"No, sir, no; I am taking a little walk; then I have some business to attend to.... Good by, Señor de Rivera."
Miguel went home, but before he reached the house he saw Don Servando go in. Why had he lied? God only knows.
When he learned that Miguel had posted a letter, the chief of the Casiña party turned livid.
"What!... Señor Rivera ... a letter?"
"Yes, sir; a letter," replied Miguel, not understanding the reason for his surprise.
"But don't you know, my dear sir, that Don Matías is ... belongs to the others?"
"What of that?"
"Here we never receive or drop letters at the village post-office; we send them to Malloriz, and there we have also a person who gets those directed to us, and forwards them to us afterward."
"Man alive! what distrust!"
"We can't be too careful, my dear sir; we can't be too careful."