e are likely to agree with him. Here he goes:

[Music:

For a toast your own will avail me,
Senors, senors!
For all you men of war,
Like all Toreros, as brother hail me!
In a fight, in a fight we both take delight!

'Tis holiday, the circus full,
The circus full from rim to floor:
The lookers on, beyond control,
The lookers on now begin to murmur and roar!
Some are calling,
And others bawling
And howling too, with might and main!
For they await a sight appalling!
'Tis the day of the brave of Spain!
Come on! make ready!
Come on! Come on! Ah!

Toreador, make ready!
Toreador! Toreador!
And think on her, on her, who all can see:
On a dark eyed lady,
And that love waits for thee, Toreador,
Love waits, love waits for thee!]

While Escamillo is singing the refrain of this song he is about the
most self-satisfied fellow one ever saw. He hasn't the slightest doubt
about himself and neither has any sensible person a doubt about him;
but Carmen is not a sensible person.

The bull-fighter has been trying the same trick upon Carmen that she
tried upon Jose. She is not indifferent to his fascinations,
but--well, there is trouble coming her way, Escamillo's way, Jose's
way, everybody's way, but it is some comfort to know that they all
more or less deserve it.

When Escamillo has finished singing of his greatness, he asks Carmen
what she would think of him if he told her he loved her, and for once
in a way she is quite truthful. She tells him she would think him a
fool.

"You are not over-encouraging, my girl, but I can wait," he returns.

"I am sure there is no harm in waiting," she answers him.

Now Carmen's familiar friends, the smugglers, have an enterprise in
hand, and it has been their habit to look to Carmen, Frasquita, and
Mercedes for help in their smuggling. When they find an opportunity,
they approach Carmen.

"We need your help to-night."

"Indeed! well, you won't get it," she declares.

"What! you won't attend to business?"

"I won't."

"What's the matter now?" El Dancairo, chief of the smugglers, demands.

"If you particularly want to know--why, then, I am in love--for
to-night only," she hastens to add, as the smugglers stare at her in
disgust.

"Well, we wish you joy; but you'll show better sense to come along
with us. If you wait here, your lover is likely not to come, and
you'l