The husband calmed down, little by little, and contented himself with pacing from one end of the sala to the other like a wild animal in its cage.
“Go and cool your head!” continued the woman in mockery. She seemed to have concluded her preparations for defense.
“I swear that when I catch you, no one—not even God—will see you again! I’ll smash you so fine.”
“Yes! Now you can say what you wish. You would not let me go to mass. You would not let me fulfill my duty to God!” she said with such sarcasm as she alone knew how to use.
The alferez took his helmet, straightened out his clothes, and walked away several paces. But, at the end of several minutes, he returned without making the slightest noise, for he had taken off his boots. The servants, accustomed to these spectacles, paid no attention to them, but the novelty of this move with the boots attracted their notice and they gave each other the wink.
The alferez sat down on a chair next to the door and had the patience to wait more than half an hour.
“Have you really gone out or are you there, you he-goat?” asked a voice from time to time, changing the epithets but raising the tone.
Finally, she commenced to take away the furniture from her barricade. He heard the noise and smiled.
“Orderly! Has the señor gone out?” cried Doña Consolacion.
The orderly at a signal from the alferez, replied: “Yes, señora, he has gone out!”