"My good _verado_, I am truly sorry that you have taken these honourable _caballeros_ from their vocations, and put yourself to inconvenience, in order to repair to the place I had appointed."
"Why so, señor?" asked the _verado_, perfectly puzzled by this commencement.
"For a very simple reason, señor,--because the motives no longer exist which induced me to wish to confer with you."
"What!" cried all the rogues together; "Can that be possible?"
"Oh, yes!" he replied coolly; "All things considered, Don Fernando Carril is a charming _caballero_. I should be in despair if I caused him the slightest inconvenience."
"_Diablo!_ not quite so charming!" observed the verado; "The fellow who ordered Carlocho to kill me quietly!"
"It was not to me, dear friend," said Carlocho, with great suavity, "but to Don Pablito here, that Señor Don Fernando gave the order."
"You are right; I made a mistake. Accept my excuses, señor."
After this exchange of courtesy, the two bandits again grew silent.
"An honest man sticks to his word," said Tonillo; "and if Don Torribio has changed his mind, we have nothing more to say. That reminds me," he added, with a smothered sigh, "that I must refund to you two hundred piastres, which you advanced to--"
"Keep the trifle, dear señor," said Don Torribio; "the money cannot be in better hands than yours."
The _vaquero_, who had pulled the coins from his pocket with evident reluctance, thrust them back again with a celerity that evinced the greatest satisfaction.
"It is all the same," said he; "I do not consider myself quits with you, señor. I am an honest man, and you may rely upon me."
"On us all!" exclaimed the others in one voice.
"I thank you for your devotion, señores, and appreciate it highly. Unfortunately, as I say once more, it is of no use to me."
"It is unfortunate," said the _verado_; "one does not find such patrons as you every day, señor."
"Pooh!" said he gaily; "Now you are free, what prevents your placing yourselves under the orders of Don Fernando? He is very generous; a _caballero_ to the tips of his fingers: I am sure he will pay you well."
"I suppose it will have to be so, señor," said Pablito; "moreover, we can now confess that we have already been thinking of it, and--"