-as a prodigy of beauty, an honor to her Creator, and as a
coquettish and mischievous sprite, who innocently enlivened the most
melancholy of spirits. "She is a handsome creature," the most virtuous
prelate used to say. "She looks like an ancient Greek statue," remarked
a learned advocate, who was an Academician and corresponding member on
history. "She is the very image of Eve," broke forth the prior of the
Franciscans. "She is a fine woman," exclaimed the colonel of militia.
"She is a serpent, a witch, a siren, an imp," added the corregidor. "But
she is a good woman, an angel, a lovely creature, and as innocent as a
child four years old," all agreed in saying on leaving the mill, crammed
with grapes or nuts, on their way to their dull and methodical homes.

This four-year-old child, that is to say, Frasquita, was nearly thirty
years old, and almost six feet high, strongly built in proportion, and
even a little stouter than exactly corresponded to her majestic figure.
She looked like a gigantic Niobe, though she never had any children; she
seemed like a female Hercules, or like a Roman matron, the sort of whom
there are still copies to be seen in the Rioni Trastevere. But the most
striking feature was her mobility, her agility, her animation, and the
grace of her rather large person.

For resemblance to a statue, to which the Academician compared her, she
lacked statuesque repose. She bent her body like a reed, or spun around
like a weather-vane, or danced like a top. Her features possessed even
greater mobility, and in consequence were even less statuesque. They
were lighted up beautifully by five dimples: two on one cheek, one on
the other, another very small one near the left side of her roguish
lips, and the last--and a very big one--in the cleft of her rounded
chin. Add to these charms her sly or roguish glances, her pretty pouts,
and the various attitudes of her head, with which she emphasized her
talk, and you will have some idea of that face full of vivacity and
beauty, and always radiant with health and happiness.

Neither Uncle Luke nor Sena Frasquita was Andalusian by birth: she came
from Navarre, and he from Murcia. He went to the city of ---- when he
was but fifteen years old, as half page, half servant of the bishop, the
predecessor of the present incumbent of that diocese. He was brought up
for the Church by his patron, who, perhaps on that account, so that he
might not lack competent maintenance, beque