er and despair as were shown by her relatives
and servants, old and young, at the intrusion--rage that she, who had
been so exalted in life, should go to her grave like the poor, poor
clay she was. Orders were given to bar the door against the convict
gang who had come to discharge their unpleasant duty, and while all
were busy decking out the unconscious corpse in gayest attire, none
paid any heed to me bending over the fire with the motherless child,
journeying fast to join its dead parent. I had made more than one
effort to escape, for I felt more sick and wretched than at any
similar scene of woe; but finding exit impossible, I turned my back
upon them, and attended to the dying child. Nor did I heed their
actions until I heard orders given to admit the burial party, and then
I found that they had dressed the corpse in rich white satin, and
decked her head with flowers.

The agitation and excitement of this scene had affected me as no
previous horror had done, and I could not help fancying that symptoms
were showing themselves in me with which I was familiar enough in
others. Leaving the dying infant to the care of its relatives (when
the Spaniard returned he found himself widowed and childless), I
hastened to my brother's house. When there, I felt an unpleasant chill
come over me, and went to bed at once. Other symptoms followed
quickly, and, before nightfall, I knew full well that my turn had come
at last, and that the cholera had attacked me, perhaps its greatest
foe in Cruces.

CHAPTER V.

AMERICAN SYMPATHY--I TAKE AN HOTEL IN CRUCES--MY
CUSTOMERS--LOLA MONTES--MISS HAYES AND THE
BISHOP--GAMBLING IN CRUCES--QUARRELS AMONGST THE
TRAVELLERS--NEW GRANADA MILITARY--THE THIEVES OF
CRUCES--A NARROW ESCAPE.

When it became known that their "yellow doctress" had the cholera, I
must do the people of Cruces the justice to say that they gave her
plenty of sympathy, and would have shown their regard for her more
actively, had there been any occasion. Indeed, when I most wanted
quiet, it was difficult to keep out the sympathising Americans and
sorrowing natives who came to inquire after me; and who, not content
with making their inquiries, and leaving their offerings of blankets,
flannel, etc., must see with their own eyes what chance the yellow
woman had of recovery. The rickety door of my little room could never
be kept shut for many minutes together. A visitor would open it
silently, pok