such terrible decay had occurred.

For _la intendenta_ had now quite the appearance of a septegenarian; her
hair was thin and white, her face pale and withered, her waist like a
barrel, and her hands dark and wrinkled and repulsive to look upon.

"Good day, aunt! How are you?"

"As usual, my son; and you?" she replied, indolently, in a plaintive
voice.

"I am well; and uncle?"

"How should I know how your uncle is?" she replied bitterly. "It makes
very little difference either. And your wife? Does her condition trouble
her any?"

"Not at all; she is perfectly well."

Miguel noticed that the depreciative tone in which _la intendenta_
always spoke of her husband had increased to an alarming degree; in the
inflection of her voice could be perceived not only scorn, but even
hatred. He therefore decided to avoid that subject, and to direct the
subject to other themes.

But in spite of all his efforts _la intendenta_ constantly found
occasion to bring him in, as it were, "by the hair," and make some
remark derogatory to her husband; and, naturally enough, this was not at
all pleasing to Miguel. Consequently, after announcing the object of
his call, he broke off the conversation and went to his uncle's room.

He found him wrapped up in a magnificent dressing-gown, and seated
reading his newspaper, while the barber was giving the last touches to
the curl of his mustache.

He was not a little rejoiced to see his nephew, with whom he always kept
up relations that were more like that of a comrade than an uncle; he
forthwith accepted, with the greatest delight, his invitation, and
concerning his proposed supper gave him some very wise advice from his
own long experience.

"See here! Tell Lhardy to cook you some truffled quails, such as he sent
a few days ago to the house of the Swedish minister, and some stuffed
river pike, with a gravy of cream of soft-shelled crabs such as I ate at
the De Velez ball. Beside this, have anything that you like. I will
advise you that you ought to get your wines at Pardo's, on the Calle del
Carmen. Ask for _Margot_ ten years old, and tell Pardo that you are my
nephew, so that he won't take advantage of you.... I give you the hint
that you ought to warm it a little before inviting your guests into the
dining-room. Tell him that you want such champagne as I always order.
Don't buy any sherry: I will send you a couple of dozen bottles from a
cask which I had as a present! it is the best I