"They were your father's, and
all these rubies, and these yellow diamonds;" and she pushed the
tray towards her.
Ramona had untied the last knot. Holding the handkerchief
carefully above the tray, she shook the pearls out. A strange, spicy
fragrance came from the silk. The pearls fell in among the rubies,
rolling right and left, making the rubies look still redder by
contrast with their snowy whiteness.
"I will keep this handkerchief," she said, thrusting it as she spoke,
by a swift resolute movement into her bosom. "I am very glad to
have one thing that belonged to my father. The jewels, Senora, you
can give to the Church, if Father Salvierderra thinks that is right. I
shall marry Alessandro;" and still keeping one hand in her bosom
where she had thrust the handkerchief, she walked away and
seated herself again in her chair.
Father Salvierderra! The name smote the Senora like a
spear-thrust, There could be no stronger evidence of the abnormal
excitement under which she had been laboring for the last
twenty-four hours, than the fact that she had not once, during all
this time, thought to ask herself what Father Salvierderra would
say, or might command, in this crisis.
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