Still retaining Carmen’s hand, she mounted the steps, listening cautiously for the tread of her master. Reaching the rotunda above, she drew Carmen into the room from which she had emerged before, and, bidding her conceal herself if Diego should arrive, took her wallet and hastily descended to where the weaving Julio waited.
“There, amigo,” she said hurriedly, handing him the money. “Now do you go––at once! And do not remain in Banco, or Padre Diego will surely make you trouble. Your life is not safe here now. Go!” She pointed to the door; and Julio, impressed with a sense of his danger, lost no time in making his exit.
Returning to Carmen, the woman seated herself and drew the girl to her. “Carmen, child!” she cried, trembling, as her eyes searched the girl. “Tell me why you are here!”
“I do not know, Anita dear,” murmured the girl, nestling close to the woman and twining an arm about her neck; “except that day before yesterday the Alcalde put padre Rosendo into the jail––”
“Into the jail!”
“Yes, Anita dear. And then, when I was going to see him, Fernando ran out of Don Mario’s house and told me I must go in and see the Alcalde. Julio Gomez and this man Ricardo were there talking with Don Mario in the patio. Then they threw a ruana over me and carried me out through the patio and around by the old church to the Boque trail. When we 235 got to the trail they made me walk with them to the Inanea river, where they put me into a canoe. They paddled fast, down to the Boque river; then to the Magdalena; and down here to Banco. They did not stop at all, except when steamboats went by––oh, Anita, I never saw a steamboat before! What big, noisy things they are! But Padre Josè had often told me about them. And when the big boats passed us they made me lie down in the canoe, and they put the ruana over me and told me if I made any noise they would throw me into the river. But I knew if I just kept still and knew––really knew––that God would take care of me, why, He would. And, you see, He did, for He brought me to you.” A tired sigh escaped her lips as she laid her head on the woman’s shoulder.
“But––oh, Santa Maria!” moaned the woman, “you are not safe here! What can I do?––what can I do?”
“Well, Anita dear, you can know that God is here, can’t you? I knew that all the way down the river. And, oh, I am so glad to see you! Why, just think, it is eight years since you used to play with me! And now we will go back to Simití, will we not, Anita?”
“Pray to the Virgin to help us, child! You may have influence with her––I have none, for my soul is lost!”
“Why, Anita dear, that is not true! You and I are both God’s children, and He is right here with us. All we have to do is to know it––just really know it.”