Nela, whose right foot was bleeding a good deal, came hobbling back again.
"Give me my poor Líli," said the lady, taking the dog out of the ragged child's arms. "Do not hurt him; does it hurt you much? Poor little thing.—Oh! how it is bleeding.—I cannot bear to look at it." And Sofía turned her back to spare her sensitive nerves, hugging Líli more closely.
"Let us see what has happened," said Teodoro, lifting Nela up and seating her on a high stone that was at hand. Then, putting on his spectacles, he said: "It is quite a trifle, only a few scratches; there is a thorn in here I rather think.—That hurts you? Yes, just so, here is the villain.—Wait a minute. Now, Sofía if you cannot look on at a surgical operation, you had better walk on."
While his sister went slowly forward to save her nervous system this terrible shock, Golfin took a small case out of his pocket and a pair of tweezers out of the case, and in less than a winking the thorn was extracted.
"That is a brave little woman," he said to Nela, who had not even winced. "Now we will tie this foot up." And he bound it round with his handkerchief. Marianela jumped down to walk and Cárlos offered her his hand.
"No, no—come here," said Teodoro. He took the little girl under the arms, and with a rapid and dexterous twist perched her on his right shoulder.
"If you do not feel safe hold on to my hair," he said. "It will not come off. Now, you must carry the stick with the hat."
"What a ridiculous sight!" said Sofía, in fits of laughter as they came up with her. "Teodoro, with Nela on his shoulder, and then the stick and Gessler's hat on the top...."