"I will neither marry your sister, nor will I fight with you."
"We shall see," said Miguel, smiling sarcastically.
"There will be no question about it."
"We will speak about the second afterward. As to the first: When I heard of my sister's abduction, I suspected that you had not undertaken it for any decent motive. Still I could not persuade myself that you would carry out your treachery to the point of being willing to make a lady who is of your own blood your mistress."
Julia uttered a groan. Miguel looked at her with compassionate eyes, and said:—
"Forgive me, Julia; I had forgotten that you were here."
"In declining to marry your sister," replied Don Alfonso, "I am not influenced by anything that could be construed in the least to her discredit. I grant that she is an excellent girl. The only thing is, that it never entered into my calculations to marry either her or any one else. This decision, which I made long ago, neither you nor any one else can alter."
"Is this your ultimatum in regard to the first part of my question?"
"It is."
"Very good; now we come to the second. I suppose that you will not refuse to give me reparation by means of arms...."