Coronado had discovered, by long experience in flirtation and much intelligent meditation upon it, that, if a man wants to win a woman, he must get her head full of him.

He decided, therefore, that at the first chance he would give Clara distinctly to understand how ardently he was in love with her, and so set her to thinking especially of him, and of him alone.

Meantime, he looked at her adoringly, insinuated compliments, performed little services, walked his horse much by her side, did his best in conversation, and in all ways tried to outshine the Lieutenant.
He supposed that he did outshine him.

A man of thirty always believes that he appears to better advantage than a man of twenty-three or four.

He trusts that he has more ideas, that he commits fewer absurdities, that he carries more weight of character than his juvenile rival.