. Up to
the present I had deceived myself, believing Luisito's vocation to be a
true one; and I flattered myself with giving to the Church of God, in
him, a wise, virtuous, and exemplary priest. But his letters have
dispelled my illusions. Luisito shows himself, in them, to have more of
poetry than of true piety in his nature; and the widow, who must be a
limb of Satan, will be able to vanquish him with but a very slight
effort. Although I write to Luisito admonishing him to flee from
temptation, I am already certain that he will fall into it. This ought
not to grieve me; for, if he is to be false to his vocation, to indulge
in gallantries, and to make love, it is better that this evil
disposition should reveal itself in time, and that he should not become
a priest. I should not, therefore, see any serious objection to
Luisito's remaining with you, for the purpose of being tested by the
touchstone and analyzed in the crucible of such a love, making the
little widow the agent by whose means might be discovered how great is
the quantity of the pure gold of his clerical virtues, and how much
alloy is mixed with that gold, were it not that we are met by the
difficulty that the widow whom we would thus convert into a faithful
assayer, is the object of your own addresses, and, it may be, your
sweetheart. That your son should turn out to be your rival would be too
serious a matter. This would be a monstrous scandal, and, to avoid it in
time, I write to you to-day to the end that, under whatever pretext, you
may send or bring Luisito here--the sooner the better."

Don Luis listened in silence, and with his eyes cast down. His father
continued:

"To this letter of the dean I answered as follows:

* * * * *

_Don Pedro's Answer._

"DEAR BROTHER AND VENERABLE SPIRITUAL FATHER: I return you a thousand
thanks for the news you send me, and for your counsel and advice.
Although I flatter myself with not being wanting in shrewdness, I
confess my stupidity on this occasion; I was blinded by vanity. Pepita
Ximenez, from the time that my son arrived here, manifested toward me so
much amiability and affection that I began to indulge in pleasing hopes
on my own account. Your letter was necessary to undeceive me. I now
understand that in making herself so sociable, in showing me so many
attentions, and in dancing attendance on me, as she did, this cunning
Pepita had in her mind only the father of the