ied I, "it must be a kiss."

"Oh! you little manikin--I'll give you twenty;" and she did so, until
she almost took away my breath. "And now," said she, "there is a senhor
waiting below for a note, which you must take him." I took the note,
and when I came to the gate, found a cavalier there, as she had
mentioned. "Oh, senhor," said I, "what are you waiting for, is it a
billet-doux from a sweet lady?"

"It is, my pretty boy," answered he.

"Perhaps this will interest you," replied I, handing him the note. He
snatched it from me, and would have departed. "Senhor," said I, "I
cannot allow my mistress to be affronted. Her favours are beyond all
price, but still they are always coupled with gold. Since you are so
poor, and gold must pass, here is a piece for you," and I offered him
the doubloon which I had received from the other cavalier.

"You are a witty boy," replied he, "and have corrected my negligence,
for it was nothing more, I assure you. Add this to the other;"--and he
put a quarter-doubloon in my hand, and disappeared. I returned to the
house; and, as I had been some time away from my mistress, I went into
the saloon--where she was sitting alone.

"Pedro, come hither, child; you know how good I have been to you, and
how carefully I have brought you up. Now tell me, can you keep a
secret?"

"Yes, madam," replied I, "I can keep yours, for it is my duty."

"That's a good child. Well then, I have an idea that my two nieces are
followed by some of the gay cavaliers, who saw them at Madrid, and I
wish you to find out if it is true.--Do you understand?"

"Oh, yes, madam," replied I; "I do perfectly."

"Well then, do you watch,--and Pedro, here are two reals for you, to buy
sugar-plums."

Thus did I enter in one day into the real occupation of a page. I added
the two reals to the gold, and, as you may suppose, meant to serve as I
was paid. But, as I found out afterwards, I had made a terrible mistake
with the two billets-doux. That of Donna Emilia I had given to Don
Florez, who was Donna Teresa's admirer; that of Donna Teresa I had given
to Don Perez, who was the lover of Donna Emilia; but I had better
explain to you, before I go on, what did not come to my knowledge until
the _denouement_ took place. Don Perez, the lover of Emilia, was a
young man who was entitled to large property, at the death of an uncle,
to whom he was heir by entail. Don Florez, on the contrary, was in
possession of a spl