第1章

CHAPTERI

IhadalwayssuspectedthegeographicalauthoritiesdidnotknowwhattheyweretalkingaboutwhentheylocatedthebattlefieldofMundainthecountyoftheBastuli—Poeni，closetothemodernMonda，sometwoleaguesnorthofMarbella。

Accordingtomyownsurmise，foundedonthetextoftheanonymousauthorofthe/BellumHispaniense/，andoncertaininformationculledfromtheexcellentlibraryownedbytheDukeofOssuna，IbelievedthesiteofthememorablestruggleinwhichCaesarplayeddoubleorquits，onceandforall，withthechampionsoftheRepublic，shouldbesoughtintheneighbourhoodofMontilla。

HappeningtobeinAndalusiaduringtheautumnof1830，Imadeasomewhatlengthyexcursion，withtheobjectofclearingupcertaindoubtswhichstilloppressedme。ApaperwhichIshallshortlypublishwill，Itrust，removeanyhesitationthatmaystillexistinthemindsofallhonestarchaeologists。ButbeforethatdissertationofminefinallysettlesthegeographicalproblemonthesolutionofwhichthewholeoflearnedEuropehangs，Idesiretorelatealittletale。ItwilldonoprejudicetotheinterestingquestionofthecorrectlocalityofMonda。

IhadhiredaguideandacoupleofhorsesatCordova，andhadstartedonmywaywithnoluggagesaveafewshirts，andCaesar’s/Commentaries/。AsIwandered，oneday，acrossthehigherlandsoftheCachenaplain，wornwithfatigue，parchedwiththirst，scorchedbyaburningsun，cursingCaesarandPompey’ssonsalike，mostheartily，myeyelighted，atsomedistancefromthepathIwasfollowing，onalittlestretchofgreenswarddottedwithreedsandrushes。Thatbetokenedtheneighbourhoodofsomespring，and，indeed，asIdrewnearerIperceivedthatwhathadlookedlikeswardwasamarsh，intowhichastream，whichseemedtoissuefromanarrowgorgebetweentwohighspursoftheSierradiCabra，rananddisappeared。

IfIrodeupthatstream，Iargued，Iwaslikelytofindcoolerwater，fewerleechesandfrogs，andmayhapalittleshadeamongtherocks。

Atthemouthofthegorge，myhorseneighed，andanotherhorse，invisibletome，neighedback。BeforeIhadadvancedahundredpaces，thegorgesuddenlywidened，andIbeheldasortofnaturalamphitheatre，thoroughlyshadedbythesteepcliffsthatlayallaroundit。Itwasimpossibletoimagineanymoredelightfulhaltingplaceforatraveller。Atthefootoftheprecipitousrocks，thestreambubbledupwardandfellintoalittlebasin，linedwithsandthatwasaswhiteassnow。Fiveorsixsplendidevergreenoaks，shelteredfromthewind，andcooledbythespring，grewbesidethepool，andshadeditwiththeirthickfoliage。Androundaboutitacloseandglossyturfofferedthewandererabetterbedthanhecouldhavefoundinanyhostelryfortenleaguesround。

Thehonourofdiscoveringthisfairspotdidnotbelongtome。Amanwasrestingtherealready——sleeping，nodoubt——beforeIreachedit。

Rousedbytheneighingofthehorses，hehadrisentohisfeetandhadmovedovertohismount，whichhadbeentakingadvantageofitsmaster’sslumberstomakeaheartyfeedonthegrassthatgrewaround。

Hewasanactiveyoungfellow，ofmiddleheight，butpowerfulinbuild，andproudandsullen—lookinginexpression。Hiscomplexion，whichmayoncehavebeenfine，hadbeentannedbythesuntillitwasdarkerthanhishair。Oneofhishandsgraspedhishorse’shalter。Intheotherheheldabrassblunderbuss。

Atthefirstblush，Iconfess，theblunderbuss，andthesavagelooksofthemanwhoboreit，somewhattookmeaback。ButIhadheardsomuchaboutrobbers，that，neverseeingany，Ihadceasedtobelieveintheirexistence。Andfurther，Ihadseensomanyhonestfarmersarmthemselvestotheteethbeforetheywentouttomarket，thatthesightoffirearmsgavemenowarrantfordoubtingthecharacterofanystranger。"Andthen，"quothItomyself，"whatcouldhedowithmyshirtsandmyElzevireditionofCaesar’s/Commentaries/？"SoI

bestowedafriendlynodonthemanwiththeblunderbuss，andinquired，withasmile，whetherIhaddisturbedhisnap。Withoutanyanswer，helookedmeoverfromheadtofoot。Then，asifthescrutinyhadsatisfiedhim，helookedascloselyatmyguide，whowasjustcomingup。Isawtheguideturnpale，andpullupwithanairofevidentalarm。"Anunluckymeeting!"thoughtItomyself。Butprudenceinstantlycounselledmenottoletanysymptomofanxietyescapeme。

SoIdismounted。Itoldtheguidetotakeoffthehorses’bridles，andkneelingdownbesidethespring，Ilavedmyheadandhandsandthendrankalongdraught，lyingflatonmybelly，likeGideon’ssoldiers。

Meanwhile，Iwatchedthestranger，andmyownguide。Thislastseemedtocomeforwardunwillingly。Buttheotherdidnotappeartohaveanyevildesignsuponus。Forhehadturnedhishorseloose，andtheblunderbuss，whichhehadbeenholdinghorizontally，wasnowdroppedearthward。

Notthinkingitnecessarytotakeoffenceatthescantattentionpaidme，Istretchedmyselffulllengthuponthegrass，andcalmlyaskedtheowneroftheblunderbusswhetherhehadalightabouthim。AtthesametimeIpulledoutmycigar—case。Thestranger，stillwithoutopeninghislips，tookouthisflint，andlostnotimeingettingmealight。Hewasevidentlygrowingtamer，forhesatdownoppositetome，thoughhestillgraspedhisweapon。WhenIhadlightedmycigar，I

choseoutthebestIhadleft，andaskedhimwhetherhesmoked。

"Yes，senor，"hereplied。ThesewerethefirstwordsIhadheardhimspeak，andInoticedthathedidnotpronouncetheletter/s/*intheAndalusianfashion，whenceIconcludedhewasatraveller，likemyself，though，maybe，somewhatlessofanarchaeologist。

*TheAndalusiansaspiratethe/s/，andpronounceitlikethesoft/c/andthe/z/，whichSpaniardspronounceliketheEnglish/th/。

AnAndalusianmayalwaysberecognisedbythewayinwhichhesays/senor/。

"You’llfindthisafairlygoodone，"saidI，holdingoutarealHavanaregalia。

Hebowedhisheadslightly，lightedhiscigaratmine，thankedmewithanothernod，andbegantosmokewithamostlivelyappearanceofenjoyment。

"Ah!"heexclaimed，asheblewhisfirstpuffofsmokeslowlyoutofhisearsandnostrils。"WhatatimeitissinceI’vehadasmoke!"

InSpainthegivingandacceptingofacigarestablishesbondsofhospitalitysimilartothosefoundedinEasterncountriesonthepartakingofbreadandsalt。MyfriendturnedoutmoretalkativethanIhadhoped。However，thoughheclaimedtobelongtothe/partido/ofMontilla，heseemedveryill—informedaboutthecountry。Hedidnotknowthenameofthedelightfulvalleyinwhichweweresitting，hecouldnottellmethenamesofanyoftheneighbouringvillages，andwhenIinquiredwhetherhehadnotnoticedanybroken—downwalls，broad—rimmedtiles，orcarvedstonesinthevicinity，heconfessedhehadneverpaidanyheedtosuchmatters。Ontheotherhand，heshowedhimselfanexpertinhorseflesh，foundfaultwithmymount——notadifficultaffair——andgavemeapedigreeofhisown，whichhadcomefromthefamousstudatCordova。Itwasasplendidcreature，indeed，sotough，accordingtoitsowner’sclaim，thatithadoncecoveredthirtyleaguesinoneday，eitheratthegalloporatfulltrotthewholetime。Inthemidstofhisstorythestrangerpulledupshort，asifstartledandsorryhehadsaidsomuch。"ThefactisIwasinagreathurrytogettoCordova，"hewenton，somewhatembarrassed。"I

hadtopetitionthejudgesaboutalawsuit。"Ashespoke，helookedatmyguideAntonio，whohaddroppedhiseyes。

ThespringandthecoolshadeweresodelightfulthatIbethoughtmeofcertainslicesofanexcellentham，whichmyfriendsatMontillahadpackedintomyguide’swallet。Ibadehimproducethem，andinvitedthestrangertoshareourimpromptulunch。Ifhehadnotsmokedforalongtime，hecertainlystruckmeashavingfastedforeight—and—fortyhoursattheveryleast。Heatelikeastarvingwolf，andIthoughttomyselfthatmyappearancemustreallyhavebeenquiteprovidentialforthepoorfellow。Meanwhilemyguideatebutlittle，drankstillless，andspokeneveraword，althoughintheearlierpartofourjourneyhehadprovedhimselfamostunrivalledchatterer。Heseemedillateaseinthepresenceofourguest，andasortofmutualdistrust，thecauseofwhichIcouldnotexactlyfathom，seemedtobebetweenthem。

Thelastcrumbsofbreadandscrapsofhamhaddisappeared。Wehadeachsmokedoursecondcigar；Itoldtheguidetobridlethehorses，andwasjustabouttotakeleaveofmynewfriend，whenheinquiredwhereIwasgoingtospendthenight。

BeforeIhadtimetonoticeasignmyguidewasmakingtomeIhadrepliedthatIwasgoingtotheVentadelCuervo。

"That’sabadlodgingforagentlemanlikeyou，sir!I’mboundtheremyself，andifyou’llallowmetoridewithyou，we’llgotogether。"

"Withpleasure!"Ireplied，mountingmyhorse。Theguide，whowasholdingmystirrup，lookedatmemeaninglyagain。Iansweredbyshruggingmyshoulders，asthoughtoassurehimIwasperfectlyeasyinmymind，andwestartedonourway。

Antonio’smysterioussignals，hisevidentanxiety，afewwordsdroppedbythestranger，aboveall，hisrideofthirtyleagues，andthefarfromplausibleexplanationhehadgivenusofit，hadalreadyenabledmetoformanopinionastotheidentityofmyfellow—traveller。IhadnodoubtatallIwasinthecompanyofasmuggler，andpossiblyofabrigand。WhatcaredI？IknewenoughoftheSpanishcharactertobeverycertainIhadnothingtofearfromamanwhohadeatenandsmokedwithme。Hisverypresencewouldprotectmeincaseofanyundesirablemeeting。Andbesides，Iwasverygladtoknowwhatabrigandwasreallylike。Onedoesn’tcomeacrosssuchgentryeveryday。Andthereisacertaincharmaboutfindingone’sselfincloseproximitytoadangerousbeing，especiallywhenonefeelsthebeinginquestiontobegentleandtame。

Iwashopingthestrangermightgraduallyfallintoaconfidentialmood，andinspiteofmyguide’swinks，Iturnedtheconversationtothesubjectofhighwaymen。IneedscarcelysaythatIspokeofthemwithgreatrespect。AtthattimetherewasafamousbrigandinAndalusia，ofthenameofJose—Maria，whoseexploitswereoneverylip。"SupposingIshouldberidingalongwithJose—Maria!"saidItomyself。ItoldallthestoriesIknewaboutthehero——theywerealltohiscredit，indeed，andloudlyexpressedmyadmirationofhisgenerosityandhisvalour。

"Jose—Mariaisnothingbutablackguard，"saidthestrangergravely。

"Ishejusttohimself，oristhisanexcessofmodesty？"Iqueried，mentally，forbydintofscrutinizingmycompanion，IhadendedbyreconcilinghisappearancewiththedescriptionofJose—MariawhichI

readposteduponthegatesofvariousAndalusiantowns。"Yes，thismustbehe——fairhair，blueeyes，largemouth，goodteeth，smallhands，fineshirt，avelvetjacketwithsilverbuttonsonit，whiteleathergaiters，andabayhorse。Notadoubtaboutit。Buthis/incognito/shallberespected!"Wereachedthe/venta/。Itwasjustwhathehaddescribedtome。Inotherwords，themostwretchedholeofitskindIhadasyetbeheld。Onelargeapartmentservedaskitchen，dining—room，andsleepingchamber。Afirewasburningonaflatstoneinthemiddleoftheroom，andthesmokeescapedthroughaholeintheroof，orratherhunginacloudsomefeetabovethesoil。Alongthewallsfiveorsixmulerugswerespreadonthefloor。Thesewerethetravellers’beds。Twentypacesfromthehouse，orratherfromthesolitaryapartmentwhichIhavejustdescribed，stoodasortofshed，thatservedforastable。

Theonlyinhabitantsofthisdelightfuldwellingvisibleatthemoment，atallevents，wereanoldwoman，andalittlegirloftenortwelveyearsold，bothofthemasblackassoot，anddressedinloathsomerags。"Here’sthesoleremnantoftheancientpopulationsofMundaBoetica，"saidItomyself。"OCaesar!OSextusPompeius，ifyouweretorevisitthisearthhowastoundedyouwouldbe!"

Whentheoldwomansawmytravellingcompanionanexclamationofsurpriseescapedher。"Ah!SenorDonJose!"shecried。

DonJosefrownedandliftedhishandwithagestureofauthoritythatforthwithsilencedtheolddame。

Iturnedtomyguideandgavehimtounderstand，byasignthatnooneelseperceived，thatIknewallaboutthemaninwhosecompanyIwasabouttospendthenight。OursupperwasbetterthanIexpected。Onalittletable，onlyafoothigh，wewereservedwithanoldrooster，fricasseedwithriceandnumerouspeppers，thenmorepeppersinoil，andfinallya/gaspacho/——asortofsaladmadeofpeppers。ThesethreehighlyspiceddishesinvolvedourfrequentrecoursetoagoatskinfilledwithMontellawine，whichstruckusasbeingdelicious。

Afterourmealwasover，Icaughtsightofamandolinhangingupagainstthewall——inSpainyouseemandolinsineverycorner——andI

askedthelittlegirl，whohadbeenwaitingonus，ifsheknewhowtoplayit。

"No，"shereplied。"ButDonJosedoesplaywell!"

"Domethekindnesstosingmesomething，"Isaidtohim，"I’mpassionatelyfondofyournationalmusic。"

"Ican’trefusetodoanythingforsuchacharminggentleman，whogivesmesuchexcellentcigars，"respondedDonJosegaily，andhavingmadethechildgivehimthemandolin，hesangtohisownaccompaniment。Hisvoice，thoughrough，waspleasing，theairhesangwasstrangeandsad。Astothewords，Icouldnotunderstandasingleoneofthem。

"IfIamnotmistaken，"saidI，"that’snotaSpanishairyouhavejustbeensinging。It’slikethe/zorzicos/I’veheardintheProvinces，*andthewordsmustbeintheBasquelanguage。"

*The/privilegedProvinces/，Alava，Biscay，Guipuzcoa，andapartofNavarre，whichallenjoyspecial/fueros/。TheBasquelanguageisspokeninthesecountries。

"Yes，"saidDonJose，withagloomylook。Helaidthemandolindownontheground，andbeganstaringwithapeculiarlysadexpressionatthedyingfire。Hisface，atoncefierceandnoble—looking，remindedme，asthefirelightfellonit，ofMilton’sSatan。Likehim，perchance，mycomradewasmusingoverthehomehehadforfeited，theexilehehadearned，bysomemisdeed。Itriedtorevivetheconversation，butsoabsorbedwasheinmelancholythought，thathegavemenoanswer。

Theoldwomanhadalreadygonetorestinacorneroftheroom，behindaraggedrughungonarope。Thelittlegirlhadfollowedherintothisretreat，sacredtothefairsex。Thenmyguiderose，andsuggestedthatIshouldgowithhimtothestable。ButatthewordDonJose，waking，asitwere，withastart，inquiredsharplywhitherhewasgoing。

"Tothestable，"answeredtheguide。

"Whatfor？Thehorseshavebeenfed!Youcansleephere。Thesenorwillgiveyouleave。"

"I’mafraidthesenor’shorseissick。I’dlikethesenortoseeit。

Perhapshe’dknowwhatshouldbedoneforit。"

ItwasquitecleartomethatAntoniowantedtospeaktomeapart。

ButIdidnotcaretorouseDonJose’ssuspicions，andbeingaswewere，Ithoughtfarthewisestcourseformewastoappearabsolutelyconfident。

IthereforetoldAntoniothatIknewnothingonearthabouthorses，andthatIwasdesperatelysleepy。DonJosefollowedhimtothestable，andsoonreturnedalone。Hetoldmetherewasnothingthematterwiththehorse，butthatmyguideconsideredtheanimalsuchatreasurethathewasscrubbingitwithhisjackettomakeitsweat，andexpectedtospendthenightinthatpleasingoccupation。MeanwhileIhadstretchedmyselfoutonthemulerugs，havingcarefullywrappedmyselfupinmyowncloak，soastoavoidtouchingthem。DonJose，havingbeggedmetoexcusethelibertyhetookinplacinghimselfsonearme，laydownacrossthedoor，butnotuntilhehadprimedhisblunderbussafreshandcarefullylaiditunderthewallet，whichservedhimasapillow。

IhadthoughtIwassotiredthatIshouldbeabletosleepeveninsuchalodging。Butwithinanhouramostunpleasantitchingsensationrousedmefrommyfirstnap。AssoonasIrealizeditsnature，Irosetomyfeet，feelingconvincedIshoulddofarbettertospendtherestofthenightintheopenairthanbeneaththatinhospitableroof。

WalkingtiptoeIreachedthedoor，steppedoverDonJose，whowassleepingthesleepofthejust，andmanagedsowellthatIgotoutsidethebuildingwithoutwakinghim。Justbesidethedoortherewasawidewoodenbench。Ilaydownuponit，andsettledmyself，asbestIcould，fortheremainderofthenight。IwasjustclosingmyeyesforasecondtimewhenIfanciedIsawtheshadowofamanandthentheshadowofahorsemovingabsolutelynoiselessly，onebehindtheother。

Isatupright，andthenIthoughtIrecognisedAntonio。Surprisedtoseehimoutsidethestableatsuchanhour，Igotupandwenttowardhim。Hehadseenmefirst，andhadstoppedtowaitforme。

"Whereishe？"Antonioinquiredinalowtone。

"Inthe/venta/。He’sasleep。Thebugsdon’ttroublehim。Butwhatareyougoingtodowiththathorse？"Ithennoticedthat，tostifleallnoiseashemovedoutoftheshed，Antoniohadcarefullymuffledthehorse’sfeetintheragsofanoldblanket。

"Speaklower，forGod’ssake，"saidAntonio。"Youdon’tknowwhothatmanis。He’sJoseNavarro，themostnotedbanditinAndalusia。I’vebeenmakingsignstoyoualldaylong，andyouwouldn’tunderstand。"

"WhatdoIcarewhetherhe’sabrigandornot，"Ireplied。"Hehasn’trobbedus，andI’llwagerhedoesn’twantto。"

"Thatmaybe。Buttherearetwohundredducatsonhishead。SomelancersarestationedinaplaceIknow，aleagueandahalffromhere，andbeforedaybreakI’llbringafewbrawnyfellowsbackwithme。I’dhavetakenhishorseaway，butthebrute’ssosavagethatnobodybutNavarrocangonearit。"

"Deviltakeyou!"Icried。"Whatharmhasthepoorfellowdoneyouthatyoushouldwanttoinformagainsthim？Andbesides，areyoucertainheisthebrigandyoutakehimfor？"

"Perfectlycertain!Hecameaftermeintothestablejustnow，andsaid，’Youseemtoknowme。IfyoutellthatgoodgentlemanwhoIam，I’llblowyourbrainsout!’Youstayhere，sir，keepclosetohim。

You’venothingtofear。Aslongasheknowsyouarethere，hewon’tsuspectanything。"

Aswetalked，wehadmovedsofarfromthe/venta/thatthenoiseofthehorse’shoofscouldnotbeheardthere。InatwinklingAntoniosnatchedofftheragshehadwrappedaroundthecreature’sfeet，andwasjustabouttoclimbonitsback。InvaindidIattemptwithprayersandthreatstorestrainhim。

"I’monlyapoorman，senor，"quothhe，"Ican’taffordtolosetwohundredducats——especiallywhenIshallearnthembyriddingthecountryofsuchvermin。Butmindwhatyou’reabout!IfNavarrowakesup，he’llsnatchathisblunderbuss，andthenlookoutforyourself!

I’vegonetoofarnowtoturnback。Dothebestyoucanforyourself!"

Thevillainwasinhissaddlealready，hespurredhishorsesmartly，andIsoonlostsightofthembothinthedarkness。

Iwasveryangrywithmyguide，andterriblyalarmedaswell。Afteramoment’sreflection，Imadeupmymind，andwentbacktothe/venta/。

DonJosewasstillsoundasleep，makingup，nodoubt，forthefatigueandsleeplessnessofseveraldaysofadventure。IhadtoshakehimroughlybeforeIcouldwakehimup。NevershallIforgethisfiercelook，andthespringhemadetogetholdofhisblunderbuss，which，asaprecautionarymeasure，Ihadremovedtosomedistancefromhiscouch。

"Senor，"Isaid，"Ibegyourpardonfordisturbingyou。ButIhaveasillyquestiontoaskyou。Wouldyoubegladtoseehalfadozenlancerswalkinhere？"

Heboundedtohisfeet，andinanawfulvoicehedemanded：

"Whotoldyou？"

"It’slittlematterwhencethewarningcomes，solongasitbegood。"

"Yourguidehasbetrayedme——butheshallpayforit!Whereishe？"

"Idon’tknow。Inthestable，Ifancy。Butsomebodytoldme——"

"Whotoldyou？Itcan’tbetheoldhag——"

"SomeoneIdon’tknow。Withoutmoreparleying，tellme，yesorno，haveyouanyreasonfornotwaitingtillthesoldierscome？Ifyouhaveany，losenotime!Ifnot，good—nighttoyou，andforgivemeforhavingdisturbedyourslumbers!"

"Ah，yourguide!Yourguide!Ihadmydoubtsofhimatfirst——but——

I’llsettlewithhim!Farewell，senor。MayGodrewardyoufortheserviceIoweyou!Iamnotquitesowickedasyouthinkme。Yes，I

stillhavesomethinginmethatanhonestmanmaypity。Farewell，senor!Ihaveonlyoneregret——thatIcannotpaymydebttoyou!"

"AsarewardfortheserviceIhavedoneyou，DonJose，promisemeyou’llsuspectnobody——norseekforvengeance。Herearesomecigarsforyourjourney。Goodlucktoyou。"AndIheldoutmyhandtohim。

Hesqueezedit，withoutaword，tookuphiswalletandblunderbuss，andaftersayingafewwordstotheoldwomaninalingothatIcouldnotunderstand，heranouttotheshed。Afewminuteslater，Iheardhimgallopingoutintothecountry。

Asforme，Ilaydownagainonmybench，butIdidnotgotosleepagain。IqueriedinmyownmindwhetherIhaddonerighttosavearobber，andpossiblyamurderer，fromthegallows，simplyandsolelybecauseIhadeatenhamandriceinhiscompany。HadInotbetrayedmyguide，whowassupportingthecauseoflawandorder？HadInotexposedhimtoaruffian’svengeance？Butthen，whataboutthelawsofhospitality？

"Ameresavageprejudice，"saidItomyself。"Ishallhavetoanswerforallthecrimesthisbrigandmaycommitinfuture。"Yetisthatinstinctoftheconsciencewhichresistseveryargumentreallyaprejudice？ItmaybeIcouldnothaveescapedfromthedelicatepositioninwhichIfoundmyselfwithoutremorseofsomekind。Iwasstilltossedtoandfro，inthegreatestuncertaintyastothemoralityofmybehaviour，whenIsawhalfadozenhorsemenrideup，withAntonioprudentlylaggingbehindthem。Iwenttomeetthem，andtoldthemthebrigandhadfledovertwohourspreviously。Theoldwoman，whenshewasquestionedbythesergeant，admittedthatsheknewNavarro，butsaidthatlivingalone，asshedid，shewouldneverhavedaredtoriskherlifebyinformingagainsthim。Sheaddedthatwhenhecametoherhouse，hehabituallywentawayinthemiddleofthenight。I，formypart，wasmadetoridetoaplacesomeleaguesaway，whereIshowedmypassport，andsignedadeclarationbeforethe/Alcalde/。Thisdone，Iwasallowedtorecommencemyarchaeologicalinvestigations。Antoniowassulkywithme；suspectingitwasIwhohadpreventedhisearningthosetwohundredducats。Nevertheless，wepartedgoodfriendsatCordova，whereIgavehimaslargeagratuityasthestateofmyfinanceswouldpermit。

CHAPTERII

IspentseveraldaysatCordova。IhadbeentoldofacertainmanuscriptinthelibraryoftheDominicanconventwhichwaslikelytofurnishmewithveryinterestingdetailsabouttheancientMunda。Thegoodfathersgavemethemostkindlywelcome。Ispentthedaylighthourswithintheirconvent，andatnightIwalkedaboutthetown。AtCordovaagreatmanyidlerscollect，towardsunset，inthequaythatrunsalongtherightbankoftheGuadalquivir。Promenadersonthespothavetobreathetheodourofatanyardwhichstillkeepsuptheancientfameofthecountryinconnectionwiththecuringofleather。

Buttoatoneforthis，theyenjoyasightwhichhasacharmofitsown。AfewminutesbeforetheAngelusbellrings，agreatcompanyofwomengathersbesidetheriver，justbelowthequay，whichisratherahighone。Notamanwoulddaretojoinitsranks。ThemomenttheAngelusrings，darknessissupposedtohavefallen。Asthelaststrokesounds，allthewomendisrobeandstepintothewater。Thenthereislaughingandscreamingandawonderfulclatter。Themenontheupperquaywatchthebathers，strainingtheireyes，andseeingverylittle。

Yetthewhiteuncertainoutlinesperceptibleagainstthedark—bluewatersofthestreamstirthepoeticmind，andthepossessorofalittlefancyfindsitnotdifficulttoimaginethatDianaandhernymphsarebathingbelow，whilehehimselfrunsnoriskofendinglikeActeon。

Ihavebeentoldthatonedayapartyofgood—for—nothingfellowsbandedthemselvestogether，andbribedthebell—ringeratthecathedraltoringtheAngelussometwentyminutesbeforetheproperhour。Thoughitwasstillbroaddaylight，thenymphsoftheGuadalquivirneverhesitated，andputtingfarmoretrustintheAngelusbellthaninthesun，theyproceededtotheirbathingtoilette——alwaysofthesimplest——withaneasyconscience。Iwasnotpresentonthatoccasion。Inmyday，thebell—ringerwasincorruptible，thetwilightwasverydim，andnobodybutacatcouldhavedistinguishedthedifferencebetweentheoldestorangewoman，andtheprettiestshop—girl，inCordova。

Oneevening，afterithadgrownquitedusk，Iwasleaningovertheparapetofthequay，smoking，whenawomancameupthestepsleadingfromtheriver，andsatdownnearme。Inherhairsheworeagreatbunchofjasmine——aflowerwhich，atnight，exhalesamostintoxicatingperfume。Shewasdressedsimply，almostpoorly，inblack，asmostwork—girlsaredressedintheevening。Womenofthericherclassonlywearblackinthedaytime，atnighttheydress/alafrancesa/。Whenshedrewnearme，thewomanletthemantillawhichhadcoveredherheaddroponhershoulders，and"bythedimlightfallingfromthestars"Iperceivedhertobeyoung，shortinstature，well—

proportioned，andwithverylargeeyes。Ithrewmycigarawayatonce。

Sheappreciatedthismarkofcourtesy，essentiallyFrench，andhastenedtoinformmethatshewasveryfondofthesmelloftobacco，andthatsheevensmokedherself，whenshecouldgetverymild/papelitos/。Ifortunatelyhappenedtohavesomesuchinmycase，andatonceofferedthemtoher。Shecondescendedtotakeone，andlighteditataburningstringwhichachildbroughtus，receivingacopperforitspains。Wemingledoursmoke，andtalkedsolong，thefairladyandI，thatweendedbybeingalmostaloneonthequay。IthoughtI

mightventure，withoutimpropriety，tosuggestourgoingtoeataniceatthe/neveria/。*Afteramomentofmodestdemur，sheagreed。Butbeforefinallyaccepting，shedesiredtoknowwhato’clockitwas。I

struckmyrepeater，andthisseemedtoastoundhergreatly。

*A/café/towhichadepotofice，orratherofsnow，isattached。

ThereishardlyavillageinSpainwithoutits/neveria/。

"Whatcleverinventionsyouforeignersdohave!Whatcountrydoyoubelongto，sir？You’reanEnglishman，nodoubt!"*

*EverytravellerinSpainwhodoesnotcarryaboutsamplesofcalicoesandsilksistakenforanEnglishman（/inglesito/）。ItisthesamethingintheEast。

"I’maFrenchman，andyourdevotedservant。Andyou，senora，orsenorita，youprobablybelongtoCordova？"

"No。"

"Atallevents，youareanAndalusian？Yoursoftwayofspeakingmakesmethinkso。"

"Ifyounoticepeople’saccentsoclosely，youmustbeabletoguesswhatIam。"

"IthinkyouarefromthecountryofJesus，twopacesoutofParadise。"

Ihadlearnedthemetaphor，whichstandsforAndalusia，frommyfriendFranciscoSevilla，awell—known/picador/。

"Pshaw!ThepeopleheresaythereisnoplaceinParadiseforus!"

"ThenperhapsyouareofMoorishblood——or————"Istopped，notventuringtoadd"aJewess。"

"Ohcome!YoumustseeI’magipsy!Wouldn’tyoulikemetotellyou/labaji/？*DidyouneverheartellofCarmencita？That’swhoIam!"

*Yourfortune。

Iwassuchamiscreantinthosedays——nowfifteenyearsago——thatthecloseproximityofasorceressdidnotmakemerecoilinhorror。"Sobeit!"Ithought。"LastweekIatemysupperwithahighwayrobber。

To—dayI’llgoandeaticeswithaservantofthedevil。Atravellershouldseeeverything。"Ihadyetanothermotiveforprosecutingheracquaintance。WhenIleftcollege——Iacknowledgeitwithshame——Ihadwastedacertainamountoftimeinstudyingoccultscience，andhadevenattempted，morethanonce，toexorcisethepowersofdarkness。

ThoughIhadbeencured，longsince，ofmypassionforsuchinvestigations，Istillfeltacertainattractionandcuriositywithregardtoallsuperstitions，andIwasdelightedtohavethisopportunityofdiscoveringhowfarthemagicarthaddevelopedamongthegipsies。

Talkingaswewent，wehadreachedthe/neveria/，andseatedourselvesatalittletable，lightedbyataperprotectedbyaglassglobe。I

thenhadtimetotakealeisurelyviewofmy/gitana/，whileseveralworthyindividuals，whowereeatingtheirices，staredopen—mouthedatbeholdingmeinsuchgaycompany。

IverymuchdoubtwhetherSenoritaCarmenwasapure—bloodedgipsy。Atallevents，shewasinfinitelyprettierthananyotherwomanofherraceIhaveeverseen。Forawomentobebeautiful，theysayinSpain，shemustfulfilthirty/ifs/，or，ifitpleaseyoubetter，youmustbeabletodefineherappearancebytenadjectives，applicabletothreeportionsofherperson。

Forinstance，threethingsabouthermustbeblack，hereyes，hereyelashes，andhereyebrows。Threemustbedainty，herfingers，herlips，herhair，andsoforth。Fortherestofthisinventory，seeBrantome。Mygipsygirlcouldlaynoclaimtosomanyperfections。Herskin，thoughperfectlysmooth，wasalmostofacopperhue。Hereyesweresetobliquelyinherhead，buttheyweremagnificentandlarge。

Herlips，alittlefull，butbeautifullyshaped，revealedasetofteethaswhiteasnewlyskinnedalmonds。Herhair——atriflecoarse，perhaps——wasblack，withbluelightsonitlikearaven’swing，longandglossy。Nottowearymyreaderswithtooprolixadescription，I

willmerelyadd，thattoeveryblemishsheunitedsomeadvantage，whichwasperhapsallthemoreevidentbycontrast。Therewassomethingstrangeandwildaboutherbeauty。Herfaceastonishedyou，atfirstsight，butnobodycouldforgetit。Hereyes，especially，hadanexpressionofmingledsensualityandfiercenesswhichIhadneverseeninanyotherhumanglance。"Gipsy’seye，wolf’seye!"isaSpanishsayingwhichdenotescloseobservation。Ifmyreadershavenotimetogotothe"JardindesPlantes"tostudythewolf’sexpression，theywilldowelltowatchtheordinarycatwhenitislyinginwaitforasparrow。

ItwillbeunderstoodthatIshouldhavelookedridiculousifIhadproposedtohavemyfortunetoldina/café/。Ithereforebeggedtheprettywitch’sleavetogohomewithher。Shemadenodifficultiesaboutconsenting，butshewantedtoknowwhato’clockitwasagain，andrequestedmetomakemyrepeaterstrikeoncemore。

"Isitreallygold？"shesaid，gazingatitwithraptattention。

Whenwestartedoffagain，itwasquitedark。Mostoftheshopswereshut，andthestreetswerealmostempty。WecrossedthebridgeovertheGuadalquivir，andatthefarendofthesuburbwestoppedinfrontofahouseofanythingbutpalatialappearance。Thedoorwasopenedbyachild，towhomthegipsyspokeafewwordsinalanguageunknowntome，whichIafterwardunderstoodtobe/Romany/，or/chipecalli/——thegipsyidiom。Thechildinstantlydisappeared，leavingusinsolepossessionofatolerablyspaciousroom，furnishedwithasmalltable，twostools，andachest。Imustnotforgettomentionajarofwater，apileoforanges，andabunchofonions。

Assoonaswewereleftalone，thegipsyproduced，outofherchest，apackofcards，bearingsignsofconstantusage，amagnet，adriedchameleon，andafewotherindispensableadjunctsofherart。Thenshebademecrossmylefthandwithasilvercoin，andthemagicceremoniesdulybegan。Itisunnecessarytochronicleherpredictions，andasforthestyleofherperformance，itprovedhertobenomeansorceress。

Unluckilyweweresoondisturbed。Thedoorwassuddenlyburstopen，andaman，shroudedtotheeyesinabrowncloak，enteredtheroom，apostrophizingthegipsyinanythingbutgentleterms。WhathesaidI

couldnotcatch，butthetoneofhisvoicerevealedthefactthathewasinaveryeviltemper。Thegipsybetrayedneithersurprisenorangerathisadvent，butsherantomeethim，andwithamoststrikingvolubility，shepouredoutseveralsentencesinthemysteriouslanguageshehadalreadyusedinmypresence。Theword/payllo/，frequentlyreiterated，wastheonlyoneIunderstood。Iknewthatthegipsiesuseittodescribeallmennotoftheirownrace。Concludingmyselftobethesubjectofthisdiscourse，Iwaspreparedforasomewhatdelicateexplanation。Ihadalreadylaidmyhandonthelegofoneofthestools，andwasstudyingwithinmyselftodiscovertheexactmomentatwhichIhadbetterthrowitathishead，when，roughlypushingthegipsytooneside，themanadvancedtowardme。Thenwithastepbackwardhecried：

"What，sir!Isityou？"

IlookedathiminmyturnandrecognisedmyfriendDonJose。AtthatmomentIdidfeelrathersorryIhadsavedhimfromthegallows。

"What，isityou，mygoodfellow？"Iexclaimed，withaseasyasmileasIcouldmuster。"Youhaveinterruptedthisyoungladyjustwhenshewasforetellingmemostinterestingthings!"

"Thesameasever。Thereshallbeanendtoit!"hehissedbetweenhisteeth，withasavageglanceather。

Meanwhilethe/gitana/wasstilltalkingtohiminherowntongue。Shebecamemoreandmoreexcited。Hereyesgrewfierceandbloodshot，herfeaturescontracted，shestampedherfoot。Sheseemedtometobeearnestlypressinghimtodosomethinghewasunwillingtodo。WhatthiswasIfanciedIunderstoodonlytoowell，bythefashioninwhichshekeptdrawingherlittlehandbackwardandforwardunderherchin。

Iwasinclinedtothinkshewantedtohavesomebody’sthroatcut，andIhadafairsuspicionthethroatinquestionwasmyown。ToallhertorrentofeloquenceDonJose’sonlyreplywastwoorthreeshortlyspokenwords。Atthisthegipsycastaglanceofthemostutterscornathim，then，seatingherselfTurkish—fashioninacorneroftheroom，shepickedoutanorange，toreofftheskin，andbegantoeatit。

DonJosetookholdofmyarm，openedthedoor，andledmeintothestreet。Wewalkedsometwohundredpacesinthedeepestsilence。Thenhestretchedouthishand。

"Gostraighton，"hesaid，"andyou’llcometothebridge。"

Thatinstantheturnedhisbackonmeanddepartedatagreatpace。I

tookmywaybacktomyinn，rathercrestfallen，andconsiderablyoutoftemper。Theworstofallwasthat，whenIundressed，Idiscoveredmywatchwasmissing。

Variousconsiderationspreventedmefromgoingtoclaimitnextday，orrequestingthe/Corregidor/tobegoodenoughtohaveasearchmadeforit。IfinishedmyworkontheDominicanmanuscript，andwentontoSeville。AfterseveralmonthsspentwanderinghitherandthitherinAndalusia，IwantedtogetbacktoMadrid，andwiththatobjectIhadtopassthroughCordova。Ihadnointentionofmakinganystaythere，forIhadtakenadisliketothatfaircity，andtotheladieswhobathedintheGuadalquivir。Nevertheless，Ihadsomevisitstopay，andcertainerrandstodo，whichmustdetainmeseveraldaysintheoldcapitaloftheMussulmanprinces。

ThemomentImademyappearanceintheDominicanconvent，oneofthemonks，whohadalwaysshownthemostlivelyinterestinmyinquiriesastothesiteofthebattlefieldofMunda，welcomedmewithopenarms，exclaiming：

"PraisedbeGod!Youarewelcome!Mydearfriend。Weallthoughtyouweredead，andImyselfhavesaidmanya/pater/andave/（notthatI

regretthem!）foryoursoul。Thenyouweren’tmurdered，afterall？

Thatyouwererobbed，weknow!"

"Whatdoyoumean？"Iasked，ratherastonished。

"Oh，youknow!Thatsplendidrepeateryouusedtostrikeinthelibrarywheneverwesaiditwastimeforustogointochurch。Well，ithasbeenfound，andyou’llgetitback。"

"Why，"Ibrokein，ratherputoutofcountenance，"Ilostit——"

"Therascal’sunderlockandkey，andashewasknowntobeamanwhowouldshootanyChristianforthesakeofa/peseta/，weweremostdreadfullyafraidhehadkilledyou。I’llgowithyoutothe/Corregidor/，andhe’llgiveyoubackyourfinewatch。Andafterthat，youwon’tdaretosaythelawdoesn’tdoitsworkproperlyinSpain。"

"Iassureyou，"saidI，"I’dfarratherlosemywatchthanhavetogiveevidenceincourttohangapoorunluckydevil，andespeciallybecause——because————"

"Oh，youneedn’tbealarmed!He’sthoroughlydonefor；theymighthanghimtwiceover。ButwhenIsayhang，Isaywrong。Yourthiefisan/Hidalgo/。Sohe’stobegarrottedthedayafterto—morrow，withoutfail。*Soyouseeonetheftmoreorlesswon’taffecthisposition。

WouldtoGodhehaddonenothingbutsteal!Buthehascommittedseveralmurders，onemorehideousthantheother。"

*In1830，thenobleclassstillenjoyedthisprivilege。Nowadays，undertheconstitutional/regime/，commonershaveattainedthesamedignity。

"What’shisname？"

"InthiscountryheisonlyknownasJoseNavarro，buthehasanotherBasquename，whichneitheryournorIwilleverbeabletopronounce。

Bytheway，themanisworthseeing，andyou，wholiketostudythepeculiarfeaturesofeachcountry，shouldn’tlosethischanceofnotinghowarascalbidsfarewelltothisworldinSpain。Heisinjail，andFatherMartinezwilltakeyoutohim。"

SobentwasmyDominicanfriendonmyseeingthepreparationsforthis"neatlittlehangingjob"thatIwasfaintoagree。Iwenttoseetheprisoner，havingprovidedmyselfwithabundleofcigars，whichI

hopedmightinducehimtoforgivemyintrusion。

IwasusheredintoDonJose’spresencejustashewassittingattable。Hegreetedmewitharatherdistantnod，andthankedmecivillyforthepresentIhadbroughthim。HavingcountedthecigarsinthebundleIhadplacedinhishand，hetookoutacertainnumberandreturnedmetherest，remarkingthathewouldnotneedanymoreofthem。

Iinquiredwhetherbylayingoutalittlemoney，orbyapplyingtomyfriends，Imightnotbeabletodosomethingtosoftenhislot。Heshruggedhisshoulders，tobeginwith，smilingsadly。Soon，asbyanafter—thought，heaskedmetohaveamasssaidforthereposeofhissoul。

Thenheaddednervously："Wouldyou——wouldyouhaveanothersaidforapersonwhodidyouawrong？"

"AssuredlyIwill，mydearfellow，"Ianswered。"ButnooneinthiscountryhaswrongedmesofarasIknow。"

Hetookmyhandandsqueezedit，lookingverygrave。Afteramoment’ssilence，hespokeagain。

"MightIdaretoaskanotherserviceofyou？WhenyougobacktoyourowncountryperhapsyouwillpassthroughNavarre。Atalleventsyou’llgobyVittoria，whichisn’tveryfaroff。"

"Yes，"saidI，"IshallcertainlypassthroughVittoria。ButImayverypossiblygoroundbyPampeluna，andforyoursake，IbelieveI

shouldbeverygladtodoit。"

"Well，ifyoudogotoPampeluna，you’llseemorethanonethingthatwillinterestyou。It’safinetown。I’llgiveyouthismedal，"heshowedmealittlesilvermedalthatheworehungaroundhisneck。

"You’llwrapitupinpaper"——hepausedamomenttomasterhisemotion——"andyou’lltakeit，orsendit，toanoldladywhoseaddressI’llgiveyou。TellherIamdead——butdon’ttellherhowIdied。"

Ipromisedtoperformhiscommission。Isawhimthenextday，andspentpartofitinhiscompany。FromhislipsIlearnedthesadincidentsthatfollow。

CHAPTERIII

"Iwasborn，"hesaid，"atElizondo，inthevalleyofBaztan。MynameisDonJoseLizzarrabengoa，andyouknowenoughofSpain，sir，toknowatonce，bymyname，thatIcomeofanoldChristianandBasquestock。

IcallmyselfDon，becauseIhavearighttoit，andifIwereatElizondoIcouldshowyoumyparchmentgenealogy。Myfamilywantedmetogointothechurch，andmademestudyforit，butIdidnotlikework。Iwastoofondofplayingtennis，andthatwasmyruin。WhenweNavarresebegintoplaytennis，weforgeteverythingelse。Oneday，whenIhadwonthegame，ayoungfellowfromAlavapickedaquarrelwithme。Wetooktoour/maquilas/，*andIwonagain。ButIhadtoleavetheneighbourhood。Ifellinwithsomedragoons，andenlistedintheAlmanzaCavalryRegiment。Mountainfolkslikeussoonlearntobesoldiers。BeforelongIwasacorporal，andIhadbeentoldIshouldsoonbemadeasergeant，when，tomymisfortune，IwasputonguardattheSevilleTobaccoFactory。IfyouhavebeentoSevilleyouhaveseenthegreatbuilding，justoutsidetheramparts，closetotheGuadalquivir；IcanfancyIseetheentrance，andtheguardroomjustbesideit，evennow。WhenSpanishsoldiersareonduty，theyeitherplaycardsorgotosleep。I，likeanhonestNavarrese，alwaystriedtokeepmyselfbusy。Iwasmakingachaintoholdmypriming—pin，outofabitofwire：allatonce，mycomradessaid，’there’sthebellringing，thegirlsarecomingbacktowork。’Youmustknow，sir，thattherearequitefourorfivehundredwomenemployedinthefactory。

Theyrollthecigarsinagreatroomintowhichnomancangowithoutapermitfromthe/Veintiquatro/，**becausewhentheweatherishottheymakethemselvesathome，especiallytheyoungones。Whenthework—girlscomebackaftertheirdinner，numbersofyoungmengodowntoseethempassby，andtalkallsortsofnonsensetothem。Veryfewofthoseyoungladieswillrefuseasilkmantilla，andmenwhocareforthatsortofsporthavenothingtodobutbenddownandpicktheirfishup。Whiletheotherswatchedthegirlsgoby，Istayedonmybenchnearthedoor。Iwasayoungfellowthen——myheartwasstillinmyowncountry，andIdidn’tbelieveinanyprettygirlswhohadn’tblueskirtsandlongplaitsofhairfallingontheirshoulders。***Andbesides，IwasratherafraidoftheAndalusianwomen。Ihadnotgotusedtotheirwaysyet；theywerealwaysjeeringone——neverspokeasinglewordofsense。SoIwassittingwithmynosedownuponmychain，whenIheardsomebystanderssay，’Herecomesthe/gitanella/!’

ThenIliftedupmyeyes，andIsawher!ItwasthatveryCarmenyouknow，andinwhoseroomsImetyouafewmonthsago。

*Iron—shodsticksusedbytheBasques。

**Magistrateinchargeofthemunicipalpolicearrangements，andlocalgovernmentregulations。

***ThecostumeusuallywornbypeasantwomeninNavarreandtheBasqueProvinces。

"Shewaswearingaveryshortskirt，belowwhichherwhitesilkstockings——withmorethanoneholeinthem——andherdaintyredmoroccoshoes，fastenedwithflame—colouredribbons，wereclearlyseen。Shehadthrownhermantillaback，toshowhershoulders，andagreatbunchofacaciathatwasthrustintoherchemise。Shehadanotheracaciablossominthecornerofhermouth，andshewalkedalong，swayingherhips，likeafillyfromtheCordovastudfarm。Inmycountryanybodywhohadseenawomandressedinthatfashionwouldhavecrossedhimself。AtSevilleeverymanpaidhersomeboldcomplimentonherappearance。Shehadananswerforeachandall，withherhandonherhip，asboldasthethoroughgipsyshewas。AtfirstIdidn’tlikeherlooks，andIfelltomyworkagain。Butshe，likeallwomenandcats，whowon’tcomeifyoucallthem，anddocomeifyoudon’tcallthem，stoppedshortinfrontofme，andspoketome。

"’/Compadre/，’saidshe，intheAndalusianfashion，’won’tyougivemeyourchainforthekeysofmystrongbox？’

"’It’sformypriming—pin，’saidI。

"’Yourpriming—pin!’shecried，withalaugh。’Oho!Isupposethegentlemanmakeslace，ashewantspins!’

"Everybodybegantolaugh，andIfeltmyselfgettingredintheface，andcouldn’thitonanythinginanswer。

"’Come，mylove!’shebeganagain，’makemesevenellsoflaceformymantilla，mypetpin—maker!’

"Andtakingtheacaciablossomoutofhermouthsheflippeditatmewithherthumbsothatithitmejustbetweentheeyes。Itellyou，sir，Ifeltasifabullethadstruckme。Ididn’tknowwhichwaytolook。Isatstock—still，likeawoodenboard。Whenshehadgoneintothefactory，Isawtheacaciablossom，whichhadfallenonthegroundbetweenmyfeet。Idon’tknowwhatmademedoit，butIpickeditup，unseenbyanyofmycomrades，andputitcarefullyinsidemyjacket。

Thatwasmyfirstfolly。

"TwoorthreehourslaterIwasstillthinkingabouther，whenapanting，terrified—lookingporterrushedintotheguard—room。Hetoldusawomanhadbeenstabbedinthegreatcigar—room，andthattheguardmustbesentinatonce。Thesergeanttoldmetotaketwomen，andgoandseetoit。Itookmytwomenandwentupstairs。Imagine，sir，thatwhenIgotintotheroom，Ifound，tobeginwith，somethreehundredwomen，strippedtotheirshifts，orverynearit，allofthemscreamingandyellingandgesticulating，andmakingsucharowthatyoucouldn’thaveheardGod’sownthunder。Ononesideoftheroomoneofthewomenwaslyingonthebroadofherback，streamingwithblood，withanXnewlycutonherfacebytwostrokesofaknife。Oppositethewoundedwoman，whomthebest—naturedofthebandwereattending，I

sawCarmen，heldbyfiveorsixofhercomrades。Thewoundedwomanwascryingout，’Aconfessor，aconfessor!I’mkilled!’Carmensaidnothingatall。Sheclinchedherteethandrolledhereyeslikeachameleon。’What’sthis？’Iasked。Ihadhardworktofindoutwhathadhappened，forallthework—girlstalkedatonce。ItappearedthattheinjuredgirlhadboastedshehadmoneyenoughinherpockettobuyadonkeyattheTrianaMarket。’Why，’saidCarmen，whohadatongueofherown，’can’tyoudowithabroom？’Stungbythistaunt，itmaybebecauseshefeltherselfratherunsoundinthatparticular，theothergirlrepliedthatsheknewnothingaboutbrooms，seeingshehadnotthehonourofbeingeitheragipsyoroneofthedevil’sgodchildren，butthattheSenoritaCarmenwouldshortlymakeacquaintancewithherdonkey，whenthe/Corregidor/tookheroutridingwithtwolackeysbehindhertokeepthefliesoff。’Well，’retortedCarmen，’I’llmaketroughsforthefliestodrinkoutofonyourcheeks，andI’llpaintadraught—boardonthem!’*Andthereupon，slap，bank!ShebeganmakingSt。Andrew’scrossesonthegirl’sfacewithaknifeshehadbeenusingforcuttingofftheendsofthecigars。

*/Pintarunjaveque/，"paintaxebec，"aparticulartypeofship。

MostSpanishvesselsofthisdescriptionhaveacheckeredredandwhitestripepaintedaroundthem。