d the party as lewd persons, but never
took them to prison, for the strangers always paid money to get out of
the scrape.

One day it happened that Colendres--this was the name of the alguazil's
mistress--picked up a Breton, and made an appointment with him for the
night, whereof she informed her friend; and they were hardly undressed
before the alguazil, the attorney, two bailiffs, and myself entered the
room. The amorous pair were sorely disconcerted, and the alguazil,
inveighing against the enormity of their conduct, ordered them to dress
with all speed, and go with him to prison. The Breton was dismayed, the
attorney interceded from motives of compassion, and prevailed on the
alguazil to commute the penalty for only a hundred reals. The Breton
called for a pair of leather breeches he had laid on a chair at the end
of the room, and in which there was money to pay his ransom, but the
breeches were not to be seen. The fact was, that when I entered the
room, my nostrils were saluted by a delightful odour of ham. I followed
the scent, and found a great piece of ham in one of the pockets of the
breeches, which I carried off into the street, in order to enjoy the
contents without molestation. Having done so, I returned to the house,
where I found the Breton vociferating in his barbarous jargon, and
calling for his breeches, in one of the pockets of which he said he had
fifty gold crowns. The attorney suspected that either Colendres or the
bailiffs had stolen the money; the alguazil was of the same opinion,
took them aside, and questioned them. None of them knew anything, and
they all swore at each other like troopers. Seeing the hubbub, I went
back to the street where I had left the breeches, having no use for the
money in them; but I could not find them, for some one passing by had no
doubt picked them up.

The alguazil, in despair at finding that the Breton had no money to
bribe with, thought to indemnify himself by extorting something from the
mistress of the house. He called for her, and in she came half dressed,
and when she saw and heard the Breton bawling for his money, Colindres
crying in her shift, the alguazil storming, the attorney in a passion,
and the bailiffs ransacking the room, she was in no very good humour.
The alguazil ordered her to put on her clothes and be off with him to
prison, for allowing men and women to meet for bad purposes in her
house. Then indeed the row grew more furious than ever. "Senor