A bit surprised, Rafaela asked:
"Aren't you going to eat supper here?"
"Yes," he answered, "but I'm just going out to stretch my legs a little. I'll be right back."
He kissed his wife and the boy, mentally taking a long farewell of them, and went out.
In Señor Tomás' tavern he found Manolo Berlanga playing tute with several friends. The silversmith was drunk, and his arrogant, defiant voice dominated the others. Slowly, with a careless and taciturn air, the engineer approached the group.
"Good evening, all," said he.
At first, no one answered him, for everybody's attention was fixed on the wayward come-and-go of the cards. When the game was done, one of the players exclaimed:
"Hello there, Amadeo! I didn't see you! But I saw your wife and kid yesterday. Some boy! And that's a pretty woman you've got, too. I don't say that just because you're here. It's true. Anybody can see you make all kinds of money, and spend it all on your wife!"
"Yes, and if he didn't," put in Berlanga, offering Zureda a glass of wine, "there'd be plenty more who would. How about that, Amadeo?"
Zureda remained impassive. He gulped the wine at one swallow. Then he ordered a bottle for all hands.