between husband and wife kept growing more and more lively
and free. Maximina gradually lost her feeling of timidity, through the
effect of Miguel's constant endeavors, and she summoned up her courage
to ask him about his past life. The young man answered some of her
questions frankly; others he did not hesitate to parry. Nevertheless,
the young woman gathered that her husband had not been altogether what
he should have been, and she was terrified.

"Ay, Miguel! how could you ever have been audacious enough to kiss a
married woman? Aren't you afraid that God will punish you?"

The young man's face instantly darkened; a deep, ugly frown furrowed his
brow, and for some time he remained lost in thought.

Maximina looked at him, with her eyes opened wide, and could not
understand the reason for such a change in his expression.

At last, looking at the fire, he said, in a rather hoarse voice:--

"If such a thing happened in my case, and I knew of it, I am certain
what I should do.... The first thing would be to turn my wife out of
doors, whether it were night or day, the moment I found it out...."

Poor Maximina was startled at such an outburst, as brutal as it was
unexpected, and she exclaimed:--

"You would do well. Heavens! how shameful for a woman to be so
brazen!... How much better it would be for her to die!"

The frown vanished from Miguel's brow; he looked tenderly at his wife,
and feeling that such a talk was both useless and out of place, he
kissed her hand, and said:--

"Why should we need to talk about the evil things that are done in the
world? Fortunately, I have found a means of salvation: it is this hand;
I will cling hold of it and be sure of being true and pure all my life
long."

"You ought to ask forgiveness of God."

"I ask forgiveness of God and you, too?"

"As for me, I freely grant it."

"Then God will, also."

"How can you know that?... Ah, how foolish I am! I had forgotten that
you went to confession only a few days ago."

"Yes; that was the way," said Miguel, who had likewise forgotten about
it.

Afterwards, they talked about their domestic arrangement, their
furniture, and the servants that they needed to hire.

Maximina argued that Juana and a cook would be sufficient. Miguel wanted
another girl to do the sewing and laundry work. It was for this reason
that he explained to his wife the extent of their resources.

"I have four thousand _duros_[10] income, but I want to let m