"Maximina, I have come in hungry as a bear; I can't wait till dinner
time. Please run down to the dining-room and tell them to bring me up
some lunch."
"What would you like?"
"Anything--whatever you had for your lunch." The young girl was
embarrassed.
"The fact is ... I ... I have not had any lunch to-day."
"Why not?" exclaimed Miguel, with a great show of surprise. "Why, here
it is almost six o'clock.... Didn't they bring you anything? See here,
Juana, Juana" (calling in a loud voice), "call Senorita Julia...."
"What are you going to do? for Heaven's sake what are you going to do?"
cried the girl, full of terror.
"Nothing; merely to find out why they have not brought you any
sweetmeats, or a piece of pie, or whatever you take...."
"But I did not ask for anything!"
"That makes no difference; it is their business always to bring you
whatever you are used to having."
"What did you want, Miguel?" asked Julia, coming in.
"I wanted to ask why it was that Maximina hasn't been served with lunch,
and here it is almost six o'clock."
Julia, in her turn, was confused.
"Why, it was because ... because Maximina doesn't take lunch."
"What do you mean ... doesn't take lunch?" exclaimed Miguel, in
astonishment.
"I asked her about it the very first day, and she told me that she was
not in the habit of taking lunch."
Miguel gazed at Maximina, who blushed as though she had been detected in
some heinous crime.
"Then I will tell you that she does," he said, raising his voice and
turning upon Julia with stern countenance. "I tell you that she always
is accustomed to have one, and you have done very wrong, knowing her
disposition, not to insist upon it, or at least not to have asked me
about it."
"For Heaven's sake, Miguel!" murmured Maximina, in a tone of real
anguish.
Julia flushed deeply, and turning on her heels, hastened from the room.
Maximina remained like one petrified.
Her husband, with a frowning face, strode up and down the room several
times, and then followed his sister and went straight to the
dining-room, where he found her very melancholy, taking out some plates.
Giving her a caress, and bursting into a laugh, he said:--
"I knew well that Maximina did not ask for lunch. Don't mind what I said
to you. I put her in this painful position to see if I could not cure
her of her bashfulness."
"Then you had better be careful! your gun went off at the wrong end,
for it was I whom you hit!" answered the young girl, really vexed. "And
so you are trying to make it up by flattery!"
"Hello! We aren't jealous, are we?"
"You would like to have me be, you silly fellow."
"Well, I confess that I should," said Miguel, taking her in his arms and
giving her a little bite on the neck. "It seems to me that jealousy has
made its appearance."
"Stop! stop it! you goose!" she replied, trying to escape from him.
"Can't you behave, Miguel? Let me alone, Miguel!"
And after a violent struggle she tore herself away from her brother's
arms, and ran angrily from the room, while her brother stayed behind,
laughing.
In the days that followed it became evident that Maximina had won the
good graces of every one in the house. Nor could it have been otherwise,
considering her sweet, sensible, and modest nature. Nevertheless, Miguel
could not help feeling somewhat annoyed that advantage should be taken
of this, and that her wishes were not in the least consulted, but that
the programme for the day--walks and drives, theatres, shopping and
calls--should be laid out without even asking her if she would not
prefer to stay at home.
This largely hastened his departure, and he selected a very large and
handsome flat in the neighborhood. It was rather beyond his means, but
he counted on making up the extra amount by cutting off superfluities.
Our hero found great amusement in going with his wife to purchase the
furniture that was needed. The edge of his enjoyment, however, was
dulled by the fact that _la brigadiera_ and Julia were very apt to join
them, and then of course their right of choice was abrogated, and even
the expression of opinion was denied them. Miguel was not a little
disturbed by this, and therefore, whenever it was possible, avoided
having his step-mother accompany them; but to his surprise, Maximina did
not even then show herself any better satisfied nor disposed to give her
views.
It seemed as though she were indifferent to everything, and were
unfavorably impressed by a luxury to which she had never been
accustomed. From time to time she ventured timidly to say that such and
such a wardrobe or sofa was pretty, but "very expensive!"
Miguel several times felt impatient at her indifference, but quick
repentance seized him when he saw how much it affected her if he spoke
curtly to his wife, and he merely rallied her on her economical
tendencies.
What pleased Maximina most in these excursions was to walk with her
husband alone through the streets; but still, in spite of all his
entreaties, she could not bring herself to take his arm in the daytime.
"It would make me feel embarrassed; everybody is looking at us."
"What they are surprised at is, that I ever fell in love with such an
ugly piece of humanity!"
Maximina lifted her big eyes to him with a timid smile, and looked her
gratitude.
"I am surprised myself ... when I see so many pretty women all around; I
can't imagine how you happened to choose me...."
"Because I am famous for my bad taste."
"That must be it."
Miguel with real feeling secretly gave her hand a hearty squeeze.
When it was evening, the case was very different. Then she consented to
lean on his arm, and did not try to hide the immense pleasure that it
gave her. But if they came into the glare of a shop window, she would
find some excuse to withdraw her arm.
One night when they went out, Miguel, either through thoughtlessness or
as a joke, did not offer her his arm. After a while Maximina, as though
adopting an energetic resolution after long hesitation, suddenly took
his arm. Miguel looked at her and smiled:--
"_Hola!_ who taught you to take what belonged to you?"
The girl hung her head and blushed, but she did not let go.
_La brigadiera_ found her step-son's wife very much to her mind,
although she felt sorry that he had stooped so low; thus she expressed
herself to Julia and her friends: she said nothing to Miguel, but she
did not leave him in doubt as to her favorable opinion.
Nevertheless, he did not become any easier in mind, because he perceived
that his step-mother was beginning to exercise over his young wife the
same absolute and tyrannical power as over Julia, only, if anything,
more openly, owing to the more gentle and timid nature of the former.
Nor could he deny that affection in such people as _la brigadiera_ is
always in direct proportion to the degree of submission shown by those
with whom they come into relationship.
One afternoon when Julia had just left their room, Maximina exclaimed in
an outburst of enthusiasm:--
"How I do like your sister!"