d returned me the
rest, remarking that he would not need any more of them.

I inquired whether by laying out a little money, or by applying to
my friends, I might not be able to do something to soften his lot. He
shrugged his shoulders, to begin with, smiling sadly. Soon, as by an
after-thought, he asked me to have a mass said for the repose of his
soul.

Then he added nervously: "Would you--would you have another said for a
person who did you a wrong?"

"Assuredly I will, my dear fellow," I answered. "But no one in this
country has wronged me so far as I know."

He took my hand and squeezed it, looking very grave. After a moment's
silence, he spoke again.

"Might I dare to ask another service of you? When you go back to your
own country perhaps you will pass through Navarre. At all events you'll
go by Vittoria, which isn't very far off."

"Yes," said I, "I shall certainly pass through Vittoria. But I may very
possibly go round by Pampeluna, and for your sake, I believe I should be
very glad to do it."

"Well, if you do go to Pampeluna, you'll see more than one thing that
will interest you. It's a fine town. I'll give you this medal," he
showed me a little silver medal that he wore hung around his neck.
"You'll wrap it up in paper"--he paused a moment to master his
emotion--"and you'll take it, or send it, to an old lady whose address
I'll give you. Tell her I am dead--but don't tell her how I died."

I promised to perform his commission. I saw him the next day, and spent
part of it in his company. From his lips I learned the sad incidents
that follow.

CHAPTER III

"I was born," he said, "at Elizondo, in the valley of Baztan. My name is
Don Jose Lizzarrabengoa, and you know enough of Spain, sir, to know at
once, by my name, that I come of an old Christian and Basque stock. I
call myself Don, because I have a right to it, and if I were at Elizondo
I could show you my parchment genealogy. My family wanted me to go into
the church, and made me study for it, but I did not like work. I was too
fond of playing tennis, and that was my ruin. When we Navarrese begin
to play tennis, we forget everything else. One day, when I had won the
game, a young fellow from Alava picked a quarrel with me. We took to our
_maquilas_,* and I won again. But I had to leave the neighbourhood.
I fell in with some dragoons, and enlisted in the Almanza Cavalry
Regiment. Mountain folks like us soon learn to be soldiers. Before long