“Bien, girl!” snarled the angry man, still addressing the cowering woman. “Did you tire of him, that you now sneak home? Or––Caramba!” as Ana rose and stood before him, “you come here that your illegal brat may be born! Not under my roof! Santa Maria! Never! Take it back to him! Take it back, I say!” he shouted, raising his clenched fist as if to strike her.
Carmen turned swiftly and threw herself upon the woman. Looking over her shoulder, she addressed the raging man:
“Padre Rosendo! this is not your house! It is God’s! He only lets you have it, because He is good to you! Shame on you, for daring to drive Anita away––your own little girl!” Her voice rose shrill, and her words cut deep into the old man’s embittered heart.
“Shame on you, padre Rosendo!” quickly flowed the scorching words. “If God were like you He would drive you from the house, too! Are you so much better than the good Jesus that you can drive away a woman who sins? Shame on you, padre! Are you better than the good father who was so glad to see his prodigal son? If God were to punish you for your sins, would He even let you live? Did He not set you free this very morning? And do you now thank Him by driving your little girl from her own home? Do you know that it was Anita who made you free, and who brought me here? God used her to do that. And is this the way you thank Him? Then you will lose us both, for we will not stay with you!”
Josè stepped up and took Rosendo’s arm. Carmen turned about and continued her scoriation:
“Padre Rosendo, if the good, pure God was willing to use Anita to save me from Padre Diego and bring me back to you, are you so wicked and so ungrateful that you throw His love back in His face? Shame on you, padre! Shame! Shame!”
“Caramba!” cried Rosendo, tears bursting from his eyes. “She has fouled my name––it was a good name, though my parents were slaves––it was a good name––and she blackened it––she––”
“Padre Rosendo, there are only two names that have never been blackened! Your human name is nothing––it is zero––it counts for foolishness with God! You yourself are making your name blacker now than Anita ever did! She repents, and comes to her father; and he is so much more wicked than she that he drives her out!––”
“Enough, Carmen, child!” interrupted Josè. “Come, Rosendo; go into the parish house! Carmen, go with him!”