“The rest is a matter for her own conscience to settle.”
That same afternoon the whole neighborhood knew that Donna Felicidade had dislocated her foot in the Encarnação; some of the neighbors declared that she had broken her leg, and that Donna Luiza never left her bedside; and Paula affirmed in authoritative accents,—
“She is a very good girl, a very good girl!”
The professor’s Gertrudes went in the evening to ask Aunt Joanna if it was true that Donna Felicidade had broken her leg. Aunt Joanna set her right; it was a dislocated foot, and nothing more. Gertrudes went back to tell the professor, adding that the accident had taken place at the Encarnação, where the sick lady now was. All the neighbors praised Luiza. A few days afterwards Teixeira Azevedo, who of late had hardly saluted her, meeting her by chance in the street of S. Roque, stopped her, and with a profound bow said,—
“I beg your pardon, Senhora; how does your patient get on?”
“Better, thank you.”
“It is truly a very charitable action on your part, Senhora, to go every day to the Encarnação.”
“She does not want for society,” returned Luiza.
“A very charitable action, indeed,” repeated Azevedo, with emphasis. “I have said so everywhere,—a very charitable action on your part. Good-day.”
And he went on his way much moved.