bravo--his courage has been at length screwed up to the
necessary pitch; and kept there by the potent spirit of Catalonian
brandy, found freely circulating around the cock-pit.

A flask of the _Catalan_ he has brought away with him, and at intervals
takes a pull from it, as he rides along the road. Under its influence
he becomes pot valiant; and swears, if he can but again set eyes upon
the English _guardia-marina_, he will affront him in such fashion as to
leave him no loophole of escape from being the challenger. _Carrai_! he
will do as De Lara has recommended: cuff the young officer, kick him,
spit in his face, anything to provoke the _gringo_ to a fight--that
yellow-haired cub without _bigots_ or beard. And if the cur won't
fight, then he shall apologise--get down upon his knees, acknowledge
him, Faustino Calderon, the better man, and for ever after surrender all
claim to the smiles, as to the hand, of Inez Alvarez!

With such swaggering talk he entertains his companion, as the two are
returning to town.

De Lara, less noisy, is nevertheless also excited. The fiery alcohol
has affected him too. Not to strengthen his courage; for of this he has
already enough; but to remove the weight from off his soul, which, after
the scene at Don Gregorio's, had been pressing heavily upon it. Six
hours have since elapsed, and for the first three he had been brooding
over his humiliation, his spirit prostrate in the dust. But the
_Catalan_ has again raised it to a pitch of exultation; especially when
he reflects upon the prospect of the sure and speedy vengeance he is
determined to take.

It does not occur to him to doubt of success. With thorough reliance on
his skill as a swordsman, he feels sure of it. Though also a good shot,
he prefers the steel for his weapon; like most men of the southern
Latinic race, who believe Northerners to be very bunglers at sword-play,
though admitting their superiority in the handling of the pistol. As
things stand, unlike his comrade Calderon, he will have the choice of
weapons. His intended antagonist was the first to demand the card, and
must needs be challenger.

As the two ride on, they talk alternately, both giving vent to their
spleen--the man of courage, as the coward. If not so loud, or
boastingly, as his companion, De Lara expresses himself with a more
spiteful and earnest determination; repeating much of what he has
already said at an earlier hour, but with added emphasis