and gallantry. In our old romances and
legends the Moor always carries off the beautiful Christian princess,
and the Christian knight receives the reward of his devotion to the
Moorish princess, on the eve or in the early morning of St. John's day;
and the traditionary custom of the old romances had been, to all
appearances, preserved in the village.

The streets were full of people. The whole village was out of doors, in
addition to the strangers from the surrounding country. Progress, thus
rendered extremely difficult, was still further impeded by the multitude
of little tables laden with _nougat_, honey-cakes, and toast,
fruit-stalls, booths for the sale of dolls and toys, and cake-shops,
where gypsies, young and old, by turns fried the dough, tainting the air
with the odor of oil, weighed and served the cakes, responded with
ready wit to the compliments of the gallants who passed by, and told
fortunes.

Don Luis sought to avoid meeting any of his acquaintances, and, when he
caught sight by chance of any one he knew, he turned his steps in
another direction. Thus, by degrees, he reached the entrance to Pepita's
house without having been stopped or spoken to by any one. His heart now
began to beat with violence, and he paused a moment to recover his
serenity. He looked at his watch; it was almost half-past ten.

"Good heavens!" he exclaimed; "she has been waiting for me nearly half
an hour."

He then hurried his pace and entered the hall. The lamp by which it was
always lighted was burning dimly on this particular evening.

No sooner had Don Luis entered the hall than a hand, or rather a talon,
seized him by the right arm. It belonged to Antonona, who said to him
under her breath:

"A pretty fellow you are, for a collegian! Ingrate! good-for-nothing!
vagabond! I began to think you were not coming. Where have you been,
imbecile? How dare you delay, as if you had no interest in the matter,
when the salt of the earth is melting for you, and the sum of beauty
awaits you?"

While Antonona was giving utterance to these complaints, she did not
stand still, but continued to go forward, dragging after her by the arm
the now cowed and silent collegian. They passed the grated door, which
Antonona closed carefully and noiselessly behind them. They crossed the
court-yard, ascended the stairs, passed through some corridors and two
interjacent apartments, and arrived at last at the door of the library,
which was closed.