If he had only spoken before! His masculine self-importance never permitted him to doubt that the young girl would have accepted him jubilantly.
In spite of this conviction, he was not able to refrain at times from a certain ironical aggressiveness which expressed itself by inventing classic nicknames.

The young wife of Ulysses, bending over her lace-making, was Penelope awaiting the return of her wandering husband.
Dona Cristina accepted this nickname because she knew vaguely that Penelope was a queen of good habits.

But the day that the professor, by logical deduction, called Cinta's son Telemachus, the grandmother protested.
"He is named Esteban after his grandfather....

Telemachus is nothing but a theatrical name." On one of his voyages Ulysses took advantage of a four-hour stop in the port of Valencia to see his godfather.

From time to time he had been receiving letters from the poet,--each one shorter and sadder,--written in a trembling script that announced his age and increasing infirmity.
Upon entering the office Ferragut felt just like the legendary sleepers who believe themselves awaking after a few hours of sleep when they have really been dozing for dozens of years.