1 832.] Women are the Devil ! 639 



the highest mark of the imperial favour ; while his neighbour, the King 

 of Ava, looks upon the title of King of the White Elephant as the " beau- 

 ideal of human grandeur." Now what the horse tail is in Turkey, the 

 peacock's feather in China, and the elephant in Ava, the coat is in Brazil 

 it marks the caste. It is a passport of gentility, and previous to the revo- 

 lution, the " hornen de casaca," or the coated man, conveyed to the mind 

 of the unsophisticated Brazilian as high a notion of human importance, as 

 a K. C. B. does to an English ploughman. 



So I put on my coat, as I said before, and as I passed through the 

 streets, numerous and flattering were the encomiums bestowed on its 

 swallow tail and pigeon breast j for the possession of a well made English 

 coat was coveted even by the immortal Pedro himself, as he was at that 

 time styled by his subjects. 



After traversing the whole of the city, I at last, after considerable diffi- 

 culty, discovered the residence of my compagnoii du voyage, beautifully 

 situated near the convent of St. Thereza. I flew up stairs, and clapped 

 my hands (there are no knockers in Brazil, and I wish there were none in 

 England), which produced a " Quein es," in the well known accents of 

 Dolores. " Genie de paz." " Entra u. s. con Dios" and in I went, but, to 

 my surprise, I found sitting with Dolorcetta, and in closer juxta-position 

 than I liked, a young officer of cacadores. Still my reception was at first 

 most flattering, nay, even tender. " Where have you been loitering, In- 

 graio ? Why came you not yesterday .?" For the best of all reasons, Do- 

 lores," was my reply. " I was only this day at noon enlarged from the 

 citadel," and I related my adventure. " Mot par mot" viva Dios , what an 

 amusing adventure ! what a capital story to tell my commadres ! What I 

 would have given to have seen you at the door of the carcel -, it is really 

 an excellent joke, and I shall die with laughing ; M and here the malicious 

 creature sunk back on her seat, and indulged in an extacy of merriment at 

 my expence. This was too bad, and in the rage of the moment I looked 

 at her companion to observe if I could detect a smile on his countenance, 

 that might have afforded me an excuse for cutting his throat ; but though 

 I strained my eye-balls from their sockets, I could not discover even the 

 semblance of a smile. Seizing my hat, therefore, and clearing the stair 

 case at a bound, while the Senhoritta exclaimed, " Do not go, Senor 

 Cavallero dela triste figura" or in other words " Sir Knight of the woeful 

 countenance," I passed the threshold of her door, and as I vowed never 

 more to ' ' darken it with my shadow," I heartily agreed at the same time 

 with the old commandant, " Que el diablo son les mugeres" " Women 

 are the verv devil ! " 



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