"You have been very good to us, sir," said Paula, starting to go out. "We have given you so much trouble, but when we wish to buy anything more, we shall always come here, will we not, Lisita? In the meantime, many thanks," and she extended her hand to him with surprising self-possession.
"The pleasure is all mine," said the young man, and I could see that he'd never met her like before.
Teresa was not far away, gazing into a jeweler's window. "At last, you're here," she said amiably. "Now, we must hurry, for it is very late." She made no mention of our untoward absence and one would have believed that she had not noticed it, and that relieved us very much.
"You certainly are late," said my father to Teresa on our return.
"I thought we'd never get through," said the good woman. "For you see,
Paula had to spend—"
"Oh, yes, I understand. She had to get rid of her five francs.
"And now, Paula, show me what you have bought."
"All right. Here you are, uncle!"
Paula had always shown a certain timidity toward my father, and appeared to be slightly afraid of him. Slightly red in the face, she took out the packages one after the other from Teresa's bag.
"You shall see, sir. You shall see," commented Teresa, with a shake of her head.