"Doubtless," I replied, quietly, "an English nobleman. Such is their custom, according to the ideas of other nations. Well, let us to rest," whereon Juan and I turned each into a room which the landlord indicated, and, so far as I was concerned, I slept calmly and peacefully until awakened by him at three of the afternoon.
Now, when I descended to where our other repast was prepared for us, which would probably be the last one of a substantial nature which we should be likely to get ere reaching Lugo, I found Juan there walking up and down the great sala, his sword swishing about against his left leg as he turned backward and forward petulantly. Also, I could see that something had ruffled his usually sweet disposition--that his colour was a little higher than in general, and that the soft velvet-looking eyes were sparkling angrily.
"Why, what is it?" I asked, even as the landlord brought in the first cover, "what is it, my boy? You are ruffled."
"Be very sure I am!" he exclaimed, speaking rapidly, and of course in French, so that the man heard and understood all he said. "I have been insulted----"
"Insulted!"
"At least rebuffed, and rudely, too; and by, of all men, a filthy blackamoor--a--a--por Diôs!--a slave! Oh! that I had him in the Indies! He would insult no white one again, I tell you!" and he fingered the hilt of his weapon and stamped his shapely foot on the uncarpeted floor till his spurs jangled.
"Come," I said, "you can afford to despise the creature. How did it happen?"
"Happen! Happen!" Juan replied, still angry. "How?"
"Monsieur saw the black man preparing the luggage on the great coach," the landlord said, as he removed the dish-cover from a course of pork and raisins, "and asked which way his master went. And the fellow was surly, rude--said that was their business, not the affair of strangers. Also, they sought no companions, if--if the young señor meant that----"
"Who never offered our company," Juan broke in again. "Curse him! I wish I had him in the Indies!" he repeated.