“Let the senhora starch them.”
“Infamous wretch!” cried Luiza, throwing the iron on the floor and rushing out of the room.
Juliana could hear her sobbing in the hall. Terrified, she took off her hat and gloves. A short time afterwards she heard the street door close violently. She went to Luiza’s room, and saw the wardrobe in confusion and the hat-box lying on the floor. Where had she gone? To lay a complaint before the police? To look for her husband? “A thousand devils!” thought Juliana. “That is not a temper to be trifled with.” She hurried back to the laundry, and began to starch the clothes, repenting of her imprudence, and resolved to be more cautious in future. If Luiza were driven to commit some folly, she, after all, would be the loser. She would be obliged to leave the house, to give up her room, her comforts, her easy situation. The deuce!
Luiza left the house like a madwoman. In the Rua da Escola an empty coupé was passing; she called it, and giving the driver Leopoldina’s address, entered it. She must have returned by this time from Oporto, she thought; she wanted to see her, she did not clearly know why,—do unbosom herself to her, to ask for some suggestion, some means of revenging herself. For the desire of shaking off this tyranny was now less strong than that of avenging so many humiliations. What if she were to poison her tormentor? It seemed to her that she would feel an intense delight in witnessing her writhings, her throes of agony, and at last her death-struggle. She ascended the steps of Leopoldina’s house, and with feverish hand violently pulled the bell. No sooner had Justina caught sight of her than she began to call out to her mistress from the hall,—
“The Senhora Donna Luiza! the Senhora Donna Luiza! Donna Luiza!”
Leopoldina, in a crimson morning-gown with a long train, and her hair in disorder, hurried to meet her, with open arms.
“Is it you?” she cried. “What miracle has brought you here? I have only just now got up. Come in, come in. Everything is in confusion, but no matter.”
She opened the shutters. There was a strong odor of toilet vinegar perceptible. Justina hastened to empty a jug of dirty water, and to put out of sight some soiled towels. Some false curls were lying on a jardinière, and on the floor some burnt ends of cigarettes. Leopoldina raised the blind, saying,—
“God be praised, my dear, that you honor this house at last with your presence!”
But when she saw Luiza’s altered countenance and tearful eyes, “What is this? What is the matter? What has happened?” she exclaimed.