"Mamma has not left her room yet, and papa and Maria are out."
"Maria is at church as usual, isn't she?"
"She only went to mass; she will be back soon."
"Of course," replied the young man, becoming suddenly serious and silent.
Marta finished her work under her future brother's grave and not very careful inspection.
"Will you wait for me? I'm coming right back."
Ricardo nodded assent; and while the girl was gone, he went to one of the balconied windows and began to drum with his fingers on the glass, casting a vacant, absent look at the neighboring houses.
Marta came hurrying in again.
"Come, go with me; I am going to put the linen away."
Ricardo followed the girl like a lamb into a bright room full of clothes-presses. It looked into the garden. In the centre of it was a table on which stood a great basket heaped up with white clothes just from the wash.