José María de Pereda

“ So they can be known."
"Well, I know them, Cleto, I know them: now are you satisfied?"
"Hum—er—why, no, not altogether. That is not enough, Sotileza."
"And what do you wish more?"
"What do I wish more? Gracious goodness! I wish to be a man like another; I want to live a different kind of life from what I've been living: you yourself have been the light that has shown me what another kind of life could be. I want to live the way life goes on in this little shop of yours; I am dying to work for you, and to be neat and clean and decent-spoken, like you. ”

“ I am accustomed to do with little; and picking out the very best I've had in my life, it has never been anything but pain and trouble. Seeing here, about you, something so entirely different, you know what a value I set on it—and whose fault it is that I do. There's a man needed in this house. Are you taking in what I am telling you, Sotileza?"
Sotileza was giving heed to it only too well. For that very reason she replied with a certain curtness:—
"Yes, I am; but what of it?"
"Again? Confound it! you make me that answer again," cried Cleto angrily. ”

“ Over there in our tenement there was nothing of the kind, by a long chalk: filth and brutishness, the good name of every person they spoke of pitched head first out of the balcony, not a scrap of decency about anything they did. By thunder! it's enough to give a fellow a bad temper, even if he was born with one like sugar. That's the way I came to give you that slap, Sotileza; if it wasn't, I would tell you so, honestly. Why, if any one was to say to me, right here and how, 'Cleto, you go and jump off the ramparts for Sotileza,' I would do it. ”