Despite his embarrassment, his face shone with sudden enthusiasm.  He looked purposeful and aggressive, with a certain sternness that sat well upon his young manhood.  Garavel lifted his brows.

“May I inquire the cause of this—­estrangement?”

“Oh, general worthlessness on my part, I suppose.  Come to think of it, I must have been a good deal of a cross.  I never did anything very fierce, though.”  He smiled a little sadly.  “I don’t wonder that I fail to impress you.”

A quick light of thought flashed through the banker’s eyes.  He was a keen judge of men.

“Well, well,” he said, with a trace of impatience, “there is no need to go into the matter further.  Your proposal is impossible—­ for many reasons it is impossible, and yet—­your spirit is commendable.”

“Does that mean you won’t even allow me to see your daughter?”

“It would be useless.”

“But I love Gertrudis,” said Kirk, desperately.

Garavel looked a trifle pitying.

“You are by no means the first,” he said; “I have been besieged by many, who say always the same thing—­without Gertrudis they cannot, they will not, they should not live.  And yet I have heard of no deaths.  At first I was greatly concerned about them—­poor fellows—­but most of them are married now, so I not do take your words too seriously.”  He laughed good-naturedly.  “You unemotional Americans do not love at first sight.”

“I_ do, sir.”

“Tut!  It is but admiration for a beautiful girl who—­I say it—­is wicked enough to enjoy creating havoc.  Take time, my boy, and you will smile at this madness.  Now, let us talk of something else.”

“It is no use, sir, I have it bad.”

“But when you make such a request as this, you assume to know the young lady’s wishes in the matter.”

“Not at all.  Without your consent I don’t believe she’d allow herself to even like me.  That is why I want to fix it with you first.”

“In that, at least, you are quite right, for Gertrudis is a good girl, and obedient, as a general rule; but—­it is impossible.  Her marriage has been arranged.”

“Do you think that is quite fair to her?  If she loves Ramon Alfarez—–­”

Once again Garavel’s brows signalled surprise.  “Ah, you know?”

“Yes, sir.  I was about to say, if she really loves him, I can’t make any difference; but suppose she should care for me?”

“Again it could make no difference, once she had married Ramon.  But she is too young to know her own mind.  These young girls are impressionable, romantic, foolish.  I can see no object in deliberately courting trouble.  Can you?  In affairs of the heart it is well to use judgment and caution—­qualities which come only with age.  Youth is headstrong and blinded by dreams, hence it is better that marriage should be arranged by older persons.”

“Exactly!  That’s why I want you to arrange mine.”  The banker smiled in spite of himself, for he was not without a sense of humor, and the young man’s sincerity was winning.