In the spring of the previous year Wolf had again been summoned from
Valladolid, where in the winter he directed the church singing as prinnen
of the religious music, to Cuacos, near San Yuste, where Quijada's wife
lived with her foster-son Geronimo. From there he had often gone with
Dona Magdalena and the boy to the Emperor's residence, and frequently saw
him.

The account given in the letter written by Quijada's wife also applied to
the last months of the imperial recluse's existence. Doubtless he
sometimes devoted himself to pious exercises and quiet meditation, but he
was usually busied with political affairs and the reading and dictating
of despatches. Even at that time he received many visitors. When
Geronimo came from Cuacos, he was permitted to go in and out of his
apartments freely, and the Emperor even seemed to prefer him to Don
Carlos, his grandson, King Philip's only son, who was destined to become
the head of his house; at least, Charles's conduct favoured this opinion.

On his return to Spain he had made his grandson's acquaintance in
Valladolid.

He was a boy who had well-formed, somewhat sickly features, and a fragile
body. Of course the grandfather felt the deepest interest in him, and
the influence of the famous victor in so many battles upon the twelve-
year-old lad was a most beneficial one.

But Charles had scarcely left Valladolid when the passionate boy's
extremely dangerous tastes burst forth with renewed violence. The
recluse student of human nature had probably perceived them, for when his
tutor, and especially the young evildoer's aunt, Juana, the Emperor