"A very near one," said he, laughing; "I am his son, and monsieur's very obedient servant. Come! let us rest ourselves and talk a little. The tap on the head you gave that Spaniard was most critical and serviceable to me."
"True—it only came just in time!"
"I hope it may have despatched him outright."
"I trust not, now that the end was accomplished."
"Now that we have breathing time, you will perhaps excuse my little curiosity, and say how you came to be here, within two or three miles of our sentinels?"
"The country is quite open," said Quentin, evasively, with a smile.
"Your troops, we have heard, are closing up from Lisbon and elsewhere; but have not as yet been rash enough to enter Spain, the territories of King Joseph."
"Rash, monsieur?"
"Peste! I suppose your generals have not forgotten the sharp lessons we taught them at Roleia and Vimiera?"
Quentin laughed to hear the pleasant tone in which the Frenchman spoke of two very important defeats of the Emperor's troops as "lessons" to the British, but he said plainly enough,