VERE
"Come the _quickest_ way."
When the paper was shut in an envelope and addressed she got up. Gaspare held out his hand.
"I will go and look for a fisherman, Signorina."
"But I must come with you. I must keep with you."
She held on to his arm.
"I"m not a coward. But I can"t--I can"t--"
"Si, Signorina! Si, Signorina!"
He took her hand and held it. They went to the door. When he put out his other hand to open it Vere shivered.
"If we can"t do anything, let us go down quickly, Gaspare!"
"Si, Signorina. We will go quickly."
He opened the door and they went out.
In the Pool of the Saint there was no boat. They went to the crest of the island and looked out over the sea. Not far off, between the island and Nisida, there was a boat. Gaspare put his hands to his mouth and hailed her with all his might. The two men in her heard, and came towards the sh.o.r.e.
A few minutes later, with money in their pockets, and set but cheerful faces, they were rowing with all their strength in the direction of Naples.
That afternoon Artois, wishing to distract his thoughts and quite unable to work, went up the hill to the Monastery of San Martino. He returned to the hotel towards sunset feeling weary and depressed, companionless, too, in this gay summer world. Although he had never been deeply attached to the Marchesino he had liked him, been amused by him, grown accustomed to him. He missed the "Toledo incarnate." And as he walked along the Marina he felt for a moment almost inclined to go away from Naples. But the people of the island! Could he leave them just now?
Could he leave Hermione so near to the hands of Fate, those hands which were surely stretched out towards her, which might grasp her at any moment, even to-night, and alter her life forever? No, he knew he could not.
"There is a note for Monsieur!"
He took it from the hall porter.
"No, I"ll walk up-stairs."
He had seen the lift was not below, and did not wish to wait for its descent. Vere"s writing was on the envelope he held; but Vere"s writing distorted, frantic, tragic. He knew before he opened the envelope that it must contain some dreadful statement or some wild appeal; and he hurried to his room, almost feeling the pain and fear of the writer burn through the paper to his hand.
"DEAR MONSIEUR EMILE,--Please come to the island _at once_.
Something terrible has happened. I don"t know what it is. But Madre is--No, I can"t put it. Oh, _do come_--please--please come!
VERE
"Come the _quickest_ way."
"Something terrible has happened." He knew at once what it was. The walls of the cell in which he had enclosed his friend had crumbled away.
The spirit which for so long had rested upon a lie had been torn from its repose, had been scourged to its feet to face the fierce light of truth. How would it face the truth?
"But Madre is--No, I can"t put it."
That phrase struck a chill almost of horror to his soul. He stared at it for a moment trying to imagine--things. Then he tore the note up.
The quickest way to the island!
"I shall not be in to dinner to-night."
He was speaking to the waiter at the door of the Egyptian Room. A minute later he was in the Via Chiatamone at the back of the hotel waiting for the tram. He must go by Posilipo to the Trattoria del Giardinetto, walk down to the village below, and take a boat from there to the island.
That was the quickest way. The tram-bell sounded. Was he glad? As he watched the tram gliding towards him he was conscious of an almost terrible reluctance--a reluctance surely of fear--to go that night to the island.
But he must go.
The sun was setting when he got down before the Trattoria del Giardinetto. Three soldiers were sitting at a table outside on the dusty road, clinking their gla.s.ses of marsala together, and singing, "Piange Rosina! La Mamma ci domanda." Their brown faces looked vivid with the careless happiness of youth. As Artois went down from the road into the tunnel their l.u.s.ty voices died away.
Because his instinct was to walk slowly, to linger on the way, he walked very fast. The slanting light fell gently, delicately, over the opulent vineyards, where peasants were working in huge straw hats, over the still shining but now reposeful sea. In the sky there was a mystery of color, very pure, very fragile, like the mystery of color in a curving sh.e.l.l of the sea. The pomp and magnificence of sunset were in abeyance to-night, were laid aside. And the sun, like some spirit modestly radiant, slipped from this world of vineyards and of waters almost surrept.i.tiously, yet shedding exquisite influences in his going.
And in the vineyards, as upon the dusty highroad, the people of the South were singing.
The sound of their warm voices, rising in the golden air towards the tender beauty of the virginal evening sky, moved Artois to a sudden longing for a universal brotherhood of happiness, for happy men on a happy earth, men knowing the truth and safe in their knowledge. And he longed, too, just then to give happiness. A strongly generous emotion stirred him, and went from him, like one of the slanting rays of light from the sun, towards the island, towards his friend, Hermione. His reluctance, his sense of fear, were lessened, nearly died away. His quickness of movement was no longer a fight against, but a fulfilment of desire.
Once she had helped him. Once she had even, perhaps, saved him from death. She had put aside her own happiness. She had shown the divine self-sacrifice of woman.
And now, after long years, life brought to him an hour which would prove him, prove him and show how far he was worthy of the friendship which had been shed, generously as the sunshine over these vineyards of the South, upon him and his life.
He came down to the sea and met the fisherman, Giovanni, upon the sand.
"Row me quickly to the island, Giovanni!" he said.
"Si, Signore."
He ran to get the boat.
The light began to fall over the sea. They cleared the tiny harbor and set out on their voyage.
"The Signora has been here to-day, Signore," said Giovanni.
"Si! When did she come?"
"This morning, with Gaspare, to take the tram to Mergellina."
"She went to Mergellina?"
"Si, Signore. And she was gone a very long time. Gaspare came back for her at half-past eleven, and she did not come till nearly three. Gaspare was in a state, I can tell you. I have known him--for years I have known him--and never have I seen him as he was to-day."
"And the Signora? When she came, did she look tired?"
"Signore, the Signora"s face was like the face of one who has been looked on by the evil eye."