A Romance of History [pp. 430-438]

432 A liomanec of Historj. [April,
who has insulted me in this manner. Gen- ba Buena to the Convent of Notre Dame.
eral Castelar, you;nust accept the office- Once there, they breathed freely; and when
take care how you refuse me!" Sister Marcelina, who admitted them, looked
"Your Excellency, I am sorry that I can- astonished to see them at such an hour,
not comply with your demands, but-I still they led her to a sofa, and seating themrefuse." selves beside her, rela~ted the story of their
"You refuse? Perhaps you will also re- persecution. She shook her head sadly, and
fuse to leave the country, but you have forty- offered them her heartfelt sympathy, but the
eight hours to think about it. If you are not girls gave her very little opportunity to talk.
out of my territory then-" A nod, and a "We know that you feel sorry for us, dear
flash from the eye of the angry president' Sister Marcelina," said Carmelita, "and we
finished the sentence as effectually as words. came to get your co6peration in our little
With a dignified salute Seflor Castelar plan. We wish to borrow two of your dressbowed himself from the council room of the es, one for Inez, the other for me. Then
furious president, thinking joyfully that Gra- with baskets upon our arms, we can walk
cianos night have forbidden him to leave along-so~and buy anything we wish. At
the country, and that would indeed have the worst, people will only jeer at us as nuns,
been unfortunate. As for Gracianos, thor- and they dare not touch us as such."
oughly infuriated, he finally frightened a few Sister Marcelina led them to her dormimen into accepting portfolios. His cabinet tory, and while telling the news to a group
was small, for it consisted of but three offi- of nuns clustered about the doorway, she
cers, and not select; for after all the officers clothed the girls in the conventual garb.
had to be taken from the middle classes. As she arranged the head-dresses, the nuns
Every night red republican mass meetings laughed and clapped their hands with mirth.
were held in different parts of the city. "Madame Pereti will never recognize her
Bonfires blazed in many quarters, and stump own daughters-and the merchants-ha, ha!
speakers discoursed at every corner. The this time they will not have the best of the
politicians were principally of the lower and bargain," said Sister Lucia with a smile.
middle classes-mechanics and laborers who The bell then ringing for service, the sis
for the first time in their lives fully realized ters gravely adjourned to the chapel. Plactheir individual power. In the wild reaction ing a gold piece in Sister Marcelina's white
that this feeling of power broughff, they aim- hand, Carmelita and Inez issued from the
ed their first arrows at the church, and in convent with bowed heads and a hum ble
this way the desire of Gracianos and Baredo mien that made the good nun's mouth conwas fulfilled. tract into just a suspicion of a smile. With
Diana, the housekeeper, was in despair. their baskets upon their arms they walked
All the merchants knew well her round, rosy along the Calle Real, which, like all the other
face, so it was impossible for her to make the streets in Guatemala, was unpaved and ill
family purchases. There was enough food drained. Many sneers and coarse remarks
in the house for a few days, but what then? greeted the girls; but with brave hearts they
Carmelita Pereti was a girl of extraordin- finished purchasing the fresh fruit and gro
ary spirit and ingenuity; and her brilliant, ceries, and then started to return home by a
studious mind rendered her far superior to circuitous route. Arriving at their own gate,
the ladies with whom she was thrown in con- they slowly walked along the shady avenue
tact. That evening at nightfall she and her leading to the house. Upon. the veranda
sister Inez, whom she had taken into her sat Madame Pereti and Dolores, who both
confidence, wrapped themselves in dark rose as the two nuns approached.
c~aks, and gliding noiselessly out into the "Good evening, sisters; pray be seated."
shrubbery, they passed out of a side gate of The nuns bowed and sank into chairs,
the garden, and hurried along the Calle Yer- while Madame Pereti continued: "I am