Ramona [55]
for Senor Felipe's bedstead, hammered, fitted, stretched the raw-hide and made it tight and firm, driving every nail, striking every blow, with a bounding sense of exultant strength, as if there were suddenly all around him a new heaven and a new earth.
Now, when he heard Ramona say suddenly in her girlish, eager tone, "It must be; I never thought of it; I should like to try it," these vague confused thoughts of the day, and the day's bounding sense of exultant strength, combined in a quick vision before Alessandro's eyes,-- a vision of starry skies overhead, Ramona and himself together, looking up to them. But when he raised his head, all he. said was, "There, Senorita! That is all firm, now. If Senor Felipe will let me lay him an this bed, he will sleep as he has not slept since he fell ill."
Ramona ran eagerly into Felipe's room, "The bed is all ready on the veranda," she exclaimed. "Shall Alessandro come in and carry you out?"
Felipe looked up, startled. The Senora turned on Ramona that expression of gentle, resigned displeasure, which always hurt the girl's sensitive nature far worse than anger. "I had not spoken to Felipe yet of the change, Ramona," she said. "I supposed that Alessandro would have informed me when the bed was ready; I am sorry you came in so suddenly. Felipe is still very weak, you see."
"What is it? What is it?" exclaimed Felipe, impatiently.
As soon as it was explained to him, he was like a child in his haste to be moved.
"That's just what I needed!" he exclaimed. "This cursed bed racks every bone in my body, and I have longed for the sun more than ever a thirsty man longed for water. Bless you, Alessandro," he went on, seeing Alessandro in the doorway. "Come here, and take me up in those long arms of yours, and carry me quick. Already I feel myself better."
Alessandro lifted him as if he were a baby; indeed, it was but a light burden now, Felipe's wasted body, for a man much less strong than Alessandro to lift.
Ramona, chilled and hurt, ran in advance, carrying pillows and blankets. As she began to arrange them on the couch, the Senora took them from her hands, saying, "I will arrange them myself;" and waved Ramona away.
It was a little thing. Ramona was well used to such. Ordinarily it would have given her no pain she could not conceal. But the girl's nerves were not now in equilibrium. She had had hard work to keep back her tears at the first rebuff. This second was too much. She turned, and walked swiftly away, the tears rolling down her cheeks.
Alessandro saw it; Felipe saw it.
To Felipe the sight was, though painful, not a surprise. He knew but too well how often his mother hurt Ramona. All he thought now, in his weakness, was, "Alas! what a pity my mother does not love Ramona!"
To Alessandro the sight was the one drop too much in the cup. As he stooped to lay Felipe on the bed, he trembled so that Felipe looked up, half afraid.
"Am I still so heavy, Alessandro?" he said smiling.
"It is not your weight, Senor Felipe," answered Alessandro, off guard, still trembling, his eyes following Ramona.
Felipe saw. In the next second, the eyes of the two young men met. Alessandro's fell before Felipe's. Felipe gazed on, steadily, at Alessandro.
"Ah!" he said; and as he said it, he closed his eyes, and let his head sink back into the pillow.
"Is that comfortable? Is that right?" asked the Senora, who had seen nothing.
"The first comfortable moment I have had, mother," said Felipe. "Stay, Alessandro, I want to speak to you as soon as I am rested. This move has shaken me up a good deal. Wait."
"Yes, Senor," replied Alessandro, and seated himself on the veranda steps.
"If you are to stay, Alessandro," said the Senora, "I will go and look after some matters that need my attention. I feel always at ease about Senor Felipe when you are with him. You will stay till I come back?"
"Yes, Senora," said Alessandro, in a tone cold as the Senora's own had been to Ramona. He was no longer in heart the Senora Moreno's servant. In fact, he was at that very
Now, when he heard Ramona say suddenly in her girlish, eager tone, "It must be; I never thought of it; I should like to try it," these vague confused thoughts of the day, and the day's bounding sense of exultant strength, combined in a quick vision before Alessandro's eyes,-- a vision of starry skies overhead, Ramona and himself together, looking up to them. But when he raised his head, all he. said was, "There, Senorita! That is all firm, now. If Senor Felipe will let me lay him an this bed, he will sleep as he has not slept since he fell ill."
Ramona ran eagerly into Felipe's room, "The bed is all ready on the veranda," she exclaimed. "Shall Alessandro come in and carry you out?"
Felipe looked up, startled. The Senora turned on Ramona that expression of gentle, resigned displeasure, which always hurt the girl's sensitive nature far worse than anger. "I had not spoken to Felipe yet of the change, Ramona," she said. "I supposed that Alessandro would have informed me when the bed was ready; I am sorry you came in so suddenly. Felipe is still very weak, you see."
"What is it? What is it?" exclaimed Felipe, impatiently.
As soon as it was explained to him, he was like a child in his haste to be moved.
"That's just what I needed!" he exclaimed. "This cursed bed racks every bone in my body, and I have longed for the sun more than ever a thirsty man longed for water. Bless you, Alessandro," he went on, seeing Alessandro in the doorway. "Come here, and take me up in those long arms of yours, and carry me quick. Already I feel myself better."
Alessandro lifted him as if he were a baby; indeed, it was but a light burden now, Felipe's wasted body, for a man much less strong than Alessandro to lift.
Ramona, chilled and hurt, ran in advance, carrying pillows and blankets. As she began to arrange them on the couch, the Senora took them from her hands, saying, "I will arrange them myself;" and waved Ramona away.
It was a little thing. Ramona was well used to such. Ordinarily it would have given her no pain she could not conceal. But the girl's nerves were not now in equilibrium. She had had hard work to keep back her tears at the first rebuff. This second was too much. She turned, and walked swiftly away, the tears rolling down her cheeks.
Alessandro saw it; Felipe saw it.
To Felipe the sight was, though painful, not a surprise. He knew but too well how often his mother hurt Ramona. All he thought now, in his weakness, was, "Alas! what a pity my mother does not love Ramona!"
To Alessandro the sight was the one drop too much in the cup. As he stooped to lay Felipe on the bed, he trembled so that Felipe looked up, half afraid.
"Am I still so heavy, Alessandro?" he said smiling.
"It is not your weight, Senor Felipe," answered Alessandro, off guard, still trembling, his eyes following Ramona.
Felipe saw. In the next second, the eyes of the two young men met. Alessandro's fell before Felipe's. Felipe gazed on, steadily, at Alessandro.
"Ah!" he said; and as he said it, he closed his eyes, and let his head sink back into the pillow.
"Is that comfortable? Is that right?" asked the Senora, who had seen nothing.
"The first comfortable moment I have had, mother," said Felipe. "Stay, Alessandro, I want to speak to you as soon as I am rested. This move has shaken me up a good deal. Wait."
"Yes, Senor," replied Alessandro, and seated himself on the veranda steps.
"If you are to stay, Alessandro," said the Senora, "I will go and look after some matters that need my attention. I feel always at ease about Senor Felipe when you are with him. You will stay till I come back?"
"Yes, Senora," said Alessandro, in a tone cold as the Senora's own had been to Ramona. He was no longer in heart the Senora Moreno's servant. In fact, he was at that very