His face darkened a little, his eyes gave one quick, wicked flash, but he controlled his temper.  “Maybe, maybe,” he said placatingly, “but that ain’t all I came to talk about.  I guess I’ve lived long enough to know that it’s no use to talk to a woman about her interests when she’s lost her head about some man.”  He showed his teeth in a wolfish and contemptuous smile.  “No, I ain’t such a fool as to waste my breath that way.  You are an awful headstrong and wilful girl.  Carraja!  I do not know where you get such qualities.  But somewhere back in your head you have inherited from me, your father, a grain of sense and reason, and because of that I come here to-day, not to try and coax you, no, I know better than that, but to talk to you as man to man.”  He paused here as if to let some underlying meaning in his words impress her, and she, conscious of this, felt a sudden shiver of apprehension run over her, a momentary despair, as if she were being entangled in some yet invisible net whose meshes were being drawn tight about her.  A quick glance at Gallito failed to restore her confidence.  There was a look upon his face which did not betoken any expectation of defeat.  Again she shivered; he had spoken truly, he was not one to plead, and he would not be here unless he felt that he was in possession of certain arguments which must inevitably coerce her to yield.

“Now, Pearl,” his tone was still placating, “for your own sake and for the sake of your future, I am not willing that you should miss this great offer which Sweeney has made you.  You have already treated him badly once.  He knows he cannot depend on you.  How many times do you think he will stand that?  You can’t afford to do it.  I have been holding him off and holding him off until I can’t do it any more, and we must now come to a final agreement.  And one thing more,” he stopped a second to light another cigarette, “what about Hughie?  You and he have worked out a lot of dances together.  He’s got his heart set on traveling with you and playing for you.  I don’t see how you got the heart to spoil all his plans.”  For the first time there was a touch of real emotion in his voice; it was Hughie, not Pearl, who held the first place in his heart.

A quiver passed over Pearl’s face.  “Oh, I am sorry about Hughie,” she cried, “but what can I do?  I can’t leave Harry.  It’s no use asking me to do that.”  She looked up at Gallito and, in spite of her tears, there was an immovable resolve on her face and, seeing this, a slow, dark flush crept up her father’s cheeks.

“Listen, Pearl,” he said, and although he still held the manner of reasoning amicably with her, there was a touch of iron in his grating voice, “I’m here to make terms with you and to keep the relations which should be between father and daughter, but there are many things to consider when a girl is as obstinate as a pig.  Then it is her father’s duty to decide for her and to see that she does what an obedient and well-brought up girl should do, and he must use what means are in his power to make her see the right way.”