“Good-bye, Vere! I am just starting!” she cried out, trying to make her voice sound cheerful and ordinary.
Vere looked up for a second.
“Good-bye!”
She bent her head and returned to her book.
Hermione felt chilled.
She went down and met Giulia in the passage.
“Giulia, is Gaspare anywhere about? I want to cross to the mainland. I am going to take the tram.”
“Signora, are you going to Naples? Maria says—”
“I can’t do any commissions, because I shall probably not go beyond Mergellina. Find Gaspare, will you?”
Giulia went away and Hermione descended to the Saint’s Pool. She waited there two or three minutes. Then Gaspare appeared above.