"Nine o'clock!" exclaimed Teresa, "how the time has passed! Lisita! Off to
bed!"

"Please, Teresa, let me stay a few minutes more; it's lovely here by the
open window."

"Yes, it won't be so lovely tomorrow morning when you must rise early to be
in class on time. Isn't that so? Now go, Lisita! No more nonsense!"

"Here, take this," said Catalina, handing me a lovely orange that she had
received; "You can have it if you go to bed immediately!"

"Oh," I exclaimed beamingly; "I do love you so, dear Catalina."

"Is it me or the orange that you love?"

"It's you, and the orange, and Teresa, and Papa, and Rosa, and Louis, and
Paula."

"There! there! Go to bed," said Catalina, disentangling herself from my
arms. "If you don't go to bed at once I will take away your orange."

Laughing, I embraced her again, and Rosa too, and then rushed off to my
room, but not without slamming Catalina's door with a noise that shook the
whole house.



CHAPTER THREE