"Stay then," said my father, as he added with a smile, "You certainly are a little despot, for you seem to twist me to your will in everything." Paula laughed at this, as happy as if she had received the most valuable of gifts, as she kissed him. "Oh, yes; kisses are all very well," said father, pretending to be angry, "but what will the grandparents say?" "You will tell them"--but the rest of the sentence I could not hear, as she bent close to my father's ear. "Where's Paula?" everybody cried, as we went through the door downstairs. "Look," said my father, pointing to the upper window. There was Paula, with a radiant face, waving her handkerchief in good-bye to all of us! "Come, come, hurry up; stop your fooling!" cried Louis. "I'm staying here." "How is that?" "Oh, I'm just staying with Catalina." "That's too much!" cried Louis, "to stay here while the rest of us go on a holiday. Papa, you won't permit such a silly thing; will you?" "Well, she begged me with tears to let her stay and there she is," said father. "Good-bye, uncle; good-bye, Teresa--A happy journey to you all," cried Paula. "Give a good hug and a kiss to grandmother and to grandfather," we heard her say as we turned the corner. "She isn't a bit like the rest of us," said Louis, "she never seems to seek her own pleasure, and yet the funny thing about it is, she's always happy. I can't understand a nature like that." "It's because she finds her happiness in making other people happy," said Teresa. This was also what our grandmother said, when we explained Paula's absence. CHAPTER ELEVEN THE CAT MOTHER It was the month of October. I was sure that my father would permit Paula to go to school with me after the summer vacation, but not so. Catalina herself wished to teach her at home. This decision caused me many tears and complainings. Teresa tried to console me. "Don't worry," she said, "just wait a little. I know Catalina, she'll soon tire of teaching, and then she'll let Paula go to school with you." Teresa was right In the beginning Catalina was enchanted with the task. Paula was obedient, and she did the best she could; but she didn't learn very quickly, therefore Catalina soon tired, and Paula, with a teacher so inexperienced, became sleepy and inattentive. So it was that the teacher tired the pupil and the pupil tired the teacher. Catalina was the first to complain. "Paula doesn't care much for study," she said to her father. "I'm afraid I am wasting my time trying to teach her." "Well, then," said my father, "perhaps the best thing will be to send her along to school with Lisita." Catalina hesitated a moment. She wished to do something for others, but she was slow to learn how. "I think it would be better to let her go," she said resignedly.