In  all  probability  she  was  at  Rome,  and  was  preparing,  with
the  assistance  of  Taramanna,  who  was  an  expert  in  such  mat-
ters, to  get  a  separation  that  should  rouse  no  scandal.  She
was  within  her  full  rights.  That  she  had  come  to  Bologna
was  abstractly,  but  not  humanly,  possible.  Eugenia  might  par-
don him;  but  love  him, — never.  If  she  loved  him,  and  had
come,  she  would  now  be  waiting  for  him  at  the  telegraph
office.  Impelled  by  a  desperate  hope  he  turned  back  in  that
direction.  She  was  not  there.  As  for  going  inside  and  making
personal  inquiries,  he  did  not  dare.  What  could  he  say  to
the  attendant?  "Had  such  and  such  a  woman  come  and  asked
whether  Filippo  Rube  had  inquired  after  a  telegram?"  He
feared  the  yellow,  greedy  eyes  of  the  fellow,  and  his  wordless
reply:  "What?     Do  you  want  to  drown  another  woman  now?"

He  resumed  his  wandering.  The  heat  of  the  prematurely
canicular  day  forced  him  to  breathe  with  an  effort.  He  did
not  even  exclude  from  his  conjectures  the  fact  that  he  had
not  found  the  telegram  because  it  had  gone  astray,  or  had  met
with  some  other  mischance.  "What's  the  difference?"  he  said.
