It was Doña Rosalía. In spite of the jocose tone in which she spoke, Maximina was so startled that she let the candle fall, and they were left in perfect darkness, until Doña Rosalía, choking with laughter, came with a lamp; but her niece had disappeared.
"Did you ever see a girl like her? She is going to be married to-morrow, and yet she is as bashful as though she had known you only since yesterday.... Most likely she has locked herself up in her room.... It will make you some trouble to get her out now!"
Miguel went up to her room and called gently at the door.
There was no answer.
"Maximina," he said, with difficulty restraining his laughter.
"I don't want to! I don't want to!" replied the girl, with amusing desperation.
"But what is it that you do not want to do?"
"I don't want to come out!"
"Ah! you don't want to come out?... Then see here; the curé is not going to marry us with so much wood separating us!..." A few minutes of silence followed. Miguel put his mouth down to the key-hole, and said, lowering his voice:—
"Why won't you open the door, tonta[1]?... Does it make you feel bashful?"