The woman’s words burned through the priest’s ears and into his sickened soul. Recovering her breath, Catalina went on:
“It is only a few days ago that the little Maria meets Sister Isabel in the plaza. ‘Ah,’ says Sister Isabel, ‘you are going to be a mother.’
“‘Yes, Sister,’ answers the little Maria, much confused; and she tries to hide behind Marcelena.
“‘It is very dangerous and you will suffer much unless you have a sacred cord of Saint Frances,’ says the Sister. ‘I will bring you one.’
“And then she asks where the little Maria lives; and that very day she brings a piece of rope, with knots in it, which she says the priest has blessed, and it is a sacred cord of Saint Frances, and if the little Maria will wear it around her waist she will not suffer at the parturition; and the little Maria must pay a peso oro for it––and the scared little lamb paid it, for she had saved a little money which Don Carlos Ojeda gave her for washing––and she wore it when the babe was born; but it didn’t help her––”
“Dios!” ejaculated the priest.
“And Marcelena had paid a peso y medio,” continued the excited woman, “for a candle that Sister Natalia told her had come from the altar of the Virgin of Santander and was very holy and would help one through confinement. But the candle went out; and it was only a round stick of wood with a little piece of candle on the end. And I––Padre, I could not help it, I would do anything for the poor child––I paid two pesos oro for a new escapulario for her. Sister Natalia said it was very holy––it had been blessed by His Grace, the Bishop, just for women who were to be mothers, and it would carry them through––but if they died, it would take them right out of purgatory––and––!”
“Catalina!” interrupted the tortured priest. “Say no more!”
“But, Padre, the babe,” the woman persisted. “What will become of it? And––do you know?––Padre Lorenzo says it is yours! He told Juanita so––she lives below us. But Maria says no. She has told only Marcelena––and Marcelena will never tell. Who is its father, Padre?”