"Your assistant, Felicia, is becoming a very able teacher," he remarked, nonchalantly.
"Yes, she is a very good teacher," agreed the Maestra; but there was no emphasis on her adjective.
"This morning," went on the Maestro, "she was teaching the children. She said, 'Do you see the hat?' and she pointed to the pear tree."
"'Sus-Maria-Joseph!" exclaimed the Maestra; "she said that? But it is barbarous! The children, they will unlearn all that I learned them! It is—what you call?—it is impossible!"
"Yes," went on the Maestro, seeing that he was on the right track, and using his imagination a bit; "and she told them, 'I has two hats.'"
"'I has? I has?' she said 'I has'? Que barbaridad! Señor Pablo, I will——"
And, dropping her bowl of rice, she started running toward the school, while behind her back the Maestro executed a little jig. His undignified joy, however, lasted but a few seconds. The Maestra came to an abrupt stop, looked down at her garments, and came back slowly.
"I cannot go to school in these clothes," she said, sorrowfully.
"No," admitted the Maestro; "but can you not put on your others?"
The Maestra looked embarrassed.