“Their sweethearts, stupid! And that brings me to what I intend telling you—leastwise to the first chapter of it.”

“Which is!”

“That somebody else is going away, too.”

“Who?”

“Don Gregorio Montijo!”

“Don Gregorio Montijo?”

“Don Gregorio, daughter and grand-daughter.”

“You astonish me! But are they leaving California for good?”

“Leaving it for good.”

“That is strange intelligence, startling! Though I can understand the reason; that’s well known.”