id it; but Father Salvierderra will be pleased when
he sees it."

Now, as she wove the fine threads in and out, she thought: "She will
never let it be used on the altar. I wonder if I could any way get it to
Father Salvierderra, at Santa Barbara. I would like to give it to him.
I will ask Alessandro. I'm sure the Senora would never use it, and it
would be a shame to leave it here. I shall take it with me." But as she
thought these things, her face was unruffled. A strange composure had
settled on Ramona. "Only four days; only four days; I can bear anything
for four days!" these words were coming and going in her mind like
refrains of songs which haunt one's memory and will not be still. She
saw that Felipe looked anxiously at her, but she answered his inquiring
looks always with a gentle smile. It was evident that the Senora did
not intend that she and Felipe should have any private conversation;
but that did not so much matter. After all, there was not so much to be
said. Felipe knew all. She could tell him nothing; Felipe had acted for
the best, as he thought, in sending Alessandro away till the heat of the
Senora's anger should have spent itself.

After her first dismay at suddenly learning that Alessandro had gone,
had passed, she had reflected that it was just as well. He would come
back prepared to take her with him. How, or where, she did not know;
but she would go with no questions. Perhaps she would not even bid the
Senora good-by; she wondered how that would arrange itself, and how far
Alessandro would have to take her, to find a priest to marry them. It
was a terrible thing to have to do, to go out of a home in such a way:
no wedding--no wedding clothes--no friends--to go unmarried, and journey
to a priest's house, to have the ceremony performed; "but it is not my
fault," said Ramona to herself; "it is hers. She drives me to do it. If
it is wrong, the blame will be hers. Father Salvierderra would gladly
come here and marry us, if she would send for him. I wish we could go to
him, Alessandro and I; perhaps we can. I would not be afraid to ride so
far; we could do it in two days." The more Ramona thought of this, the
more it appeared to her the natural thing for them to do. "He will be on
our side, I know he will," she thought. "He always liked Alessandro, and
he loves me."

It was strange how little bitterness toward the Senora was in the girl's
mind; how comparatively little she thought of her. Her heart wa