They looked at each other a moment in silence.
“No! I am going away this very instant,” exclaimed Luiza.
“Don’t be silly!”
They heard a carriage stop at the door, and a moment later Justina made her appearance. She had not found Senhor Castro in his house; he was at the office. She had gone there, and he had told her he would follow on the instant.
But Luiza, who was very pale, still kept her hat in her hand.
“No, no;” said Leopoldina, almost angry. “You are not going to leave me alone with him now. What should I say to him?”
“This is horrible!” murmured Luiza, with a tear resting on her lashes, as she let her arms drop helplessly by her side, urged on the one hand by her interest, on the other by shame.
“It is as if you were going to take a dose of castor-oil,” said Leopoldina. Then, seeing Luiza’s terror, “The deuce! since when is it dishonorable to ask a loan of money? Everybody does that.”
Suddenly they heard a carriage draw up hastily at the door.
“Go into the parlor,—speak to him first,” said Luiza, raising her clasped hands with a supplicating gesture.