He found himself more and more alone in
the country. Even the Spanish tongue was less and less spoken. He
was beginning to yearn for Mexico,-- for Mexico, which he had
never seen, yet yearned for like an exile. There he might yet live
among men of his own race and degree, and of congenial beliefs
and occupations. Whenever he thought of this change, always
came the quick memory of Ramona. Would she be willing to go?
Could it be that she felt a bond to this land, in which she had
known nothing but sufferings
At last he asked her. To his unutterable surprise, Ramona cried:
"Felipe! The saints be praised! I should never have told you. I did
not think that you could wish to leave this estate. But my most
beautiful dream for Ramona would be, that she should grow up in
Mexico."
And as she spoke, Felipe understood by a lightning intuition, and
wondered that he had not foreknown it, that she would spare her
daughter the burden she had gladly, heroically borne herself, in the
bond of race.
The question was settled. With gladness of heart almost more than
he could have believed possible, Felipe at once communicated
with some rich American proprietors who had desired to buy the
Moreno estate.
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