After dinner I desired Sayavedra to go out and purchase four good trunks of the same size. While he was gone on this commission, Favello called upon me, to give me an account of the conversations he had with my relations respecting me, and he assured me all the family were charmed with my person, especially Signor Don Bertrand my uncle. This good old man, continued he, says that he almost fancied that it was his dear brother he saw and heard speak, so much was he struck with your resemblance to your father; that he regretted to find that you had embraced the ecclesiastical life, and should propose to you to throw off your cassock and marry one of your nieces on the mother’s side; and that though this young lady had no property of her own, it was his intention to provide well for her, she being his particular favourite. In conclusion, the Captain protested to me, that my uncle had conceived a great regard for me. All this, however, did not in the least deter me in my intentions towards him. I went to return the visit the next morning, first to Don Bertrand, who, in the conversation which we had together, took occasion to observe, that he thought that an only son, as I was, ought rather to think of keeping up the family name than to consecrate myself to a state of life which deprived the family of one of its best branches. I might have answered, that he, having always been a bachelor, had himself wronged the family quite as much as if he also had embraced the ecclesiastical life. He then named the lady whom he had selected for my wife. To amuse him, I pretended not to be much averse to his wishes, and made an end of my visit by requesting his company to dine with me the next day. He pressed hard to be excused on account of his great age; but when I represented to him that none but relations would be of the party except Captain Favello, the common friend of the family, he allowed himself to be prevailed on, and promised to come, that I might be convinced, as he was pleased to say, of the great regard he felt for a nephew whom Heaven had sent him. After this I visited my cousins, one after another, and they all promised to join the party. Nothing was now necessary but to prepare a magnificent dinner for them. My landlord told me to leave this to him, and he would undertake that my guests should be handsomely provided for.