"My friend," he said to Leon, "you told me that Maria had been saved by you, and yet I do not see her."
"She awaits your permission to present herself to you, general."
"Let her come—let her come!"
A peon was ordered to go and fetch Maria, who was kneeling in her mother's room, and soon after, the maiden was standing before her father; but on seeing the condition in which the murderer had left him, she could only sob. The old man made a sign that he wished to embrace her.
"My daughter," he said, after pressing his lips on the novice's virgin forehead, "since the walls of a convent have not protected you from the fury of my enemies, and I know not whether I shall ever see my other children again, you will henceforth remain with me, if," he added, "Heaven grant me the strength to live."
"Oh, thanks, father—thanks! for the convent is death, and I wish to live to love and cherish you."
"What do you say?"
"Forgive me, father, but I suffered so deeply at being separated from those whom I love."
"This is strange! and yet your sister Inez asked three days ago to speak to me in private, and asked my permission to take the veil in the Convent of the Conception, as she was determined not to marry Don Sallazar, who loves her. I believed that it was you, child, who had persuaded her to this."
"Oh, no!" Maria murmured.