"
And with a prayer on her lips she fell asleep.
It was Felipe's nearness more than the Madonna's, which saved her
from being roused to hear her doom. The Senora stood for some
moments looking at her, and at the open window. With a hot rush
of disgraceful suspicions, she noted what she had never before
thought of, that Alessandro, through all his watching with Felipe,
had had close access to Ramona's window. "Shameful creature!"
she repeated to herself. "And she can sleep! It is well she prayed, if
the Virgin will hear such!" and she turned away, first setting down
the jug of milk and the bread on a table. Then, with a sudden and
still more curious mingling of justness in her wrath, she returned,
and lifting the coverlet from the bed, spread it over Ramona,
covering her carefully from head to foot. Then she went out and
again locked the door.
Felipe, from his bed, heard and divined all, but made no sound.
"Thank God, the poor child is asleep!" he said; "and my poor dear
mother feared to awake me by speaking to her! What will become
of us all to-morrow!" And Felipe tossed and turned, and had barely
fallen into an uneasy sleep, when his mother's window opened, and
she sang the first line of the sunrise hymn.
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