“Eh? Three doubloons? Why, that ain’t so bad, although it is pretty extravagant. Hang this Spanish money! I can never get used to it, anyway. You nearly gave me heart failure when you said you paid a hundred reals each for the seats.”
The boys laughed heartily at the little man, who had once more collapsed on a chair, mopping his face.
“Of course you will go now that I have the seats?” Frank said, coaxingly.
“Well, I—er—it seems a shame to waste so much money for seats, and then not use them.”
“And so it is. This will be the event of the season in Madrid, professor. Señorita Zuera will be there.”
“Who is she?”
“One of the bull fighters.”
“What? Why, she must be a dreadful creature! She must be coarse and masculine, and—er—all that. It is a disgrace! A woman bull fighter! Think of it!”
“We have thought of it, and Ephraim and I have decided to see Señorita Zuera. You may as well come along, professor. Madrid is talking of nothing else save this bull fight. It is said that it will be the greatest fight ever seen here. The bulls are unusually large and vicious. They are from the pastures of the Duke of Veragua and the Marquis de la Merced, and have been reared especially for the fights.”
“You seem to have obtained considerable information concerning this wretched affair.”