Don Horacio, however, gradually recovered his senses, he rose slowly and his frightfully contracted features wore a strange expression of resolution.
He turned to Dominique.
"You insist," he said; "be it so; the reparation shall be striking."
He felt in the carefully locked drawer of a table, which he opened by means of a key hung round his neck by a gold chain, took something they could not see out of it, closed the drawer again, then walking with a firm step to the door, he threw it wide open.
"Come in caballeros, all of you!" he cried in a loud voice.
In a second the room was filled with people. The count de la Saulay and don Estevan alone remained in the sitting room with the young ladies, upon receiving a sign from don Jaime. Don Jaime then walked up to his sister and offered her his arm.
"Come," he said to her; "come, María, this scene is killing you. Your place is no longer here, now that you have forgiven this man."
Doña María offered but a slight resistance, and followed her brother, who led her into the sitting room, the door of which he closed after them. The rolling of a carriage was heard, in which the three ladies returned home under the count's escort. At the same moment a clash of arms was audible outside.
"What is that?" don Horacio asked with a start of terror.
Numerous footsteps approached, the doors were noisily opened, and soldiers appeared. At their head came the prefect of the city, the Alcalde mayor, and several corchetes.