She looked up with
eyes gleaming through her tears and said, brokenly:
"Senor, I love you truly. You see, I cannot lie."
Her breath intoxicated him, and he bent his head to kiss her, but
Stephanie tore her roughly from his arms. The woman showed the
strength of a man, and her vulture-like face was working fiercely
as she cried:
"No! She is mine! She is mine! She is a good girl."
"Stephanie! She loves me, don't you see?"
"No, no!" The black woman drew the girl into the shelter of her
own arms.
"Oh, I am wicked," Gertrudis said. "I love you, Keerk--yes, I love
you very dearly, but my father--he refuses--I must obey--he has
the right, and I must do as he wishes."
"Come with me now. We'll be married to-night," he urged; but she
only clung to Stephanie more closely, as if to hold herself from
falling.
"You are very sweet to me," she said, with piteous tenderness,
"and I shall never forget the honor; but you see I cannot. This is
more to my father than his life; it is the same to all our family,
and I must do my duty. I will pray for strength to keep from
loving you, senor, and some day, perhaps, the dear God will hear.
You must do likewise, and pray also for me to have courage, I
could not let you go away thinking this was my doing, so I sent
for you.
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