“That is because you have not judgment enough to make the most of your opportunities. It is not every day given a girl to meet a wealthy grandee of Spain who owns more land than anyone else for miles around, has half a dozen old palaces, coaches and such things to burn, and who, moreover, belongs to one of the oldest families in the country. I am surprised, Paulette. I thought I had brought you up better than to scorn such wonderful gifts.” “But, _ma chère_, you forget one very important sing.” “And what may that be?” “Suppose the gentleman prefaire my friend Pattee and do not fix the eye upon me?” “Then all you have to do is to make him fix the eye upon you. As if any man turned to black hair when golden locks come within his range of vision. Fancy a coach and four with outriders! They say that is the way he rides about the country.” “Oh, zey say, zey say a great many sings. I am not content to sit in ze coach wiz ze old man; zat is not enough for me. When is he to arrive, zis prince?” “He isn’t a prince, he is simply a blue-blood don, and he has already arrived. I saw the back of his head as he was about to ride away yesterday. He didn’t come in his coach and four but on horseback. He is rather small for his age which is somewhere near seventy, he has dispensed with some of his hair in the course of time, but is brisk and natty. He mounted his horse with great agility and I should say that he was good for at least ten years.” “He is a vidow?” “No, my dear, he couldn’t be under any circumstances. I believe he is a bachelor. He has invited us all to lunch to-day and then I shall see you weaken before the wonders of his palace. They say he spends most of his time viewing his estates and indulging a fancy for antiques; would we were older! He has a manager or superintendent or _mayordomo_, or whatever you may call it, with men under him, and they say he has so much property he doesn’t recognize his own when he meets it on the road. It must be rather nice when you drive along and remark upon some particularly attractive place to have your agent say: ‘That belongs to you, sire.’ It is said that often happens in Don Felipe’s case. See how much information I have gathered for your benefit. What Tina could not tell me Juan was able to, as the Estradas and Velascos have been neighbors for centuries.” “So kind you are, and how much of this information did you gather for yourself?” “Only so much as would make me an intelligent guest to-day when we go to the _palacio_ to lunch. It will not be a mere _merienda_, Paulette, but a state affair when I hope all the gold dishes will be put to use and you will be sufficiently impressed with the magnificence of your future _ménage_.” “La-la-la, how you take it all for granted. So large an imagination you have. Perhaps I spur-rn it all and desire the love in a cottage.”