provided, his companion sought out the
landlord of the venta, whom he found in the chimney-corner, enjoying a
supplementary siesta amidst a cloud of wood smoke.

"The Conde de Villabuena," enquired the young man, when he had shaken
the drowsy host out of his slumbers--"is he still at his house between
this and Tudela?"

The _ventero_, a greasy, ill-conditioned Valencian, rubbed his eyes,
muttered a coarse oath, and seemed half disposed, instead of replying,
to pick a quarrel with his interrogator; but a glance at the athletic
figure and resolute countenance of the latter, dissipated the
inclination, and he answered by a surly affirmative.

"And his daughter also?" continued the stranger in a lower tone.

"Dona Rita? To be sure she is, or was yesterday; for I saw her ride by
with her father and some other cavaliers. What eyes the little beauty
has; and what a foot! It was peeping from under her habit as she
passed. Sant'Antonio, what a foot!"

And now thoroughly awakened, the ventero launched out into a panegyric
on the lady's beauty, interlarded by appeals to various saints as to
the justice of his praise, which was continued, in the manner of a
soliloquy, for some time after the stranger had turned his back upon
him and descended the stairs.

At the door of the venta the young man encountered his companion, who
was issuing forth with a jug of wine in his hand.

"Well, Luis," said the latter, "have you ascertained it? Is she still
here, or has our journey been in vain?"

"She is here," was the reply.

"Good. Then I hope you will put aside your melancholy, and eat and
drink with better appetite than you have lately done. We have plenty
of time; it will not be dark for the next two hours. So let us to
supper, such as it is; ham as rancid as an old oil-cask, eggs that
would have been chickens to-morrow, and wine--but the wine may atone
for the rest--it is old Peralta, or the patrona is perjured. I have
had the table spread under the tree, in hopes that fresh air may
sweeten musty viands, and in order that we may see the ball-play of
yonder soldier and muleteer."

The young man who had been addressed by the name of Luis, glanced in
the direction of the ball-court, where the two men to whom his
companion referred were preparing for a match. The discussion as to
the superiority of Navarrese or Asturian ball-players had increased in
warmth, until the disputants, each obstinate in his opinion, finding
themselves,