Alessandro Malfi, who, being a friend of Giuseppe’s, endeavoured to bring about a reconciliation betwixt the rivals, or, rather, to produce a more cordial feeling, for there had never been a quarrel; and as far as Ripa was concerned, as he had no cause for jealousy, there was no reason why he should bear ill-will to the unsuccessful candidate.  With Gaspar it was different:  he hated Ripa; but as it hurt his pride that this enmity to one whom he considered so far beneath him should be known, he made no open demonstration of dislike, and when Malfi expressed a wish to invite his friend to supper, hoping that Mendez would not refuse to meet him, the Spaniard made no objection whatever.  ‘Why not?’ he said:  ’he knew of no reason why he should not meet Giuseppe Ripa, or any other person his brother-in-law chose to invite.’

Accordingly the party was made; and on the night appointed Giuseppe, after a private interview in the orchard with his mistress, started for Malfi’s house, which was situated about three miles off, in the same direction as Gaspar’s, which, indeed, he had to pass; on which account he deferred his departure to a later hour than he otherwise would have done, wishing not to come in contact with his rival till they met under Malfi’s roof.  Mendez had a servant called Antonio Guerra, who worked on his farm, and who appears to have been much in his confidence, and just as Ripa passed the Spaniard’s door, he met Guerra coming in an opposite direction, and asked him if Mendez had gone to the supper yet; to which Guerra answered that he supposed he had, but he did not know.  Guerra then took a key out of his pocket, and, unlocking the door, entered the house, whilst Ripa walked on.

In the meanwhile the little party had assembled in Malfi’s parlour, all but the two principal personages, Gaspar and Giuseppe; and as time advanced without their appearing, some jests were passed amongst the men present, who wished they might not have fallen foul of each other on the way.  At length, however, Ripa arrived, and the first question that was put to him was:  ’What had he done with his rival?’ which he answered by inquiring if the Spaniard was not come.  But although he endeavoured to appear unconcerned, there was a tremor in his voice and a confusion of manner that excited general observation.  He made violent efforts, however, to appear at his ease, but these efforts were too manifest to be successful; whilst the continued absence of Mendez became so unaccountable, that a cloud seems to have settled on the spirits of the company, which made the expected festivity pass very heavily off.

’Where could Mendez be?  What could have detained him?  It was to be hoped no harm had happened to him!’ Such was the burden of the conversation till—­when at about an hour before midnight the party broke up—­Alessandro Malfi said, that to allay the anxiety of his wife, who was getting extremely alarmed about her brother, he would walk as far as Forni—­which was the name of Gaspar’s farm—­to inquire what had become of him.