"
On the following Thursday, therefore, we went to visit her. As we left the
house, Teresa handed us a jar of preserves, saying, "Give Louisa this. Poor
thing! Not many good things have come into her life."
Louisa herself answered our knock, "Ah," she said, "please excuse the
disorder. If I had known you were coming today I would have straightened
things a bit. Sit down here, on this box, Mesdemoiselles. I am sorry that I
have no chairs to offer you. Ah, here comes Cordero!" she continued, and we
could hardly recognize the beautiful black cat that jumped purring into
Paula's lap, as the same cadaverous animal that was swinging around
Joseph's head a few days before.
"It's my one friend," said the poor old woman, sitting down on another box.
"Do you believe that?" said Paula. "Can you not call us your friends? And
there's another friend who has sent you a present. Our Teresa sent this for
you." She placed in the eager hands of the old woman the preserves.
"Is it for me? How can I thank you? For years everybody has made fun of me,
for I never speak to anyone; preferring the company of animals to that of
people."
Paula had such a sympathetic way of getting at people's hearts, that
instinctively she understood how lonely Louisa had been.
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