The marquesa signified her surprise at this decision. Sebastiana could remain, of course. She was pleased with her services. The contractor’s death was not sufficient reason for her going. As long as she must work somewhere, she might as well work for Elena. But the half-breed was insistent, and went on shaking her head.
“I must go. If I stay, there are friends of mine here who’ll scratch my eyes out. Many thanks!... just the same, I’d rather stay on good terms with my people ... and ... I might as well say it ... the señora marquesa hasn’t any friends here.”
At this Elena deemed it prudent not to continue the conversation. So she expressed her acceptance of Sebastiana’s decision.
“Very well, if you are afraid to stay here....”
This prudence quite moved Sebastiana.
“I’d like to stay. The señora is very kind, and never did me any harm.... But that’s the way people are, and I can’t fight all the women in town.... But if there’s anything I can do for the señora, she has only to ask.... It would be a pleasure....”
Finally, after expatiating further on her desire to be useful to Elena, and her unwillingness to leave her, Sebastiana withdrew.
Near the door she stopped to reply to Elena’s question about the whereabouts of the marqués.
“I don’t know. He went out this morning and hasn’t come back yet. Perhaps he went to Fuerte Sarmiento with don Moreno for the funeral of my poor old master.”
When she was once more alone Elena’s thoughts turned to her husband as to someone long forgotten but now presenting himself with renewed importance. She was so accustomed to looking upon him as a person entirely lacking in desires of his own, as someone ready to accept all her notions, and disposed to believe whatever she wanted him to believe! But this latest episode of her life had been of such a violent nature.... In a large city it would have caused little more than a ripple. But here, in the monotony of life in a pioneer community, where such unprecedented events were rare, surrounded by this rabble of adventurers, predisposed to insult persons of superior rank....