“Listen,” said Manuel. “Have you come up yet for military service? For I’ll be damned if I know whether I have.”
“Sure. I was dismissed. You’d better see to that. Otherwise they’ll seize you as a deserter.”
“Pse!”
“We’ll let Old Cripple know about it.”
“When shall we see him?”
“He ought to be here in a moment.”
And surely enough, shortly after, the Cripple entered the café. Vidal, in a few words, told him what he had proposed to his cousin.
“Will he do?” asked Calatrava, eyeing Manuel sharply.
“Yes. He’s cleverer than he looks,” answered Vidal, laughing.
Manuel drew himself up proudly to his full height.