me!" she cried again; and seizing her by the arm, she
pushed rather than dragged her up the garden-walk.

"Senora, you hurt my arm," said Ramona, still in the same calm voice.
"You need not hold me. I will go with you. I am not afraid."

Was this Ramona? The Senora, already ashamed, let go the arm, and
stared in the girl's face. Even in the twilight she could see upon it
an expression of transcendent peace, and a resolve of which no one would
have thought it capable. "What does this mean?" thought the Senora,
still weak, and trembling all over, from rage. "The hussy, the
hypocrite!" and she seized the arm again.

This time Ramona did not remonstrate, but submitted to being led like
a prisoner, pushed into her own room, the door slammed violently and
locked on the outside.

All of which Margarita saw. She had known for an hour that Ramona
and Alessandro were at the willows, and she had been consumed with
impatience at the Senora's prolonged absence. More than once she had
gone to Felipe, and asked with assumed interest if he were not hungry,
and if he and the Senorita would not have their supper.

"No, no, not till the Senora returns," Felipe had answered. He, too,
happened this time to know where Ramona and Alessandro were. He knew
also where the Senora had gone, and that she would be late home; but he
did not know that there would be any chance of her returning by way of
the willows at the brook; if he had known it, he would have contrived to
summon Ramona.

When Margarita saw Ramona shoved into her room by the pale and trembling
Senora, saw the key turned, taken out, and dropped into the Senora's
pocket, she threw her apron over her head, and ran into the back porch.
Almost a remorse seized her. She remembered in a flash how often Ramona
had helped her in times gone by,--sheltered her from the Senora's
displeasure. She recollected the torn altar-cloth. "Holy Virgin! what
will be done to her now?" she exclaimed, under her breath. Margarita
had never conceived of such an extremity as this. Disgrace, and a sharp
reprimand, and a sundering of all relations with Alessandro,--this was
all Margarita had meant to draw down on Ramona's head. But the Senora
looked as if she might kill her.

"She always did hate her, in her heart," reflected Margarita; "she
shan't starve her to death, anyhow. I'll never stand by and see that.
But it must have been something shameful the Senora saw, to have brought
her to such a pass as