"Be it therefore as you wish," he said.
Pleasure? I couldn't understand what pleasure there would be for Catalina
to stay behind alone with Maria, especially at this time of the great event
of the year.
My father looked at Catalina tenderly as if he read her very heart, and saw
there something he had never seen before. "Thou hast changed much, daughter
mine, since your last sickness."
"For better or worse?" asked Catalina with a mischievous smile.
"For better, my daughter. Indeed, far better!"
"It's because I'm older than I was, perhaps, father."
"No, no; it's more than that."
"I wonder if I could dare tell you the truth."
"Never fear. Tell me what's on your mind, Catalina."
"Well, it's this, father dear. God has spoken to me and I have answered
Him."
"How has He spoken to thee?" said my father, and there was no sternness in
his look either.
Catalina pointed furtively at Paula.
"And how hast thou answered Him?"
"I've asked Him that He might save me and that He might make me a real
Christian."
There was a strange look in my poor father's face as he answered quietly,
"If I could believe that there was a God, I would say that He had heard
thee.
Pages:
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134