"Enough, Captain," the young man sharply interrupted him; "you have told me all I desired to know; political hatreds, however terrible they may be, are not eternal. You do your duty as I believe I do mine--that is to say, as well as you possibly can, and to that I have no objection. Unfortunately, instead of fighting side by side, we are in opposite camps; fatality decrees it so; perhaps, some day these unhappy dissensions will cease, and then, who knows whether we may not be friends?" "We are so already, Caballero," the Captain said, warmly, as he held out his hand to the Jaguar. The latter pressed it vigorously. "Let us each follow the road traced for us," he said; "but if we defend a different cause, let us maintain, when the contest is raging, that esteem and friendship which two loyal enemies ought to feel, who have measured their swords and found them of equal length." "Agreed," said the Captain. "One word more," the Jaguar continued. "I must respond to your frankness by equal frankness." "Speak." "I presume that the question I asked surprised you?" "I confess it." "Well, I will tell you why I asked it." "What good will that do?" "I must; between us two henceforth there must be nothing hidden. In spite of the hatred I ought to feel for you, I feel myself attracted to you by a secret sympathy, which I cannot explain, but which urges me to reveal to you a secret on which the happiness of my life depends." "I do not understand you, Caballero; the language seems strange to me. Explain yourself, in Heaven's name." A feverish flush suddenly covered the Jaguar's face. "Listen, Captain, if you only know me today for the first time, your name has been ringing in my ears for many months past." The officer fixed an inquiring glance on the young man. "Yes, yes," the latter continued, with increasing animation, "she ever has your name on her lips--she only speaks of you. Only a few days back--but why recall that? Suffice it for you to know that I love her to distraction." "Carmela?" the Captain muttered. "Yes," the Jaguar exclaimed, "you love her too!" "I do," the Captain replied, simply, as he looked on the ground with an air of embarrassment. There was a lengthened silence between the two men. It was easy to discover that each of them was having an internal fight; at length the Jaguar managed to quell the storm that growled in his heart, and went on, in a firm voice-- "Thanks for your loyal answer, Captain; in loving Carmela you take advantage of your good right, just as I do; let this love, instead of separating, form a stronger link between us. Carmela is worthy of the love of an honourable man; let us each love her, and carry on an open warfare, without treachery or trickery; all the better for the man she may prefer. She alone must be judge between us; let her follow her heart, for she is too pure and good to deceive herself and make a bad choice."