161

Fornarino and Fornarina are probably references to the actress Consuelo Bello, who used Fornarina as a stage name. See Fernando Porset, De telón adentro (Madrid: Hijos de R. Alvarez, 1912), pp. 169-174.

162

Concha is probably talking about the Augusta of Realidad. It appears that the «proyectos» are Galdós' plans to get her a role in the stage version of the novel.

163

See the reference at the beginning of the next day's writing in this same letter. If Concha is really referring to San Eugenio's day -November 13- and San Leopoldo's day -November 15-, she may be combinings the two on November 14, which falls on Sunday in 1891.

164

Concha may be referring to letter XII above, which may be the continuation of letter XV. An examination of all the letters of this period, however, suggests that it does not fit there chronologically.

165

These lines are similar to Tristana's expression of the same attitude-wanting independence through a career and scorning the idea of marriage.

166

In Tristana, there is a nota del colector: «Llamaban botiquín al mar, por aquel cuento andaluz del médico de a bordo, que todo lo curaba con agua salada» (p. 1579).

167

Marked with blue pencil on the original: «cosas... dificultades».

168

«El de case» refers to Concha's papá, «el lírico» refers to a man who is never identified in the letters but usually called either «el asno lírico» or Pichiflautas. She says in several letters that he is threatening to tell what he knows about her, that he has seen her in «casa de Fulana». The gravity of this information is never explained.

169

Marked with blue pencil on the original: «el circo que están armando».

170

Orozco and Federico are characters in Realidad. She is probably referring to the novel, since this letter predates the stage version. She may, of course, already have the script by this time.