"It's a shame," said Rosa, "that Paula is so small. If she were only a few years older perhaps she could"—"I'll tell you what's a shame, and that is that she is coming at all," interrupted Catalina with the return of her bad humor.
"Oh," sighed Teresa, "poor little thing! What could she do at her age! A child of ten years will never be able to change your father's ideas. The more you speak to him the worse he is. No, the one who has to change will be the child herself! She must learn to do as we do. I do hope she may not have to suffer too much. Of course, at her age she will adapt herself quickly to her surroundings, and after all, your father is a good-hearted man. There! At last the sock is done! It was time, for I cannot see any more. What a lovely day it has been! The fruit ought to ripen quickly with a few more days like this."
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine … it was the great clock of Darnetal that recalled us to the present.
"Nine o'clock!" exclaimed Teresa, "how the time has passed! Lisita! Off to bed!"
"Please, Teresa, let me stay a few minutes more; it's lovely here by the open window."
"Yes, it won't be so lovely tomorrow morning when you must rise early to be in class on time. Isn't that so? Now go, Lisita! No more nonsense!"
"Here, take this," said Catalina, handing me a lovely orange that she had received; "You can have it if you go to bed immediately!"
"Oh," I exclaimed beamingly; "I do love you so, dear Catalina."
"Is it me or the orange that you love?"
"It's you, and the orange, and Teresa, and Papa, and Rosa, and Louis, and
Paula."