ThenfollowedtoClarencethreeuneventfulyears。DuringthatintervalhelearntthatJacksonBrant，orDonJuanRobinson——forthetieofkinshipwastheleastfactorintheirrelationstoeachother，andafterthedepartureofFlynnwastacitlyignoredbyboth——wasmoreSpanishthanAmerican。AnearlyresidenceinLowerCalifornia，marriagewitharichMexicanwidow，whosedyingchildlesslefthimsoleheir，andsomestrangerestrainingidiosyncrasyoftemperamenthadquitedenationalizedhim。A
bookishrecluse，somewhatsuperfastidioustowardshisowncountrymen，themoreClarenceknewhimthemoresingularappearedhisacquaintancewithFlynn；butashedidnotexhibitmorecommunicativenessonthispointthanupontheirownkinship，Clarencefinallyconcludedthatitwasduetothedominantcharacterofhisformerfriend，andthoughtnomoreaboutit。HeentereduponthenewlifeatElRefugiowithnodisturbingpast。
Quicklyadaptinghimselftothelazyfreedomofthishaciendaexistence，hespentthemorningsonhorsebackrangingthehillsamonghiscousin\'scattle，andtheafternoonsandeveningsbusiedamonghiscousin\'sbookswithequallylawlessandundisciplinedindependence。Theeasy-goingDonJuan，itistrue，attemptedtomakegoodhisrashpromisetoteachtheboySpanish，andactuallysethimafewtasks；butinafewweeksthequick-wittedClarenceacquiredsuchacolloquialproficiencyfromhiscasualacquaintancewithvaquerosandsmalltradersthathewasgladtoleavethematterinhisyoungkinsman\'shands。Again，byoneofthoseillogicalsequenceswhichmakealifelongreputationdependuponasingletrivialact，Clarence\'ssocialstatuswassettledforeveratElRefugioRanchobyhispicturesquediversionofFlynn\'spartinggift。Thegratefulpeontowhomtheboyhadscornfullytossedthecoinrepeatedtheact，gesture，andspiritofthescenetohiscompanion，andDonJuan\'sunknownandyouthfulrelationwasatoncerecognizedashijodelafamilia，andundeniablyahidalgobornandbred。ButinthemorevividimaginationoffeminineElRefugiotheincidentreacheditshighestpoeticform。\"Itistrue，MotherofGod，\"saidChuchaoftheMill；\"itwasDomingowhohimselfrelatesitasitweretheCreed。WhentheAmericanescorthadarrivedwiththeyounggentleman，thisescort，lookyou，beingnotofthesamequality，heisdepartingagainwithoutawordofpermission。Comestohimatthismomentmylittlehidalgo。\'Youhaveyourselfforgottentotakefrommeyourdemission，\'hesaid。Thisescort，thinkingtomakehispeacewithameremuchacho，givestohimagoldpieceoftwentypesos。ThelittlehidalgohastakenitSO，andwiththewords，\'Ah!youwouldmakeofmeyouralmonertomycousin\'speople，\'hasgivenitatthemomenttoDomingo，andwithagraceandfireadmirable。\"ButitiscertainthatClarence\'ssingularsimplicityandtruthfulness，afacultyofbeingpicturesquelyindolentinawaythatsuggestedadreamyabstractionofmindratherthananyvulgartendencytobodilyeaseandcomfort，andpossiblythefactthathewasagoodhorseman，madehimapopularheroatElRefugio。AttheendofthreeyearsDonJuanfoundthatthisinexperiencedandapparentlyidleboyoffourteenknewmoreofthepracticalrulingoftheranchothanhedidhimself；alsothatthisunletteredyoungrustichaddevourednearlyallthebooksinhislibrarywithboyishrecklessnessofdigestion。
Hefound，too，thatinspiteofhissingularindependenceofaction，Clarencewaspossessedofaninvincibleloyaltyofprinciple，andthat，askingnosentimentalaffection，andindeedyieldingnone，hewas，withoutpresumingonhisrelationship，devotedtohiscousin\'sinterest。Itseemedthatfrombeingaglancingrayofsunshineinthehouse，evasivebutneverobtrusive，hehadbecomeadailynecessityofcomfortandsecuritytohisbenefactor。
Clarencewas，however，astonished，when，onemorning，DonJuan，withthesameembarrassedmannerhehadshownattheirfirstmeeting，suddenlyaskedhim，\"whatbusinessheexpectedtofollow。\"