"
While Ramona spoke these words, her eyes were fixed on the
running water at her feet. If she had looked up, and seen the
expression in Alessandro's eyes as he listened, the thing which was
drawing near would have drawn near faster, would have arrived at
that moment; but she did not look up. She went on, little dreaming
how hard she was making it for Alessandro.
"Many's the time I've come down here, at night, to this brook, and
looked at it, and wished it was a big river, so I could throw myself
in, and be carried away out to the sea, dead. But it is a fearful sin,
Father Salvierderra says, to take one's own life; and always the
next morning, when the sun came out, and the birds sang, I've been
glad enough I had not done it. Were you ever so unhappy as that,
Alessandro?"
"No, Senorita, never," replied Alessandro; "and it is thought a great
disgrace, among us, to kill one's self. I think I could never do it.
But, oh, Senorita, it is a grief to think of your being unhappy. Will
you always be so? Must you always stay here?"
"Oh, but I am not always unhappy!" said Ramona, with her sunny
little laugh.
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