were opening.
Over the bridge carts laden with produce for the market were rumbling,
and orchard women were going by with huge baskets on their heads. All
these people looked down with interest on their deputy. He must have
spent the night fishing. And this news passed from one to the other,
though not a trace of fishing tackle was visible in the boat. How they
envied rich folks, who could sleep all day and spend their time just as
they pleased!

Rafael jumped ashore. All that curiosity he was attracting annoyed him.
His mother would know everything by the time he got home!

As he climbed slowly and wearily, his arms numb from rowing, to the
bridge, he heard his name called.

Don Andres was standing there, gazing at him out of those yellow eyes of
his, scowling through his wrinkles with an expression of stern
authority.

"You've given me a fine night, Rafael. I know where you've been. I saw
you row off last night with that woman; and plenty of my friends were on
hand to follow you and find out just where you went. You've been on the
island all night; that woman was singing away like a lunatic.... God of
Gods, boy! Aren't there any houses in the world? Do you have to play the
band when you're having an affair, so that everybody in the Kingdom can
come and look?"

The old man was truly riled; all the more because he was himself the
secretive, the dexterous, libertine, adopting every precaution not to be
discovered in his "weaknesses." Was it anger or envy that he felt on
seeing a couple enough in love with each other to be fearless of gossip
and indifferent to danger, to throw prudence to the winds, and flaunt
their passion before the world with the reckless insolence of happiness?

"Besides, your mother knows everything. She's discovered what you've
been up to, these nights past. She knows you haven't been in your room.
You're going to break that woman's heart!"

And with paternal severity he went on to speak of dona Bernarda's
despair, of the danger to the future of the House, of the obligations
they were under to don Matias, of the solemn promise given, of that poor
girl waiting to be married!

Rafael walked along in silence and like an automaton. That old man's
chatter brought down around his head, like a swarm of pestering
mosquitoes, all the provoking, irritating obligations of his life. He
felt like a man rudely awakened by a tactless servant in the middle of a
sweet dream. His lips were still tingling wi