Luiza went upstairs, and putting on a loose white dressing-gown, threw herself, weary and depressed by the heat, into an easy-chair. She felt herself growing drowsy; her head began to nod, her eyelids were closing, and Juliana had not yet brought the tea. Luiza called to her. Where could she be?
She had descended to Luiza’s room, and was examining the pocket of the gown her mistress had worn; hearing her name called impatiently, she went into the parlor quickly.
Was it her tea the senhora wanted? If so it was ready.
“Senhor Sebastião was here,” she added as she handed her mistress the toast; “it was about nine when he came.”
“What did you tell him?” asked Luiza.
“That the senhora had gone out with Donna Felicidade. I could not tell him where, as I did not know. Don Sebastião,” she continued, “stayed talking with me more than half an hour.”
CHAPTER V.
PREPARING THE GROUND.
ON the following morning Luiza received a bouquet of magnificent red roses from Sebastião, which she placed in the vases in the parlor.
At three o’clock Bazilio came. Luiza was seated at the piano.
“The gentleman who was here the other day is outside,” Juliana came to announce in grave, almost reproachful accents.