I started to follow her on
down. "Oh, Lisita," cried Paula; "remember your promise."
"Well, why don't you knock?" I said, rather wickedly, as I saw that Paula
was having trouble to muster up her courage.
"I don't know what's the matter with me; I can't seem to do it."
In a sudden spirit of mischief I suddenly ran to the door and gave it three
tremendous knocks, and then ran into the far comer of the hall.
"Oh, Lisita, how could you," cried poor dismayed Paula.
Pretty soon we heard someone coming slowly to the door, but as if he were
dragging something behind him with each step, and then the door opened
noiselessly, and there stood a forlorn twisted little figure, a lad of
about ten years. As we looked at his face with its halo of golden hair we
forgot all about his deformities.
"Have you come to see my sister?" he said.
"Yes," said Paula, "that is, we have come to see Mademoiselle Virtud."
"She is very, very sick," he said, and we saw that it was with difficulty
that he restrained his tears. As he opened the door a bit wider to let us
in, we saw that a black shawl had been placed over the only window in the
room, so that it was extremely difficult after the door was closed for our
unaccustomed eyes to see anything in the room.
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