbing, and her faltering voice was failing like a

pendulum that is about to stop.

"Roma!" he cried over her shoulder.

"David!"

Their eyes met, their hands clasped, their pent-up secret was out, and

in the dim-lit catacombs of love two souls stood face to face.

"How long have you known it?" she whispered.

"Since the night you came to the Piazza Navona. And you?"

"Since the moment I heard your voice." And then she shuddered and

laughed.

When they left the house of silence a blessed hush had fallen on them, a

great wonder which they had never known before, the wonder of the

everlasting miracle of human hearts.

The sun was sitting behind Rome in a glorious blaze of crimson, with the

domes of churches glistening in the horizontal rays, and the dark globe

of St. Peter's hovering over all. The mortal melancholy which had been

lying over the world seemed to be lifted away, and the earth smiled with

flowers and the heavens shone with gold.

Only the rhythmic cadence of the saddles broke the silence as they swung

to the movement of the horses. Sometimes they looked at each other, and

then they smiled, but they did not speak.

The sun went down, and there was a far-off ringing of bells. It was Ava

Maria. They drew up the horses for a moment and dropped their heads.

Then they started again.

The night chills were coming, and they rode hard. Roma bent over the

mane of her horse and looked proud and happy.

Grooms were waiting for them at the gate of St. Paul, and, giving up

their horses, they got into a carriage. When they reached Trinità de'

Monti the lamplighter was lighting the lamps on the steps of the piazza,

and Roma said in a low voice, with a blush and a smile:

"Don't come in to-night--not to-night, you know."

She wanted to be alone.

XI

Felice met Roma at the door of her own apartment, and in more than

usually sepulchral tones announced that the Countess had wished to see

her as soon as she came home. Without waiting to change her

riding-habit, Roma turned into her aunt's room.

The old lady was propped up with pillows, and Natalina was fussing about

her. Her eyes glittered, her thin lips were compressed, and regardless

of the presence of the maid, she straightway fell upon Roma with bitter

reproaches.

"Did you wish to see me, aunt?" said Roma, and the old lady answered in

a mocking falsetto: "Did I wish to see you, miss? Certainly I wished to see you, although

I'm a broken-hearted woman and sorry for the day I saw you first."




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