giving a beating to the Romantica and another to the China for not
having informed him of the courtship. He had surprised his daughter
and the Gringo holding hands and exchanging kisses in a grove near the
house.

"He's after my dollars," howled the irate father. "He wants America to
enrich him quickly at the expense of the old Spaniard, and that is
the reason for so much truckling, so much psalm-singing and so much
nobility! Imposter! . . . Musician!"

And he repeated the word "musician" with contempt, as though it were the
sum and substance of everything vile.

Very firmly and with few words, Desnoyers brought the wrangling to an
end. While her brother-in-law protected her retreat, the Romantica,
clinging to her mother, had taken refuge in the top of the house,
sobbing and moaning, "Oh, the poor little fellow! Everybody against
him!" Her sister meanwhile was exerting all the powers of a discreet
daughter with the rampageous old man in the office, and Desnoyers had
gone in search of Karl. Finding that he had not yet recovered from the
shock of his terrible surprise, he gave him a horse, advising him to
betake himself as quickly as possible to the nearest railway station.

Although the German was soon far from the ranch, he did not long remain
alone. In a few days, the Romantica followed him. . . . Iseult of the
white hands went in search of Tristan, the knight.

This event did not cause Madariaga's desperation to break out as
violently as his son-in-law had expected. For the first time, he saw him
weep. His gay and robust old age had suddenly fallen from him, the news