ins, etc., that
the girl when she spoke of her cousin always spoke of him as "_el nino
de la bola_."[16]

Before she made his acquaintance, she conceived a violent antipathy to
him. This was caused in no small measure, because the visitor twice
disappointed them about coming. The reports that she had heard about him
were not very favorable either.

Alfonso Saavedra had lost his father when he was very young: he was the
inheritor of a considerable fortune; his mother had not had sufficient
energy or ability to train him properly; he had not chosen any definite
career; his only occupation was amusement, and allowing free course to
his passions, which, according to what people said, could not have been
more violent. Very amusing stories were told about him, and some that
were extremely displeasing: he had been living in Paris almost
constantly since he was a young lad, and there he had largely squandered
his estate, but as he had still large expectations from his mother's
property, which was even larger than his father's, he lived without
apprehension of the future, and spent his money lavishly.

Finally, a telegram was received announcing the departure from Paris of
_el nino de la bola_.

And on the morning of the following day he arrived. When Julia heard the
bell ring, feeling disturbed, she went to the sewing-room and began to
jest with the maid about the style which her cousin affected; then there
was heard in the corridor a great commotion of moving luggage.

"What room has he been shown into, Inocencia?" she asked of the girl who
came in at that moment.

"He is in the library with your mamma."

In a few moments a powerful ring at the bell was heard.

"The senora is calling," said Inocencia, running.

"Senorita will please come immediately to the library, says your mamma,"
she announced, on returning.

"Very well," the girl replied, in bad humor. "Are they sitting down?"

"Yes, senorita."

"Then they can wait without hurting them any."

But in a few minutes the pull at the bell was repeated with more
violence, and the girl, foreseeing her mother's vexation, arose with a
very bad grace, and dropping her sewing, exclaimed with a scornful
accent:--

"There now, we are going to see Don Alfonso, Prince of Asturias!"

Don Alfonso was a man of about thirty-five, a gay bachelor, with regular
features, with shaven cheeks, and mustaches twisted in the French style;
in his wavy, black hair gleamed here and th