band, her children, and her gray-haired
father in Ratisbon, for the hasty, almost reluctant manner with which
this was done perplexed and displeased him. True, he could not know that
from the first moment of their meeting her one desire had been to obtain
news of her stolen son. Everything else appeared trivial in comparison.
And what constraint she was forced to impose upon herself when, not
hearing her cautious introductory question, he told her about
Villagarcia, his peerless mistress, Doha Magdalena de Ulloa, and his
musical success! Not until he said that during the winter he would be
occupied in training the boy choir at Valladolid did she approach her
goal by inquiring about the welfare of the violinist Massi.

Both he and his family were in excellent health, Wolf replied. Rest in
his little house at Leganes seemed to have fairly rejuvenated him.

Now Barbara herself mentioned the boy whom Massi had taken to Spain in
the train of the Infant Don Philip.

How this affected Wolf!

He started, not only in surprise, but in actual alarm, and eagerly
demanded to know who had spoken to her about this child in connection
with the violinist.

Barbara now said truthfully that she had seen Massi with her own eyes in
the Infant's train. So beautiful a boy is not easily forgotten, and she
would be glad to hear news of him.

Wolf, however, seemed reluctant to talk of this child. True, he hastily
remarked, he sometimes visited him at the request of his gracious
mistress, but he had no more knowledge of his real origin than she or
Dona Magdalena de Ulloa. The latter supposed the boy to be her husband's
child, and in her generosity therefore interested herself doubly in the
forsaken boy, though only at a distance and through his mediation; for
his own part, he could never believe the fair-haired, pink-and-white
Geronimo to be a son of the dark-skinned, black-eyed Don Luis. True, the
stony silence which the major-domo maintained toward all questions
concerning the lad would neither permit him to soothe his wife nor
confirm her fear. At any rate, Geronimo must be the son of some great
noble. This was perfectly apparent from his bearing, the symmetry of his
limbs, his frank, imperious nature--nay, from every movement of this
remarkable child.

At this assurance Barbara's soul glowed with proud maternal joy. Her blue
eyes sparkled with a brighter light, and the sunny, radiant glance with
which she thanked Wolf for his informat