na had acted very imprudently in
commending me to him. She was the viceroy's mistress; and though the
viceroy might be a very agreeable man, he was a Spaniard, and not likely
to be easy-going in his love affairs. Nina herself had told me that he
was ardent, jealous, and suspicious. But the mischief was done, and there
was no help for it.

When I got up my landlord brought me a valet de place, for whose
character he said he could answer, and he then sent up an excellent
dinner. I had slept till three o'clock in the afternoon.

After dinner I summoned my host, and asked him whether Nina had told him
to get me a servant. He answered in the affirmative, and added that a
carriage was awaiting my commands at the door; it had been taken by the
week.

"I am astonished to hear it, for no one but myself can say what I can
afford or not."

"Sir, everything is paid for."

"Paid for! I will not have it!"

"You can settle that with her, but I shall certainly take no payment."

I saw dangers ahead, but as I have never cared to cherish forbodings I
dismissed the idea.

I had a letter of introduction from the Marquis de las Moras to Don
Miguel de Cevallos, and another from Colonel Royas to Don Diego de la
Secada. I took my letters, and the next day Don Diego came to see me, and
took me to the Comte de Peralda. The day after Don Miguel introduced me
to the Comte de Ricla, Viceroy of Catalonia, and the lover of Nina.

The Comte de Peralada was a young man with a pleasant face but with an
ill-proportioned body. He was a great debauchee and lover of bad company,
an enemy of religion, morality, and law. He was directly descended from
the Comte de Peralada, who served Philip II. so well that this king
declared him "count by the grace of God." The original patent of nobility
was the first thing I saw in his antechamber, where it was framed and
glazed so that all visitors might see it in the quarter of an hour they
were kept waiting.

The count received me with an easy and cordiale manner, which seemed to
say that he renounced all the dignities of his rank. He thanked Don Diego
for introducing me, and talked a good deal about Colonel Royas. He asked
me if I had seen the English girl he was keeping at Saragossa, and on my
replying in the affirmative, he told me in a whisper that he had slept
with her.

He took me to his stables, where he had some splendid horses, and then
asked me to dine with him the next day.

The viceroy recei