She ran into the parlor, where Luiza found her a moment afterwards, standing with folded arms before the dark stain, as if she had caught a glimpse of some near catastrophe.
“Good God! what an omen!” she repeated.
“Throw some salt on it at once.”
“Is that good?”
“It breaks the spell.”
Leopoldina hurried away, brought back some salt, and kneeling down, scattered it over the stain, exclaiming,—
“Ah, may Our Lady grant that nothing bad may come of it! But what an occurrence! My God, what an occurrence! And now, child?”
Luiza shrugged her shoulders.
“Now—I am aware of it—there is nothing left for me but—to endure!”