d just as on the day before.
The _chula_ looked up, and scanning him with angry eyes, said:--

"Have you come back for another?"

"If you are anxious to give me one...."

Enrique's dog-like face expressed such pure satisfaction, and had grown
so fearfully ugly in expressing it, that the _chula_ could not prevent a
smile breaking out on her face.

And bending over, so as not to compromise herself, she said:--

"Come, come, go your way."

"Don't be spiteful to me, Manolita, but forgive me!"

"That's a great note! I am not a priest to grant absolution!"

"But you can impose penance."

"No such thing! If I did, though, it would be with the dipper in such a
way that you would not care to show your ugly phiz around here again."

"That could not be! I might lose my nose, but I could not lose my desire
to see you; never!"

The _chula_, during this exchange of compliments, was becoming softened.
Enrique, after respectfully asking permission, was allowed to enter the
shop, and sit down to drink a tumbler of milk.

And in good fellowship and sociability, the lieutenant began to flirt
with her in fine style, and the girl to answer him curtly, though she
could not help feeling that it was rather good fun to be courted by a
military gentleman.[30]

Enrique made himself liked by his frank and optimistic disposition.
Manolita, finding him just as ugly as before, began to be attracted
toward him.

"Why not tell the truth?" she said; "you are homely, but you have a
_something_ ... come now!... peculiar."

"Yes, I know that," responded the lieutenant, gravely; "I am homely, but
graceful."

"No, you aren't graceful either!" exclaimed the _chula_, laughing.

"Well, I am beginning to get into your good graces, if I am not
graceful."

"That's so."

After they had got deeply interested in conversation, suddenly heavy and
clattering steps were heard in the back shop, and a man, or, more
accurately speaking, a one-eyed giant, appeared at the rear door in his
shirt-sleeves, in gray woollen trousers, a red belt, and a flat Biscayan
cap; his face was as ugly and frightful as that of his ancestors, the
Cyclops.

After casting a grim look around the room, without seeing Enrique, or
apparently not seeing him, he uttered several grunts, staggered toward
the counter, and fixing his vitreous, angry eye on the polished silk hat
which the lieutenant had laid on it, he picked it up gingerly in his
monstrous hands, examined it curi