"They say you are to marry an illustrious señorita—that you—"
"They say a lot there is no sense in saying!" he burst out angrily. "If you had stayed on the ranch, you would not have heard their lies or—"
"Ai! I am happy that it is not true. But that one lady—whose hands you kissed—Rafael—"
"Oh, for the love of God, go!" he said. "You women drive a man mad! You—"
Fernando rushed in, interrupting him:
"Rafael! Your mother—she is here!"
"My mother?"
"On the hill—her carriage—a man brings the news."
"Damnation! Coming here—now? And my head—Yes, it's true, Fernando; I was drunk. Help me to think! Make them clear all this away!" and he pointed to the tables and the dice and the cards on the floor. "Por Dios, how my head swims! And my mother is no fool—she will see! Think, Fernando! Help me to plan something. And you, Marta, let yourself not be seen!"
The frightened girl was only too glad to slip away, while the rest of the group stripped the rooms of evidences of the night's orgy.