"Tell us, at any rate."
"The problem of orphanhood, and the miseries of infancy, will never be completely and finally solved, any more than the rest of our great social problems; still, it will be lightened when custom, supported by law—yes, by law, you see I am in earnest—when custom and law insist that every orphan, whatever its birth—do not laugh—has a right to claim adoption by some married couple in easy circumstances, and who have no children. By this plan, there will be no childless parents, and no fatherless children."
"Yes, by this plan," retorted Sofía, "we should be parents to Nela!"
"And why not?" said Teodoro. "At the same time you would not waste two hundred duros in buying a dog, nor the livelong blessed day in talking nonsense to his highness, Master Líli."
"And why are rich bachelors to be exempt under this delightful law? Why should not they also be burthened, each with his orphan?"
"I have no objection ..." said the doctor; he was looking at the ground. "But what is this? Blood?"
They all looked down, and at regular intervals they saw small spots of blood.
"Mercy!" cried Sofía, covering her eyes. "It is Nela—see, it is where she has trodden; these are her footmarks."
"Oh yes! I see. It was when she went into the brambles to fetch your precious dog. Nela, come here."