Page:Plays by Jacinto Benavente - Second series (IA playsbyjacintobe00bena).pdf/199

 antness. You know, my dear Manolo, I have always had your welfare at heart.

. Now you are sympathizing with me.

. You are so young, you have so few friends, that, naturally I sympathize with you.

. I see. I think I divine the motive of your solicitude without further explanation. I cannot deny that I have paid some attention to your daughter. Whether or not she has responded sufficiently to justify you in rising up in your pride as a potentate, or in your affection as a father, I am not at present in a position to determine; but however great my presumption may have been in laying eyes upon that young lady, inasmuch as I am not your servant, nor your debtor in any particular, I am unable to see in just what way you purpose to enforce this decree of banishment, however great a personage you may be in Moraleda, without any other authority than your own say-so.

. To a man of my years, my son, boasting sounds idle and vain. Had I wished, there are a thousand ways in which I might have caused your departure, without your so much as suspecting one of them; but I could not bring myself to employ them in the case of one of whom I was so fond. But when I say to you directly, face to face, "I want you to go away," I say it as counsel, I say it as advice. If you prefer, Don Santiago will say it as a command.

. Through your advice?

. For the sake of his own reputation. When you say that you owe me nothing, you forget that there are a thousand ways in which a man may incur obligation—papers which may pass from hand to hand, compromising documents which may perhaps be brought to light.

. Compromising documents? In your possession?

. Don't be a fool. You know Reinosa, the