On unsteady legs, I went straight back to the café, and seeing I was again the only customer, I ordered a brandy from the young woman who had served me before in such an indifferent fashion. This time she looked surprised and concerned, and she asked me in Spanish if I was all right, but I pretended not to understand a word. When she broke into English, my instinct was to pretend I didn't understand that either, but common sense kicked in, and I said I was okay. She clearly didn't believe me, so I told her a dog had leaped out in front of me and given me a fright. She said, 'Oh, that animal should be locked up, I keep saying,' and she gave me a sympathetic smile. I knocked the brandy back in a single gulp and asked for another. She obliged. I drank that down as well, and she stood and watc
