"
"Judas!" gasped Pereo. "But," he added, feverishly, "she, the Dona
Maria, thy mistress, SHE summoned thee at once to call me to cast
out this dust into the open air; thou didst fly to her assistance?
What! thou sawest this, and did nothing--eh?" He stopped, and
tried to peer into the girl's face. "No! Ah, I see; I am an old
fool. Yes; it was Maruja's own mother that stood there. He! he!
he!" he laughed piteously; "and she smiled and smiled and broke the
coward's heart, as Maruja might. And when he was gone, she bade
thee bring her water to wash the filthy Judas stain from her hand."
"Santa Ana!" said Faquita, shrugging her shoulders. "She did what
the veriest muchacha would have done. When he had gone, she sat
down and cried."
The old man drew back a step, and steadied himself by the table.
Then, with a certain tremulous audacity, he began: "So! that is all
you have to tell--nothing! Bah! A lazy slut sleeps at her duty,
and dreams behind a curtain! Yes, dreams!--you understand--dreams!
And for this she leaves her occupations, and comes to gossip here!
Come," he continued, steadily working himself into a passion,
"come, enough of this! Get you gone!--you, and Pepita, and
Andreas, and Victor--all of you--back to your duty. Away! Am I
not master here? Off! I say!"
There was no mistaking the rising anger of his voice. The cowed
group rose in a frightened way and disappeared one by one silently
through the labyrinth.
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