letters addressed to her nephew did not go astray. The letter-carrier,
named Cristoval Ramos, and nicknamed Caballuco--a personage whose
acquaintance we have already made--also visited the house, and to him
Dona Perfecta was accustomed to address warnings and reprimands as
energetic as the following:

"A pretty mail service you have! How is it that my nephew has not
received a single letter since he has been in Orbajosa? When the
carrying of the mail is entrusted to such a giddy-pate, how can things
be expected to go well? I will speak to the governor of the province so
that he may be careful what kind of people he puts in the post-office."

Caballuco, shrugging his shoulders, looked at Rey with the most complete
indifference.

One day he entered the house with a letter in his hand.

"Thank Heaven!" said Dona Perfecta to her nephew. "Here are letters
from your father. Rejoice, man! A pretty fright we have had through
my brother's laziness about writing. What does he say? He is well, no
doubt," she added, seeing that Pepe Rey opened the letter with feverish
impatience.

The engineer turned pale as he glanced over the first lines.

"Good Heavens! Pepe, what is the matter?" exclaimed Dona Perfecta,
rising in alarm. "Is your father ill?"

"This letter is not from my father," responded Pepe, revealing in his
countenance the greatest consternation.