THE HERALD
A card of ample size and flourished characters, bearing the name of El
Marques de Fuenterrabia, was brought up by Gil Perez.
"Who is he?" Manvers inquired; and Gil waved his hand.
"This olda gentleman," he explained, "'e come Embassador from Don Luis.
'E say, 'What you do next, senor Don Osmundo?' You tell 'im, sir--is
my advice."
"But I don't know what I am going to do," said Manvers irritably. "How
the deuce should I know?"
"You tell 'im that, sir," Gil said softly. "Thata best of all."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, sir, then 'e tell you what Don Luis, 'e do."
"Show him in," said Manvers.
The Marques de Fuenterrabia was a white-whiskered, irascible personage,
of stately manners and slight stature. He wore a blue frock-coat, and
nankeen trousers over riding-boots. His face was one uniform pink, his
eyes small, fierce, and blue. They appeared to emit heat as well as
light; for it was a frequent trick of their proprietor's to snatch at
his spectacles and wipe the mist from them with a bandana handkerchief.
Unglazed, his eyes showed a blank and indiscriminate ferocity which
Manvers found exceedingly comical.
They bowed to each other--the Marques with ceremonious cordiality,
Manvers with the stiffness of an Englishman to an unknown visitor. Gil
Perez hovered in the background, as it were, on the tips of his toes.
The Marques, having made his bow, said nothing. His whole attitude
seemed to imply, "Well, what next?"
Manvers said that he was at his service; and then the Marques explained
himself.
"My friend, Don Luis Ramonez de Alavia," he said, "has entrusted me
with his confidence. It appears that a series of occurrences,
involving his happiness, honour and dignity at once, can be traced to
your Excellency's intromission in his affairs. I take it that your
Excellency does not deny----"
"Pardon me," Manvers said, "I deny it absolutely."
The Marques was very much annoyed. "_Que! Que!_" he muttered and
snatched off his spectacles. Glaring ferociously at them, he wiped
them with his bandana.
"If Don Luis really imagines that I compassed the death of his son,"
said Manvers, "I suppose he has his legal remedy. He had better have
me arrested and have done with it."
The Marques, his spectacles on, gazed at the speaker with astonishment.
"Is it possible, sir, that you can so misconceive the mind of a
gentleman as to suggest legal process in an affair of the kind?
Whatever my friend Don Luis may consider you, he could not be guilty of
such a discourtesy. One may think he is going too far in the other
direction, indeed--though one is debarred from saying so under the
circumstances. But I am not here to bandy words with you. My friend
Don Luis commissions me to ask your Excellency, for the name of a
friend, to whom the arrangements may be referred for ending a painful
controversy in the usual manner. If you will be so good as to oblige
me, I need not intrude upon you again."
"Do you mean to suggest, senor Marques," said Manvers, after a pause,
"that I am to meet Don Luis on the field?"
"Pardon?" said the Marques, in such a way as to answer the question.
"My dear sir," he was assured, "I would just as soon fight my
grandfather. The thing is preposterous." The Marques gasped for air,
but Manvers continued. "Had your friend's age been anywhere near my
own, I doubt if I could have gratified him after what took place the
other day. He caused a man of his to stab me in the back as I was
walking down a dark street. In my country we call that a dastard's
act."
The Marques started, and winced as if he was hurt; but he remembered
himself and the laws of warfare, and when he spoke it was within the
extremes of politeness.
"I confess, sir," he said, "that I was not prepared for your refusal.
It puts me in a delicate position, and to a certain extent I must
involve my friend also. It is my duty to declare to you that it is Don
Luis' intention to break the laws of Spain. An outrage has been
committed against his house and blood which one thing only can efface.
Moved by extreme courtesy, Don Luis was prepared to take the remedy of
gentlemen; but since you have refused him that, he is driven to the use
of natural law. It will be in your power--I cannot deny--to deprive
him of that also; but he is persuaded that you will not take advantage
of it. Should you show any signs of doing so, I am to say, Don Luis
will be forced to consider you outside the pale of civilisation, and to
treat you without any kind of toleration. To suggest such a
possibility is painful to me, and I beg your pardon very truly for it."
In truth the Marques looked ashamed of himself.
Manvers considered the very oblique oration to which he had listened.
"I hope I understand you, senor Marques," he said. "You intend to say
that Don Luis means to have my life by all means?"
The Marques bowed. "That is so, senor Don Osmundo."
"But you suggest that it is possible that I might stop him by informing
the authorities?"
"No, no," said the Marques hastily, "I did not suggest that. The
authorities would never interfere. The British Embassy might perhaps
be persuaded--but you will do me the justice to admit that I apologised
for the suggestion."
"Oh, by all means," said Manvers. "You thought pretty badly of me--but
not so badly as all that."
"Quite so," said the Marques; and then the surprising Gil Perez
descended from mid-air, and lowed to the stranger.
"My master, Don Osmundo, senor Marques, is incapable of such conduct,"
said he--and looked to Manvers for approval.
He struggled with himself, but failed. His guffaw must out, and
exploded with violent effect. It drove the Marques back to the door,
and sent Gil Perez scudding on tiptoe to the window.
"You are magnificent, all of you!" cried Manvers. "You flatter me into
connivance. Let me state the case exactly. Don Luis is to stab or
shoot me at sight, and I am to give him a free hand. Is that what you
mean? Admirable. But let me ask you one question. Am I not supposed
to protect myself?"
The Marques stared. "I don't think I perfectly understand you, Don
Osmundo. Reprisals are naturally open to you. We declare war, that is
all."
"Oh," said Manvers. "You declare war? Then I may go shooting, too?"
"Naturally," said the Marques. "That is understood."
"No dam fear about that," said Gil Perez to his master.