nsisting of parents and three grown children,
seemed to represent all the aristocracy. These better-class guests came
to join us on the veranda. The older people did not greatly differ from
our host and his wife, except in cut of masculine whisker, or amount of
feminine fat. The younger members consisted of a young lady, tall and
graceful, a young girl in white, and a man of twenty or thereabout. He
was most gaudily gotten up, for a male creature, in a soft white shirt,
a short braided jacket of blue, a wide, red-tasselled sash, and trousers
slit from the knees down. The entire costume was sewn at all places,
likely and unlikely, with silver buttons. As he was a darkly handsome
chap, with a small moustache, red lips and a little flash of teeth, the
effect was quite good, but I couldn't care for his style. The bulk of
the villagers were dressed in white. The women all carried the
_rebosa_, and were thickly powdered. We could see a number of the
Americans in the background.

The musicians struck up a strummy, decided sort of marchlike tune; and
the dancers paired off. They performed a kind of lancer figure, very
stately and solemn, seemingly interminable, with scant variation, small
progressions, and mighty little interest to me. We sat in a stiff row
and shed the compliment of our presence on the scene. It was about as
inspiring as a visit to a hospital ward. What determined the duration of
the affair, I cannot tell you; whether the musicians' fingers gave out,
or the dancers' legs, or the official audience's patience. But at last
they ceased.

At the beginning of another tune, of much the same solemn character, our
young visitor bowed ceremoniously to our host's daughter, and led her
down the steps.

"Come on, Johnny, be a sport. Dance this one," said Talbot rising.

"Don't know how," replied Johnny gloomily, his eyes on the receding
figure of Mercedes.

"The lady'll show you. Come along!"

Talbot bowed gravely to the young girl, who arose enchanted. Johnny,
with his natural grace and courtesy, offered his arm to the other. She
took it with a faintly aloof and indifferent smile, and descended the
step with him. She did not look toward him, nor did she vouchsafe him a
word. Plainly, she was not interested, but stood idly flirting with her
fan, her eyes fixed upon the distance. The dance began.

It was another of the same general character as the first. The couples
advanced and retreated, swung slowly about each o