eir departure, Don Servando sent
his servant to secure an outside seat in the _Competencia_. He did not
bid Miguel farewell, but made arrangements so that he should not suffer
from any lack during his absence.

This lasted two days.

At the end of this time he returned, or, more correctly, both chiefs
returned. Don Martin had gone down to the capital to have a tooth
filled.

Every day Miguel received a little letter folded double, and directed in
a handsome English hand--that taught at the Colegio de Vergara. Maximina
did not write a great deal, though much more than before she was
married. Her instinct told her that Miguel could not laugh at the
trifles that she told him now, especially if they had reference to the
baby. In all of them there was expressed an irresistible desire for him
to return home as soon as possible, and yet she tried to hide it lest
she should disturb him in his duties.

"Yesterday, Julita took me out to drive. It was crowded, and she was
very gay. When I got home, I felt such a deep sadness that I cannot
explain it to you. I remembered that the last time that I rode through
the Castellana was with thee, my life, my all!"

The maiden from Pasajes, under the influence of her husband, who had
never been sparing in the matter of affectionate words, had grown more
lavish in her caresses. The same thing will happen to every loving
woman, if she has a husband like Miguel, a little sentimental.

"Last night I woke up between four and five, and without knowing what I
did, I was just going to give Julia a kiss, imagining that it was you.
Before I did so, I came to my senses. Such keen pain came over me that I
cried more than an hour. I don't see why Julia did not wake up. Forgive
me for telling you these things, my darling; I am a fool. The main thing
is that you are getting along well, as you say, and that you attain your
desire. There will still be time, if God is willing, for us to be
together. For God's sake, don't neglect to say your prayers when you go
to bed."

Each of these letters made our candidate melancholy and thoughtful for a
while.

"How glad I should be to give these Caffres their walking-ticket, and go
and give a hug to the daughter of my mother-in-law (God bless her!)," he
said to himself more than once.

But as his affairs were progressing with 'a fair wind,' he suffered
patiently. He wrote to various friends in Madrid to exert themselves for
the suspension of the unfriendly