ails that
made him smile.

"Here is the bell," said Rosario, taking in her hand the bell-rope, the
tassel of which hung over the head of the bed. "All you have to do is to
stretch out your hand. The writing-table is placed so that you will have
the light from the left. See, in this basket you can throw the waste
papers. Do you smoke?"

"Unfortunately, yes," responded Pepe Rey.

"Well, then, you can throw the ends of your cigars here," she said,
touching with the tip of her shoe a utensil of gilt-brass filled with
sand. "There is nothing uglier than to see the floor covered with
cigar-ends. Here is the washstand. For your clothes you have a wardrobe
and a bureau. I think this is a bad place for the watch-case; it would
be better beside the bed. If the light annoys you, all you have to do is
to lower the shade with this cord; see, this way."

The engineer was enchanted.

Rosarito opened one of the windows.

"Look," she said, "this window opens into the garden. The sun comes in
here in the afternoon. Here we have hung the cage of a canary that sings
as if he was crazy. If his singing disturbs you we will take it away."

She opened another window on the opposite side of the room.

"This other window," she continued, "looks out on the street. Look;
from here you can see the cathedral; it is very handsome, and full of
beautiful things. A great many English people come to see it. Don't open
both windows at the same time, because draughts are very bad."

"My dear cousin," said Pepe, his soul inundated with an inexplicable
joy; "in all that is before my eyes I see an angel's hand that can be
only yours. What a beautiful room this is! It seems to me as if I had
lived in it all my life. It invites to peace."

Rosarito made no answer to these affectionate expressions, and left the
room, smiling.

"Make no delay," she said from the door; "the dining-room too is down
stairs--in the centre of this hall."

Uncle Licurgo came in with the luggage. Pepe rewarded him with a
liberality to which the countryman was not accustomed, and the latter,
after humbly thanking the engineer, raised his hand to his head with a
hesitating movement, and in an embarrassed tone, and mumbling his words,
he said hesitatingly:

"When will it be most convenient for me to speak to Senor Don Jose about
a--a little matter of business?"

"A little matter of business? At once," responded Pepe, opening one of
his trunks.

"This is not a suitable t