The peon looked at him in astonishment; he thought he was mad. The soldier, annoyed by this long conversation, and believing it of no use to stand wrangling with these jokers, presented his musket, crying angrily,—
"For the last time, go on, or I will fire!"
"I am determined I will go in!" Valentine replied, resolutely.
"To arms!" the soldier cried, and fired. Valentine, who had watched attentively all the soldier's movements, had slipped quickly from his horse, and the bullet whistled harmlessly over his head. At the cry of the soldier and the report of his piece, several armed soldiers, followed by an officer with a lighted lantern in his hand, rushed tumultuously out of the palace.
"What is going on here?" the officer asked, in a loud voice.
"Ah!" Valentine cried, to whom the voice was not unknown, "is that you, Don Gregorio?"
"Who calls me?" said the latter; for, in fact, it was he.
"I, Valentine!"
"What! is it you, my friend, who are making all this disturbance?" replied Don Gregorio, advancing; "I thought it was nothing less than an attack."
"What the devil was I to do?" said the young man, laughing; "I had not the password, and I wanted to get in."