became sightless with tears, she stooped as if
to look at his writing, and quickly kissed his fingers that held the
pen, there in the midst of the crowded, vulgar Consulate.

He stayed suspended, again looking up at her with the bright,
unfolded eyes of a wild creature which plays and is not seen. A
faint smile, very beautiful to her, was on his face. What did he see
when he looked at her? She did not know, she did not know. And she
would never know. For an instant, she swore inside herself that God
Himself should not take her away from this man. She would commit
herself to him through every eternity. And then the vagueness came
over her again, she turned aside, photographically seeing the crowd
in the Consulate, but really unconscious. His movement as he rose
seemed to move her in her sleep, she turned to him at once.

It was early in November before they could leave for Italy, and her
dim, lustrous state lasted all the time. She found herself at
Charing Cross in the early morning, in all the bustle of catching
the Continental train. Giuseppe was there, and Gemma his wife, and
two of the children, besides three other Italian friends of Ciccio.
They all crowded up the platform. Giuseppe had insisted that Ciccio
should take second-class tickets. They were very early. Alvina and
Ciccio were installed in a second-class compartment, with all their
packages, Ciccio was pale, yellowish under his tawny skin, and
nervous. He stood excitedly on the platform talking in Italian--or
rather, in his own dialect--whilst Alvina sat quite still in her
corner. Sometimes one of the women or one of the children came to
say a few words to her, or Giuseppe hurried to her with illustrated
papers. They treated her as if she were some sort of invalid or
angel, now she was leaving. But most of their attention they gave to
Ciccio, talking at him rapidly all at once, whilst he answered, and
glanced in this way and that, under his fine lashes, and smiled his
old, nervous, meaningless smile. He was curiously upset.

Time came to shut the doors. The women and children kissed Alvina,
saying:

"You'll be all right, eh? Going to Italy--!" And then profound and
meaningful nods, which she could not interpret, but which were
fraught surely with good-fellowship.

Then they all kissed Ciccio. The men took him in their arms and
kissed him on either cheek, the children lifted their faces in eager
anticipation of the double kiss. Strange, how eager they w