She leaned her head against the
back and closed her eyes. The room swam. She was roused by the
Senora's strong smelling-salts held for her to breathe, and a
mocking taunt from the Senora's iciest voice: "The Senorita does
not seem so over-strong as she did a few moments back!"
Ramona tried to reason with herself; surely no ill could happen to
her, in this room, within call of the whole house. But an
inexplicable terror had got possession of her; and when the Senora,
with a sneer on her face, took hold of the Saint Catharine statue,
and wheeling it half around, brought into view a door in the wall,
with a big iron key in the keyhole, which she proceeded to turn,
Ramona shook with fright. She had read of persons who had been
shut up alive in cells in the wall, and starved to death. With
dilating eyes she watched the Senora, who, all unaware of her
terror, was prolonging it and intensifying it by her every act. First
she took out the small iron box, and set it on a table. Then,
kneeling, she drew out from an inner recess in the closet a large
leather-covered box, and pulled it, grating and scraping along the
floor, till it stood in front of Ramona.
Pages:
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286