"Only a few months, señorita"—he addressed her as the peasants do their superiors—"but we worked side by side. I came to the mill after Pepé, but I had worked elsewhere. When he found that I, too, was Asturiano he was more friendly with me than with others. He was proud, this Pepé, and many did not like him because he was so caballero. I understand now why he was so," said the young man after a moment's hesitation.
"Will you tell me why he went away, and with whom?"
"He went because his chance had come. He was always waiting for this chance, was Pepé. He did not intend, he said, to spend his life in a mill. Some day the chance would come and he would take it. It came, señorita."
"And how was this?"
"A Señor Ingles heard him playing the violin one day when strolling about. He stopped and listened. 'You play well, my friend,' said this Ingles. 'Who was your teacher?' 'Myself,' said Pepé, with that fine air of his. The Ingles smiled, 'You deserve a better teacher,' he said. Then he looked very hard at Pepé. 'Are you Catalan?' he asked. 'No, I am of Asturias,' Pepé told him. 'Bueno!' cried Señor Ingles. 'Can you read? Can you write?' Pepé said 'yes.' 'Show me,' said the Ingles and whipped a newspaper out of his pocket. He was a great reader, this Pepé, always he would read when he was not working or playing upon his violin, and he was able to prove his words. 'Write your name,' said the Ingles, and he watched while Pepé wrote in fine smooth letters José Maria Beltrán."
Mrs. Beltrán drew a quick sigh but said, "Go on, please; this interests me very much."
"Then, señorita, every day after this would come the Ingles in the evening when we had left the mill. For a week he did this, then suddenly he asked Pepé if he would like to come to him as a clerk, an assistant. 'I do not get along with this Catalan,' he said. 'You know it and the Castilian, also.' I like you. I like your music. I will give you better pay than you are now getting, and when I leave if you are willing I will take you to England with me."
"Pepé accepted, of course, at once," said Anita, breaking in.
"Of a truth, señorita. He did not hesitate, and I saw him no more for a week, two weeks, then he came to tell me that he was going to England with his friend. I went to the train and saw him go. He was dressed like a gentleman and was very glad and happy, very alegro, señorita."
"You do not know where he went?"