"Ah!"
He had seen Hermione. She was standing up, with her two hands resting on
the door-frame and her head and shoulders outside of the carriage.
Maurice sat absolutely still and stared at her, stared at her almost as
if she were a stranger passing by. She was looking at the watercourse, at
the crowd, eagerly. Her face, much browner than when she had left Sicily,
was alight with excitement, with happiness. She was radiant. Yet he
thought she looked old, older at least than he had remembered. Suddenly,
as the train came very slowly upon the bridge, she drew in to speak to
some one behind her, and he saw vaguely Artois, pale, with a long beard.
He was seated, and he, too, was gazing out at the fair. He looked ill,
but he, too, looked happy, much happier than he had in London. He put up
a thin hand and stroked his beard, and Maurice saw wrinkles coming round
his eyes as he smiled at something Hermione said to him. The train came
to the middle of the bridge and stopped.
"Ecco!" murmured Maddalena. "The man at the other end has signalled!"
Maurice looked again at the watercourse. Gaspare was beyond the crowd
now, and was staring at the train with interest, like Maddalena. Would it
never go on? Maurice set his teeth and cursed it silently. And his soul
said; "Go on! Go on!" again and again. "Go on! Go on!" Now Hermione was
once more leaning out. Surely she must see Gaspare. A man waved a flag.
The train jerked back, jangled, crept forward once more, this time a
little faster. In a moment they would begone. Thank God! But what was
Hermione doing? She started. She leaned further forward, staring into
the watercourse. Maurice saw her face changing. A look of intense
surprise, of intense inquiry, came into it. She took one hand swiftly
from the door, put it behind her--ah, she had a pair of opera-glasses at
her eyes now! The train went on faster. It was nearly off the bridge. But
she was waving her hand. She was calling. She had seen Gaspare. And he?
Maurice saw him start forward as if to run to the bridge. But the train
was gone. The boy stopped, hesitated, then dashed away across the stones.
"Signorino! Signorino!"
Maurice said nothing.
"Signorino!" repeated Maddalena. "Look at Gaspare! Is he mad? Look! How
he is running!"
Gaspare reached the bank, darted up it, and disappeared into the village.
"Signorino, what is the matter?"