"I would rather you had given the master a cut of seven stitches than
the servant one of fourteen," remarked the gentleman. "You have not
fulfilled the promise made me, but the thirty ducats which I gave you as
earnest money, will be no great loss." This said, he saluted the two
ruffians and turned to depart, but Monipodio detained him by the cloak
of mixed cloth which he wore on his shoulders, saying: "Be pleased to
stop, Señor cavalier, and fulfil your promise, since we have kept our
word with strict honour and to great advantage. Twenty ducats are still
wanting to our bargain, and your worship shall not go from this place
until you have paid them, or left us something of equal value in
pledge."

"Do you call this keeping your word," said the gentleman, "making a cut
on the servant when you should have made it on the master?"

"How well his worship understands the business," remarked Chiquiznaque.
"One can easily see that he does not remember the proverb which says:
'He who loves Beltran, loves his dog likewise.'"

"But what has this proverb to do with the matter?" inquired the
gentleman.

"Why, is it not the same thing as to say, 'He who loves Beltran ill,
loves his dog ill too?' Now the master is Beltran, whom you love ill,
and the servant is his dog; thus in giving the cut to the dog I have
given it to Beltran, and our part of the agreement is fulfilled; the
work has been properly done, and nothing remains but to pay for it on
the spot and without further delay."