"Why so?"
"Always when you come in you give me a kiss, but to-day you don't pay any attention at all to me!... You have kissed the baby more than...."
Miguel leaped to his feet and strained his wife to his heart.
"No, my Maximina; if I kissed the boy, it was solely because I came in thinking about him and anxious about his fate."
Then, without being able to speak another word, he threw himself into a chair and sobbed.
Maximina stood as though she had seen the house fall down before her eyes. When the first instant of amazement was past, she ran to him and kissed him.
"Miguel, Miguel, light of my life, what is the matter?"
"Misfortune hangs over us, Maximina," he replied, with his face in his hands. "I have stupidly ruined you—you and my son!"
"Don't cry, Miguel, don't cry!" exclaimed the little wife, pressing her lips to her husband's face. "I had nothing; how could you ruin me?"
When he had grown a little calmer he explained to her what had taken place. Eguiburu had summoned him for the following day, to recognize his endorsements; and he expected him immediately to enforce his legal claim.