Part 56 (1/2)
Without knowing why, he felt more antipathy for the girl than was natural under the circ.u.mstances. He did not like to admit it to himself; but he felt the hostility which is produced in strong, self-willed characters by the presence of another person with a strong character proposing to exert itself.
THE TWO FRIENDS' COMMENTS
Caesar was thinking over the details of the visit, when Alzugaray came home, and seeing a light in Caesar's room, went in there. Alzugaray was quite lively. The two friends pa.s.sed the persons met that day in ironic review, and in general they were agreed about everything, except about valuing Amparito's character.
Caesar found her distasteful, pert and impertinent; to his friend, on the contrary, she had seemed very attractive, very amiable and very clever.
”To me,” said Caesar, ”she appears one of these small town la.s.ses who have a flirtation with a student, then with a captain, and finally marry some rich brute, and get fat, and turn into old sows, and grow moustaches.”
”In that I think you are fundamentally unjust,” said Alzugaray.
”Amparito is not a small town la.s.s, for she lives in Madrid almost all year. Besides, that makes no difference; what I have not observed is her committing any folly or impertinence.” ”Dear man, it all depends on how you look at it. To me her conduct seemed bad, to you it seems all right.”
”You are an extremist, for I can a.s.sure you that you were actually rude to her.”
”Actually rude, I don't think; but I admit that I was cool and not very amiable.”
”And why were you?”
”First, because it is politic of me, since Don Calixto's family do not care for Amparito; and secondly, because the little creature didn't please me, either.”
”And why didn't she please you? For no reason at all?”
”I am not partial to the platyrrhine races.”
”What nonsense! And you wish to look at things clearly! A man that judges people by their noses!”
”It seems to you little to go on? A brunette girl, brachicephalic and rather platyrrhine.... There is no more to say.”
”And if she had been blond, dolichocephalic, and long-nosed, she would have seemed all right to you.”
”Her ethnic type would have seemed all right.”
”Let's not discuss it. What's the use? But I feel that you are arbitrary to an extreme.”
”If she knew of our discussion, the young thing couldn't complain, because if she has had a systematic detractor in me, she has found an enthusiastic defender in you.”
”Yes, dear man; it is only at such long intervals that I see a person with ingenuousness and enthusiasm, that when I do meet one, I get a real joy from it.”
”You are a sentimentalist.”
”That's true; and you have become an inquisitor.”
”Most certainly. I believe we agree on that and on all the rest.”
”I think so. All right. Good-bye!” said Alzugaray, ill-humouredly.