ing of
embarrassment. The countess began to take the direction of affairs, like
a consummate strategist, calmly and unhesitatingly giving every order.

From this moment Miguel remained entirely eclipsed; the maids paid
absolutely no heed to him, and he found himself obliged to wander like a
lost soul up and down the corridors. Once when he attacked Juana to bid
her take the _tila_ in a glass, and not in a cup, she told him to leave
her in peace, that he knew nothing about such things. And he had to put
up with it!

At last the midwife came. Miguel followed her, more dead than alive, to
the room, but the countess shut the door in his face. Then after a
little she opened it again, and by the smile on the face of all he saw
that all was going well.

"Senorito, it is all right," said the _comadre_.

"What! is there no need of calling the doctor?"

"Not in the least, thank God! I will answer for it."

He became calm, as though a divinity had spoken from the clouds. But in
the course of ten minutes he suddenly lost faith; that woman might be
deceiving him or deceiving herself; who could have any confidence in
such people? He cautiously approached the chamber, and said, putting his
head in at the door:--

"It seems to me that I had better call in the doctor.... For safety's
sake--nothing more," he added, timidly.

"As you please, senorito," replied the _comadre_, dryly, and with a
scornful gesture.

"Rivera, for Heaven's sake! Haven't you heard her say that she would be
responsible?" said the countess.

"Well, well, if she will be responsible," he replied, somewhat abashed.
And then he asked with affected coolness:--

"How soon?"

The women all laughed aloud. The midwife replied in a condescending
tone:--

"Senorito, don't worry. It will be when God wishes, and all will be
well!"

He began to wander again like a shade through the corridors, not a
little disgusted and anxious. The result was that every one found him
ridiculous on this occasion and even laughed in his very face, and yet
he could not persuade himself that it was right for him to intrust his
happiness and his very life in the hands of an ignorant woman. He would
have been more than glad to call a counsel of all the eminent physicians
of the court. "If there is the least complication, I will choke her to
death!" he said to himself, in a perfect fury. And with this consolatory
threat he felt relieved.

After a little while his step-mother arrive