ake the head off your neck, if you say that aloud again!
Whatever's come to the Senora! Forty years I've lived under this roof,
and I never saw her lift a hand to a living creature yet. You're out of
your senses, child!" she said, all the time gazing fearfully towards the
room.

"You'll see whether I am out of my senses or not," retorted Margarita,
and ran back to the dining-room. And after the dining-room door was
shut, and the unhappy pretence of a supper had begun, old Marda had
herself crept softly to the Senorita's door and listened, and heard
Ramona sobbing as if her heart would break. Then she knew that what
Margarita had said must be true, and her faithful soul was in sore
straits what to think. The Senorita misdemean herself! Never! Whatever
happened, it was not that! There was some horrible mistake somewhere.
Kneeling at the keyhole, she had called cautiously to Ramona, "Oh, my
lamb, what is it?" But Ramona had not heard her, and the danger was too
great of remaining; so scrambling up with difficulty from her rheumatic
knees, the old woman had hobbled back to the kitchen as much in the dark
as before, and, by a curiously illogical consequence, crosser than ever
to her daughter. All the next day she watched for herself, and could
not but see that all appearances bore out Margarita's statements.
Alessandro's sudden departure had been a tremendous corroboration of the
story. Not one of the men had had an inkling of it; Juan Canito, Luigo,
both alike astonished; no word left, no message sent; only Senor Felipe
had said carelessly to Juan Can, after breakfast: "You'll have to look
after things yourself for a few days, Juan. Alessandro has gone to
Temecula."

"For a few days!" exclaimed Margarita, sarcastically, when this was
repeated to her. "That's easy said! If Alessandro Assis is seen here
again, I'll eat my head! He's played his last tune on the south veranda,
I wager you."

But when at supper-time of this same eventful day the Senora was heard,
as she passed the Senorita's door, to say in her ordinary voice, "Are
you ready for supper, Ramona?" and Ramona was seen to come out and walk
by the Senora's side to the dining-room; silent, to be sure,--but then
that was no strange thing, the Senorita always was more silent in the
Senora's presence,--when Marda, standing in the court-yard, feigning to
be feeding her chickens, but keeping a close eye on the passage-ways,
saw this, she was relieved, and thought: "It's