Three Little Shepherds meet Our Lady of the Rosary - Chapter Ten; The Children go to Prison

CHAPTER TEN
THE CHILDREN GO TO PRISON

Apprehensively Lucia, Francesco and Jacinta huddled together in a corner of the room into which the Administrador had locked them a few moments earlier. They had not expected to be treated this way. Worst of all, they had missed the Lady. Had she come, they wondered. Would she have understood why they had not been there to meet her?

"Unless you first tell me your secret, you will never see your homes again," the Administrador had shouted before slamming the door shut and locking it. A few moments later it opened again and a quiet-looking woman entered. They had already met the Administrador's wife earlier on. She stroked Jacinta's hair.
"You will call me if you want anything, won't you?" she asked shyly before vanishing again. In her way she would try to be good to the children whenever she was to bring in their meals during their forthcoming ordeal. However, the children were scarcely to notice her in their anxiety.

Next day the door was flung open again and two policemen entered. As though they were criminals, the children were led down to the Administration office. There again the Administrador awaited them with his list of questions. Meekly the children answered as many of these as they could without disobeying the Lady's instructions. However, when they were asked:
"What was the secret you were told in the Cova da Iria?" the children steadfastly refused to reply. Someone held out a god coin in an effort to bribe them but the distressed children turned away. someone else made threats. The children bit their lip and looked down at the floor.

A little later the children were taken back to the house of the Administrador where they were again threatened and cajoled in turn. The Lady's friends again proved worthy of the trust reposed in them. Back again to the Administration offices, where the children continued to keep faith with their Lady.The Administrador now imprisoned the children. After being led into the prison, they were locked into a cell.
Eventually two warders came and took the children back to the Administrador for further questioning.

On the fifteenth of August, the Feast of Our Lady's Assumption, when the families of the three little shepherds came out from the High Mass. As they did so, they observed the carriage of the Administrador parked outside the Presbytery across the Church Square. Three beaming children were waving at them from the verandah.

Even Maria Rosa ran over to hug Lucia. Only she knew how badly she had slept during the past two nights, or how devoutly she had prayed to the Blessed Virgin to protect her children during Mass.
The Administrador surveyed the re-union taking place between parents and children. Twirling his cane, he approached Papa Marto.
"Your children are allowed to go back to the Cova da Iria," he remarked.
The children, meanwhile were already running towards the Cova, delighted to be free again. Lucia, whose legs were longest, was first to reach the table with candles and flowers erected in front of the holm oak and she happily called the others over to admire the display. Excitedly the children surrounded it. After the nightmare of the past few days, freedom at the Cova had become an enchanting event.