The prince, shrinking amazed a moment as if he had been struck, stalked to the carriage, entered it, and sat down.
“Shall I walk?” said Tiretta, grimly, at the door.
The other hesitated; then silently, peremptorily, touched the seat beside him. Tiretta, without a word, occupied it, and the carriage rolled on its way.
Presently, urged beyond endurance, Joseph spoke.
“This is very amusing. You would appear to have met with some rebuff. Surely, in so harmless a gallantry, you would not blame me for consequences quite unforeseen. Is it injured vanity, or another’s innuendo, that saddles you with that hurtful title.”
“Another’s innuendo,” said the soldier shortly.
“The lady’s?”
“The lady’s.”
“She said?”
“She said, what the Infanta Isabella, daughter of Don Philip, was privileged to say to a poor devil approaching her with that insult in his hand.”