"Divina Pruvidenza, pruvvidìtimi;
Divina Pruvidenza, consulàtimi;
Divina Pruvidenza è granni assai;
Cu' teni fidi a Diù, 'un pirisci mai!"
Once, in his sleep, Delarey must surely have heard her song, for he began to dream that he was Ulysses sailing across the purple seas along the shores of an enchanted coast, and that he heard far off the sirens singing, and saw their shadowy forms sitting among the rocks and reclining upon the yellow sands. Then he bade his mariners steer the bark towards the shore. But when he drew near the sirens changed into devout peasant women, and their alluring songs into prayers uttered to the Bambino and the Virgin. But one watched him with eyes that gleamed like black jewels, and her lips smiled while they uttered prayers, as if they could murmur love words and kiss the lips of men.
"Signorino! Signorino!"
Delarey stirred on the great, white bed. A hand grasped him firmly, shook him ruthlessly.
"Signorino! C'è il sole!"
He opened his eyes reluctantly. Maddalena was leaning over him. He saw her bright face and curious young eyes, then the faces of the saints and the actresses upon the wall, and he wondered where he was and where Hermione was.
"Hermione!" he said.
"Cosa?" said Maddalena.
She shook him again gently. He stretched himself, yawned, and began to smile. She smiled back at him.
"C'è il sole!"