The first visitor whom Wilhelm saw in Pilar's house was a little
tubby gentleman with a clean-shaven face and a rosette in his
buttonhole, composed of sixteen different colored ribbons at the
very lowest computation. He enjoyed the privilege of coming at any
hour of the day, and being instantly admitted to the boudoir. He was
introduced to Wilhelm as Don Antonio Gorra, and Pilar explained
afterward that Don Antonio was a lawyer, an old friend of her
family, and that he conducted her business affairs for her. For a
time she had long daily consultations, to which Wilhelm was not
invited. As soon as he left, she would come to Wilhelm with a
significant and mysterious air, evidently expecting that he would
ask what all this putting together of heads might mean. As he did
not evince the slightest curiosity, she grew impatient at last, and
asked with assumed lightness:
"Are you not at all jealous, you fish-blooded German?"
"Jealous? No, I certainly am not. Besides which, you give me no
cause."
"Indeed! and what about my tete-a-tetes with Don Antonio?"
"Oh, Don Antonio!" laughed Wilhelm.
"You are quite right, sweetheart, but it aggravates me that you
should not want to know what he and I are brewing. You do not take
nearly so much interest in my affairs as you ought.
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