"The matter is briefly this, as I understand it," he said. "My friend, M. Etienne de Saint Pierre, has been in terms of considerable amity with a certain young lady--whose name I need not repeat in a public place. He has been given to understand that you claim a similar high position in her favour. If this be so, Senor, my principal wishes to end the difficulty by a duel to the death, so that the young lady may not be put to the painful necessity of making a choice between two such gallant men. I make it _quite_ clear, do I not? Two of you love one lady. The lady cannot accept both. You fight. There remains but one. The lady is in no difficulty! Do you both agree?" "I agree most heartily," said Etienne, rubbing his hands cheerfully, and practising feints in the air with his forefinger. "But not I--not I!" cried Don Rafael, with sudden frenzy; "I do not agree--far from it, indeed. I would have you know that I am a married man. My wife is waiting for me at home at this moment. I must go. I must, indeed. Besides, I am under age, and it is murder in the first degree to shoot an unarmed man. I am not in love with any person. I make claims to no lady's affection. I am a married man, I tell you, gentlemen--I was never in love with anybody else. I told my wife so only this morning!" "Not with Dona Concha Cabezos of this village?" said Etienne, sternly. "I am advised that you have been in the habit of making that claim." "Never, never," cried the gallant, wringing his hands. "Saints, angels, and martyrs--if this should come to my wife's ears! I swear to you I do not know any Concha--I never heard of her. I will have nothing to do with her! Gentlemen, you must excuse me. I have an engagement!" And with this hurried adieu the little man in the Madrid suit fairly bolted out of the _cafe_, and ran down the street at full speed. And in the dusk of the gable arches the Gallegan sat with his head sunk low in his hands. "What a fool, Ramon Garcia! What a mortal fool you were--to have thought for a moment that your little Dolores could have loved a thing like that!" CHAPTER XII THE CRYING OF A YOUNG CHILD "And now, gentlemen," said Monsieur Etienne grandly, "where is the young gentleman who traduced in my hearing the fair fame of Dona Concha Cabezos? _Ma foi_, I will transfer my cartel to him!" Then, with great dignity, uprose the ancient valiant man of the octroi of Sarria, for he felt that some one must vindicate the municipality.