The girl exhaled a sick breath.
"Oh ... duty ... sacrament. Sacrament—with him!" She stood breathing heavily through her open lips. "When Father Benicio saw I really meant to kill myself, when he saw I was desperate, then, finally, he told me to wear this." She touched her black nun's robe.
"To wear what?"
"This robe."
The drummer looked at the robe as if he had not seen it before.
"What has that got to do with it?"
"Pues ... cá!" The señora began to laugh hysterically. "When I wore this nun's robe, he stayed with other women all the time. He would not touch me. He ... he.... Father Benicio said he would not!"
She laughed till the tears stood in her eyes. Strawbridge stared at her. There was something dreadful about her laughter. Presently she sobered abruptly.
"Why ... why was that? Why-y?" The drummer was utterly at sea.
The señora shook her head.