“At last!” exclaimed Elena, and slipped from her saddle.
From the cave they went into a long corridor that led them to an ante-room with a curtained glass door at each of the four sides. There was no window. One of the doors stood open into a charming bed-chamber.
The one large window of this chamber was covered with a curtain of white linen in closely crowded flutings that shone with a reflected sunshine. The color of all the room was a delicate gray, with touches of gilding everywhere. They glimmered in a broad band of arabesques that ran round the walls at middle height; on a bronze vase with its long slender pen-sweep of a handle; on the lance-ends of the curtain-rod; on the railing around three sides of a little table that held a candlestick, bottle, and glass at the bedside. There was a glistening of gold all through the light shadow-tint.
“Welcome! A thousand welcomes to San Salvador!” exclaimed Elena, leading Tacita into the chamber and embracing her with fervor. “May all happiness and peace attend you here; and may the place be to you the gate of heaven!”
“And now, dear, your fatigues are all over,” she added. “You are at home!”
“San Salvador!” repeated Tacita, looking about her.
“Do you wish to see and know more now, at once?” the nurse asked smilingly. “There are no more secrets for you.”
“Oh, no! Just now I appreciate too well our Italian proverb: ‘The bed is a rose.’ And that sofa seems to speak.” She went to sink on to its soft cushions. “Go to your friends, Elena.”
“Presently. You must first be attended to. There is a woman here who will serve you in everything. She speaks French, and her name is Marie. What are your orders?”
“My wish is to rest on this motherly sofa an hour or two, without having to utter a word. Then I would like a little quiet dinner, all alone, after which I will go to bed and sleep as long as nature wills. Those are my wishes. My sole command is that you go to your friends at once, and do not return to me till to-morrow morning. My poor, dear Elena! What a care I have been to you! Now let me see you take some care of yourself. I have all that I want.”