"Goodness, you seem mad, child. Take it, take it; I don't want it."
So she gave up the paper, which was crumpled in her hand, and Venturita, with her face still distorted with rage, tore it into a thousand pieces.
"In all the days of my life I never saw such a mad creature!" exclaimed Doña Paula in amazement. "Ave Maria! Ave Marie! Wherever did you get such a bad temper from, child?"
"It would be from you," replied Venturita sulkily, without looking at anybody.
"You shameless girl! If it were not for folk being here! How dare you answer your mother like that? Don't you know the commandment of the law of God? I will take you to-morrow to confess to Don Aquilino."
"Very well; give my regards to Don Aquilino."
"Wait a bit, wait a bit, you bad girl!" cried the señora, making as though she would rise to chastise her daughter.
But at that instant the figure of Don Rosendo, in his many colored dressing gown and silk tasseled velvet cap, appeared at the door.
"What is the matter?" he asked with surprise at the sight of his wife's excited state.
Suffocated with sobs, Doña Paula then proceeded to give him an account of his daughter's want of respect.