Close by, hidden under the shadow of the statue, a devout old woman was fingering the beads of her rosary and watching them with curiosity. It certainly wasn't unusual to see couples up there in search of a romantic place where they could exchange promises and words of love, and a smile appeared on her lips, as she thought back, perhaps, on her younger days. But those two young people weren't like all the others: they weren't walking hand in hand, nor were they embracing on a park bench, looking out at the landscape, forgetting the rest of the world and the passing of time. They seemed instead to be focused on and worried about something that went beyond a typical relationship.

There, now she was again talking animatedly while he was listening to her with great attention; and he would interrupt her every now and then, more or less abruptly, to ask her further questions or to raise an objection. And she was moving back and forth, gesticulating slightly, at times somber or excited, at others serious or happy, as if she were telling a long personal story and trying to convince her listener of its veracity. On the other hand, he was