"Not so silent as you imagine," she said slyly; "he talks to me, my dear."
"Very likely. I daresay you are easier to talk to than I am. For I too am silent—I have not seen towns and things like you."
"It does make a difference," Sarella admitted complacently. Then, with more covert interest than she showed: "If you really think he would like me to go with you to Mass, I should be glad to please him. After all, one should encourage him in this desire to resume his religious duties. Perhaps he would take us again."
"I am quite sure he would like you to hear Mass with us," Mariquita repeated slowly.
"Then I will do so. You had better tell me about it—one would not like to do the wrong thing."
Perhaps Mariquita told her more about it than Sarella had intended.
"She is tremendously in earnest, anyway," Sarella decided; "she can talk on that eagerly enough. I must say," she thought, good-naturedly, "I am glad her father's giving her the chance of doing it. I had no idea she felt about it like that. She is good—to care so much and never say a word of what it is to her not to have it. I never thought there was an ounce of religion about the place. She evidently thinks her father cares, too. I should want some persuading of that. But she may be right in saying he expects me to go to his church. She is very positive. And some men are like that—their women must do what they do. They leave church alone for twenty years, but when they begin to go to church their women must go at once. And the Don is masterful enough. Perhaps he thinks it's time he began to remember his soul. If so, he is sure to begin by bothering about other people's souls. She thinks a lot more of him than he thinks of her. In his way, though, he is just as Spanish as she is; I suppose that's why I'm to go to Mass."
CHAPTER XIII.
Don Joaquin had sounded Mariquita with reference to Sarella's religion. It suited him to sound Sarella in reference to Mariquita—and another person. This he would not have done had he not regarded Sarella as potentially a near relation.