I heard that she had been very ill, and I believe that she is so still.

Just imagine, what a life! And for five years! What will have happened to the unfortunate girl! And to think that she is my sister's daughter!" The Senora Tomasa spoke with deep feeling.
"Afterwards, Gabriel, you know what happened here; your poor sister-in-law died, we hardly knew why, it was only a matter of a few days; possibly she may have died of the shame, as she died saying that the fault was entirely hers.

It broke one's heart to see the state your brother was in after all this.

Esteban has never been good for much, and now after this affair of his daughter he seemed to become quite imbecile.

Ay, nephew! I also have felt it greatly, even though you see me so happy, and so satisfied with life, every now and then the remembrance of that unhappy girl strikes me here, in my head, and I eat badly and sleep worse, thinking that a girl who, after all, is of our own blood, is wandering lost over the world, a plaything for men, without anyone sheltering her, as though she were all alone, as though she had no family." The Senora Tomasa wiped her eye with the point of her forefinger, her voice shook and the tears fell over her wrinkled old cheeks.
"Aunt, you are very kind," said Gabriel, "but you ought to have searched more for this poor girl; you ought to have recovered her, to have saved her, to have brought her back here.