"Yes, señor; the duke gave me the order because he dropped the hare after catching it."
Gonzalo turned livid.
"How dare he give such a shameless order!" roared the young man, and snatching the chain so roughly from the servant that he made him stagger.
Then he strode toward the house, accompanied by the dog, with the intention of having a violent scene with the duke. But before he reached home he had time to consider that it would be a breach of hospitality to quarrel with a guest, and so he contented himself with sending Polion back to the kennel, and treating the duke somewhat coldly.
CHAPTER XXVI
STORY OF A MANDARIN
AFTER the canine episode the preference shown by the duke for his wife, and the attentions that he paid her, became as offensive to Gonzalo as they were at first astonishing, although it still never entered his head that they went beyond the politeness or gallantry customary in high society. Besides, the disparity of age between the duke and his wife seemed to preclude all thoughts of jealousy. Such things only happened in novels. One day, when he was alone with Cecilia, he suddenly broached the subject by saying:
"Cecilia, what do you think of the friendship of my wife with the duke?"
The girl looked surprised.
"What do I think of it?" she returned, looking at him with her large, liquid eyes. "Why, I think that Ventura gets on with him better than the rest of us here."
"But this partiality, don't you think it makes me look rather ridiculous?"