By dint of vigorous pulling and the application of several fists, some of the men finally succeeded in separating the two assailants. Watson, with utter contempt for both of them, rushed to the marquesa and stood in an attitude of defense before her as though she were menaced by some danger.
Robledo looked at the two rivals. Each one of them from the midst of the group that had gathered round him, was insulting the other, eyes blood-shot, tongues thick and stammering with rage. Both of them had for the moment forgotten all the Spanish they had learnt, and were ejaculating the worst words they knew in their respective native languages.
Then he turned to look at the marquesa, who was sighing and exclaiming like a child, while she leaned against Richard Watson.
“Now we’re in for it,” muttered Robledo to himself. “There’ll be murder done yet for that woman!” and without looking again at Watson he turned away.
CHAPTER XIII
WATSON and Robledo finished their supper in silence. Their thoughts were still busy with what had occurred a few hours earlier in the park of Canterac’s invention.
An invisible wall seemed to have risen between them. Watson’s expression was sombre, and he avoided looking at his partner. The latter, when from time to time he looked at him, smiled bitterly. He could not now see Watson without thinking of Elena. Undoubtedly it was she, tormented as she was by her desire to control every man in whom she was interested, who had aroused the young American’s feeling against his partner!
Watson got up from table with a few mumbled words, and picked up his hat.
“So, he’s going to see her,” thought Robledo. “He is restless if he can’t be by her side.”
In the main street Watson found various groups engaged in heated discussion. The red rectangles of the windows and doors of the boliche were frequently eclipsed by the shadows of the customers going in and out. It was not hard to guess that the subject under discussion was the scandalous occurrence of that afternoon, and that everyone was taking sides either with the French engineer or the Italian contractor.