men, in a corner of the terrace,
were suffocating with laughter.

"Senora Suspiritos is very angry," said Rey. "Why do they call her by
that name?"

"Because, when she is talking, she sighs after every word, and although
she has every thing she wants, she is always complaining."

There was a moment's silence in the house below. Pepita Troya looked
cautiously down.

"There she comes again," she whispered, once more imposing silence by a
gesture. "Maria, give me a pebble. Give it here--bang! there it goes!"

"You didn't hit her. It struck the ground."

"Let me see if I can. Let us wait until she comes out of the pantry
again."

"Now, now she is coming out. Take care, Florentina."

"One, two, three! There it goes!"

A cry of pain was heard from below, a malediction, a masculine
exclamation, for it was a man who uttered it. Pepe Rey could distinguish
clearly these words:

"The devil! They have put a hole in my head, the----Jacinto, Jacinto!
But what an abominable neighborhood this is!"

"Good Heavens! what have I done!" exclaimed Florentina, filled with
consternation. "I have struck Senor Don Inocencio on the head."

"The Penitentiary?" said Pepe Rey.

"Yes."

"Does he live in that house?"

"Why, where else should he live?"

"And the lady of the sighs----"

"Is his niece, his housekeeper, or whatever else she may be. We
amuse ourselves with her because she is very tiresome, but we are not
accustomed to play tricks on his reverence, the Penitentiary."

While this dialogue was being rapidly carried on, Pepe Rey saw, in front
of the terrace and very near him, a window belonging to the bombarded
house open; he saw a smiling face appear at it--a familiar face--a face
the sight of which stunned him, terrified him, made him turn pale and
tremble. It was that of Jacinto, who, interrupted in his grave studies,
appeared at it with his pen behind his ear. His modest, fresh, and
smiling countenance, appearing in this way, had an auroral aspect.

"Good-afternoon, Senor Don Jose," he said gayly.

"Jacinto, Jacinto, I say!"

"I am coming. I was saluting a friend."

"Come away, come away!" cried Florentina, in alarm. "The Penitentiary is
going up to Don Nominative's room and he will give us a blessing."

"Yes, come away; let us close the door of the dining-room."

They rushed pell-mell from the terrace.

"You might have guessed that Jacinto would see you from his temple of
learning," said Tafetan to the Tr