What a terrible battery was this to open upon the defenceless breastwork of a poor Irishman! How withstand the showering grape-shot of dark glances?—how resist the assault of graces that lurked in every smile and every gesture? Alas! I never attempted a defence; I surrendered, not “at,” but “without,” discretion; and, tearing off the great embroidered scarf which I wore, all heavy with its gold fringe, I passed it round her taper waist in a very transport of enthusiasm.
While a buzz of approbation ran round the circle, I heard the words uttered on all sides, “Destago!” “A forfeit!”
“I'll try his gallantry,” said the girl, as, darting back from my arms, she retired to the very verge of the circle, and, holding up the rich prize, gazed at it with wondering eyes; and now exclamations of praise and surprise at the beauty of the tissue broke from all in turn.
“The muchacha should keep the 'capotillo,'” said an old lynx-eyed duenna, with a fan as large as a fire-board.
“A Caballero rich as that should give her a necklace of real pearls,” said another.
“I 'd choose a mustang, with a saddle and trappings all studded with silver,” muttered a third in her ear.
“I 'll have none of these,” said the girl, musing; “I must bethink me well if I cannot find something I shall like to look at with pleasure, when mere dress and finery would have lost their charm. I must have that which will remind me of this evening a long time hence, and make me think of him who made it a happiness; and now what shall it be?”
“His heart's blood, if that will content you!” cried the mountaineer, as, springing from his seat, he tore the scarf from her hands and dashed it on the ground, trampling it beneath his feet, and tearing it to very rags.
“A fight—a fight!” shouted out a number of voices; and now the crowd closed in upon the dancing space, and a hundred tongues mingled in wild altercation. Although a few professed themselves indignant that a stranger should be thus insulted, I saw plainly that the majority were with their countryman, whom they agreed in regarding as a most outraged and injured individual. To my great astonishment, I discovered that my friend Seth took the same view of the matter, and was even more energetic than the others in reprobation of my conduct.
“Don't you see,” cried he to me, “that you have taken his sweetheart from him? The muchacha has done all this to provoke his jealousy.”