diminuendo_,
whilst her slow gesticulations and the declining vigour of the music
together express her forlornness. Then a ray of joy seems momentarily
to lighten her mental anguish; the spirited _crescendo_ notes gently
return; the tone of the melody swells; her measured step and action
energetically quicken--until she lapses again into resigned sorrow,
and so on alternately. Coy in repulse, and languid in surrender,
the _danseuse_ in the end forsakes her sentiment of melancholy for
elated passion.

The native dances are numerous. Another of the most typical, is that
of a girl writhing and dancing a _pas seul_ with a glass of water on
her head. This is known as the _Comitan_.

When Europeans are present, the bride usually retires into the
kitchen or a back room, and only puts in an appearance after repeated
requests. The conversation rarely turns upon the event of the meeting;
there is not the slightest outward manifestation of affection between
the newly-united couple, who, during the feast, are only seen together
by mere accident. If there are European guests, the repast is served
three times--firstly for the Europeans and headmen, secondly for
the males of less social dignity, and lastly for the women. Neither
at the table nor in the reception-room do the men and women mingle,
except for perhaps the first quarter of an hour after the arrival,
or whilst dancing continues.

About an hour after the mid-day meal, those who are not lodging at the
house return to their respective residences to sleep the _siesta_. On
an occasion like this--at a _Catapusan_ given for any reason--native
outsiders, from anywhere, always invade the kitchen in a mob, lounge
around doorways, fill up corners, and drop in for the feast uninvited,
and it is usual to be liberally complaisant to all comers.

As a rule, the married couple live with the parents of one or the
other, at least until the family inconveniently increases. In old
age, the elder members of the families come under the protection
of the younger ones quite as a matter of course. In any case, a
newly-married pair seldom reside alone. Relations from all parts
flock in. Cousins, uncles and aunts, of more or less distant grade,
hang on to the recently-established household, if it be not extremely
poor. Even when a European marries a native woman, she is certain to
introduce some vagabond relation--a drone to hive with the bees--a
condition quite inevitable, unless the husband be