“Halt!” exclaimed Fadrique, as Heimbert appeared from the garden,
holding his drawn sword toward him ready for attack. “Stop, you are
mistaken, my good comrade,” said the German, smiling, “it is I whom you
see before you.” “Do not imagine, Knight Heimbert of Waldhausen,” said
Fadrique, “that I mistake you. But my promise is discharged, my hour of
guard has been honorably kept, and now I beg you without further delay
to prepare yourself, and fight for your life until heart’s blood has
ceased to flow through these veins.” “Good heavens!” sighed Heimbert,
“I have often heard that in these southern lands there are witches, who
deprive people of their senses by magic arts and incantations. But
I have never experienced anything of the sort until to-day. Compose
yourself, my dear good comrade, and go with me back to the shore.”
Fadrique laughed fiercely, and answered, “Set aside your silly delusion,
and if you must have everything explained to you, word by word, in order
to understand it, know then that the lady whom you came to meet in the
shrubbery of this my garden is Dona Clara Mendez, my only sister. Quick,
therefore, and without further preamble, draw!” “God forbid!” exclaimed
the German, not touching his weapon. “You shall be my brother-in-law,
Fadrique, and not my murderer, and still less will I be yours.” Fadrique
only shook his head indignantly, and advanced toward his comrade with
measured steps for an encounter. Heimbert, however, still remained
immovable, and said, “No, Fadrique, I cannot now or ever do you harm.
For besides the love I bear your sister, it must certainly have been you
who has spoken to her so honorably of my military expeditions in
Italy.” “When I did so,” replied Fadrique in a fury, “I was a fool. But,
dallying coward, out with your sword, or--”
Before Fadrique had finished speaking, Heimbert, burning with
indignation, exclaimed, “The devil himself could not bear that!” and
drawing his sword from the scabbard, the two young captains rushed
fiercely and resolutely to the attack.
Different indeed was this contest to that previously fought by Fadrique
with Lucila’s husband. The two young soldiers well understood their
weapons, and strove with each other with equal boldness, their swords
flashing like rays of light as now this one now that one hurled a
lightning thrust at his adversary, which was with similar speed and
dexterity turned aside. Firmly they pressed the left foot, as if rooted
in the ground, while the right advanced to the bold onset and then
again they quickly retired to the safer attitude of defence. From the
self-possession and the quiet unremitting anger with which both the
combatants fought, it was evident that one of the two would find his
grave under the overhanging branches of the orange-tree, which were now
tinged with the red glow of morning, and this would undoubtedly have
been the case had not the report of a cannon from the harbor sounded
through the silence of the twilight.
The combatants paused, as if at some word of command to be obeyed by
both, and listened, counting to themselves; then, as each uttered the
number thirty, a second gun was heard. “It is the signal for immediate
embarkation, Senor,” said Don Fadrique; “we are now in the emperor’s
service, and all dispute ceases which is not against the foes of Charles
the Fifth.” “Right,” replied Heimbert, “but when there is an end of
Tunis and the whole war. I shall demand satisfaction for that ‘dallying
coward.’” “And I for that in intercourse with my sister,” said Fadrique.
“Certainly,” rejoined the other; and, so saying, the two captains
hurried down to the strand and arranged the embarkation of their troops;
while the sun, rising over the sea, shone upon them both in the same
vessel.