and a homesick American engineer, Robert Lisle. It promises a warm, picturesque story of manners, friendship, and light-hearted intrigue rather than high drama. At the start of the story, a small party gathers in San Sebastián: Dr. Juan Estradas and his American wife Martina, his brother Tomás, and Martina’s sister Patty with her schoolmate Paulette. Patty’s teasing charm and halting Spanish lead Tomás to dub her “the glad lady,” and the group moves on to a mountain town, where a clean but primitive inn, the lively plaza, and village routines set the scene. They visit a peasant weaver and a venerable old house, stroll to a cave-fringed beach, and lunch in style at Don Felipe’s antiquity-filled palacio, leaving with souvenir cups and later bouquets. A reserved traveler reappears as Robert Lisle, an American with Kentucky roots, who bonds with Patty over homesickness. The party then settles into the Estrada family home, and St. John’s Eve and Day bring local traditions: decking streams and the fountain with flowers, villagers bringing gifts—including a lamb from Perdita—and preparations for music and dancing as the community arrives singing a song in honor of Don Juan. (This is an automatically generated summary.)