Rey was surprised by conduct so contrary to the idea which he had formed
of Rosarito. Four days had passed during which he had not seen her; and
certainly it was not because he did not desire to be at her side; and
his situation threatened soon to become humiliating and ridiculous, if,
by boldly taking the initiative, he did not at once put an end to it.

"Shall I not see my cousin to-day, either?" he said to his aunt, with
manifest ill-humor, when they had finished dining.

"No, not to-day, either. Heaven knows how sorry I am for it. I gave her
a good talking to this morning. This afternoon we will see what can be
done."

The suspicion that in this unreasonable seclusion his adorable cousin
was rather the helpless victim than the free and willing agent, induced
him to control himself and to wait. Had it not been for this suspicion
he would have left Orbajosa that very day. He had no doubt whatever that
Rosario loved him, but it was evident that some unknown influence was
at work to separate them, and it seemed to him to be the part of an
honorable man to discover whence that malign influence proceeded and to
oppose it, as far as it was in his power to do so.

"I hope that Rosarito's obstinacy will not continue long," he said to
Dona Perfecta, disguising his real sentiments.

On this day he received a letter from his father in which the latter
complained of having received none from Orbajosa, a circumstance which
increased the engineer's disquietude, perplexing him still further.
Finally, after wandering about alone in the garden for a long time, he