The same old servant who had led don Jaime's horse to the corral, came in.
"You can serve, José," doña Carmen said to him.
They sat down to table and began their meal.
We will trace in a few lines the portrait of the two ladies whom the exigencies of our narrative have compelled us to bring on the scene. The first, doña María, don Jaime's sister, was still a beautiful woman, although her sunken and worn features bore traces of great sorrows; her carriage was noble, her manner graceful, and her smile sweet and sad. Although she could not be more than forty-two, her hair had turned perfectly white, and formed a striking contrast with her black eyebrows and bright flashing eyes, which revealed strength and youth. Doña María was dressed in long mourning robes, which gave her a religious and ascetic appearance.
Doña Carmen, her daughter, was twenty-two years of age at the most; she was lovely as her mother—of whom she was the living portrait—had been at her age. All about her was graceful and dainty; her voice had an extraordinary sweet modulation, her pure brow evidenced candour, and from her large black eyes, surmounted by eyebrows traced as if with a pencil, and fringed with long velvety lashes, escaped a gentle and hurried glance, filled with a strange charm. Her dress was simple: it consisted of a white muslin robe, fastened at the waist by a wide blue ribbon, and a mantilla of embroidered lace. Such were the two ladies.
In spite of the indifference he affected, don Jaime, the adventurer, was evidently restless and anxious—at times he held his fork in the air, forgetting to carry it to his mouth, and apparently listening to sounds perceptible to himself alone; at other times he sank into so profound a reverie, that his sister or niece was forced to recall him to himself by giving him a gentle tap.
"Really, there is something the matter with you, brother," doña María could not refrain from saying to him.
"Yes," the young lady added, "this preoccupation is not natural, uncle, it alarms us: what is it?"
"Nothing, I assure you," he answered.
"Uncle, you are concealing something from us."