o amor de Deos e pelas almas_. That fellow is employed by
the priests to sell snuff _pelas almas_, and all the profits of the
trade go to release souls from purgatory."

"Purgatory!" exclaimed Moodie, "I will not be tricked into
countenancing that popish abomination;" and he hurled the package back
to the man, who gladly picked it up, and turned to seek a second
purchaser.

As they walked on toward the church of the Franciscans, Mrs.
Shortridge said, "You need not fear a scarcity of objects of charity,
Lady Mabel, for poverty seems rife in Evora."

"Yet, from the number of churches and monasteries, there must be much
wealth," Lady Mabel answered. "Probably, most of the property is in
their possession, and we may expect to see in their shrines and altars
a gorgeous display of their riches."

"You will be disappointed in that," said L'Isle. "Evora has passed too
lately through the hands of the French, too systematic a people to do
things by halves. Their emperor is more systematic still. On taking
possession of Portugal, his first edict from Milan imposed a
war-contribution on the country of one hundred million of francs, as a
ransom for private property of every kind. This being somewhat more
than all the money in the country, allowed a sufficiently wide margin
for spoliation, without making private property a whit the safer for
it; the imperial coffers absorbed this public contribution, leaving
the French officers and soldiers to fill their pockets and make their
fortunes as they could."

"But what was there left to fill their pockets with?" Lady Mabel
asked.

"There must have been a plenty left," said Mrs. Shortridge. "One does
not know the wealth of a country till you plunder it. Even some of our
fellows, though they came as friends, still continue occasionally to
pocket a useful thing. The officers cannot put a stop to it
altogether, do what they may."

"But, with some exceptions," said L'Isle, "each French general levied
contributions on his own account. Some idea of the amount may be
formed from the fact, that at the Convention of Cintra, Junot, who had
probably not brought baggage enough into Portugal to load five mules,
demanded five ships for the conveyance of his private property. Yet
Soult's accumulations in Andalusia are said to exceed Junot's.
Whatever may be the result of the war, many a French officer will have
made his fortune here. Well did they obey the injunction--

"'See thou sha