esar in a low tone, ironically.

"Shut up," replied Alzugaray.

The girl recited the poem, and Caesar asked Alzugaray sarcastically if
those verses were by the girl's father, because they sounded to him like
the verses of a notary or a judge of the Court of First Instance.

Then somebody suggested that they should have supper there.

Caesar noticed that this plan did not appeal to the mistress of the
house, and he said:

"One should be moderate in all things. I am going home to bed."

After this somewhat pedantic phrase, which to Don Calixto seemed a
pearl, Caesar took leave of his new acquaintances with a great deal of
ceremony and coolness. Alzugaray said he would remain a while longer.

When Caesar was bowing to Amparito, she asked him jokingly:

"Is it your wife that keeps you in such good habits?"

"My wife!" exclaimed Caesar, surprised.

"Didn't your friend say..."

"Ah! Yes, it is she who makes me have such good habits."

This said, he left the drawing-room and went quickly down the stairs.
The cool night air made him shiver, and he went with a heavy, aching
head to his hotel, and got to bed. He slept very profoundly, but not
for more than an hour, and woke up sweaty and thirsty. His headache was
gone. It was not yet past eleven. He lighted the light, and sitting
up in bed, set to thinking over the probabilities of success in his
undertaking.

Meanwhile he stared at the red chrysanthemum which was in the
button-hole of his coat, and remembered Amparito.

"That child is a prodigy of coquetry and bad bringing-up," he thought
with vexation; "these emancipated small town young ladies are more
unattractive than any others. I prefer Don Calixto's daughter, who at
least is naively and unobjectionably stupid. But this other one is
unsupportable."

Without knowing why, he felt more antipathy for the girl than was
natural under the circumstances. He did not like to admit it to himself;
but he felt the hostility which is produced in strong, self-willed
characters by the presence of another person with a strong character
proposing to exert itself.

THE TWO FRIENDS' COMMENTS

Caesar was thinking over the details of the visit, when Alzugaray came
home, and seeing a light in Caesar's room, went in there. Alzugaray was
quite lively. The two friends passed the persons met that day in ironic
review, and in general they were agreed about everything, except about
valuing Amparito's character.

Caesar found