Holding back the heavy draperies she
smiled, and in a low voice said:
'Please go in.'
She effaced herself, and Andrea entered the room.
He noticed first of all that the air was very hot, almost stifling, and
that there was a strong odour of chloroform. Then, through the
semi-darkness, he became aware of something red--the crimson of the wall
paper and the curtains of the bed--and then he heard Elena's languid
voice murmuring, 'Thank you so much for coming, Andrea--I feel better
now.'
He made his way to her with some difficulty, being unable to distinguish
things very clearly in the half light.
She smiled wanly at him from among the pillows out of the gloom. Across
her forehead and round her face, like a nun's wimple, lay a band of
white linen which was scarcely whiter than the cheeks it encircled, such
was her extreme pallor. The outer angles of her eyelids were contracted
by the pain of her inflamed nerves, the lower lids quivering
spasmodically from time to time, and the eyes were dewy and infinitely
melting as if veiled by a mist of unshed tears under the trembling
lashes.
A flood of pity and tenderness swept over the young man's heart when he
came close to her and could see her clearly. Very slowly she drew one
hand from under the coverlet and held it out to him. He bent over it
till he half knelt on the edge of the couch and rained kisses thick and
fast upon that burning, fevered hand, and the white wrist with its
hurrying pulse.
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