r, how should she present herself
before him? She was certain that she should appear disturbed; her
disgust and fear of him were so great that in spite of her they would
appear in her face.

It happened that Don Alfonso realized the same thing, and ceased coming
to Miguel's house. But Miguel, accustomed to see him frequently, called
attention to his absence, and said, while they were at table:--

"It is a number of days since Alfonso has shown up."

Maximina made no reply, and went on eating, with her head down. After a
moment he added:--

"I should be glad if he did not come any more. In spite of all my
efforts I cannot endure that man. Wednesday, they tell me, he fought a
duel which, in my opinion, was a piece of sheer cowardice. He fought
with an engineer, who never in his life had been used to weapons; and,
of course, wounded him dangerously at the first encounter. A man who
goes out to fight with a certainty that such is going to be the case is
not a true man, nor can he be called even decent."

"Oh! there is no doubt about that," Maximina would have said, with the
greatest unction.

But she did not dare. The poor girl imagined that Saavedra would not
take any more thought about her. Without her adored Miguel having had
any annoyance whatever, everything had come out satisfactorily. Little
did the ingenuous young wife know of the nature of human passions. She
was soon to learn to her sorrow, what pride and revenge united are
capable of attempting.

XX.

It happened to be about this very time that Enrique made up his mind "to
drag the honor and good name of his family through the mire." In fact,
he presented himself one afternoon at Miguel's house, and confided to
him his project, telling him with tears in his eyes that it was not his
intention to drag anything through the mire, and far less the honor of
the family, but simply to fulfil the bond which he had undertaken, and
the words which he had given to Manolita.

"I am a gentleman, Miguel. I cannot decently go back on this little
girl. Put yourself in my place. I am well aware that my family are right
in opposing this marriage, but I swear to you that it is not my wish to
injure its good name. Why should I? What good would it do me to drag it
through the mire, I should like to know!"

"That is evident; you have no occasion to revenge yourself on the good
name of your family."

"Of course not!"

Then with much hesitation and timidity he con