ANDALUSIAN SKETCHES. 507 



himself, but I rather fancy he is of a very different trade." I .could 

 no longer contain myself. My hand was upon my knife, a dagger of 

 true steel and of Albacete make; but my arm was soon powerless. 

 I was clasped round by my then guardian-angel. " Forbear, Pepe," 

 said she, " forbear, and draw not weapon in woman's presence, and 

 least of all in mine, and that against my brother, my own flesh and 

 blood. For my sake attend not to what Tomas says. He has 

 been bred up in large cities, and knows not us country-folk. But 

 let me make peace between you; and at all events let me distinctly 

 declare that I have plighted my faith to Pepe. I believe him to be 

 worthy. My parents gave their consent, and I will not retract; 

 more I cannot say now. Come to my aid, my dear father, my kind 

 affectionate mother, and assist me in endeavours to soften the obdu- 

 rate feelings of Tomas, that he may make reparation for the unjust 

 reflections he has thrown out against Pepe." 



Whilst she uttered these words I had recovered my temper ; but 

 the brother, darting at me a look of hatred and defiance, made no re- 

 ply, and rushed out of the house, followed by his companion. Then 

 did I learn from the weeping girl and her sorrowful parents, that To- 

 mas had forbid my again visiting them, or considering Pomasina as 

 my bride, had uttered calumnies against my character, had insisted 

 upon my being dismissed, and that his friend Don Rafael, should be 

 received as an accepted lover in my place. " But," said Pomasina, 

 " I will never marry other than yourself. By the blessed Virgin, my 

 sure protectress, I vow it ! Now you, Pepe, must also promise some- 

 thing to me, that you will abstain from seeing me during the remain- 

 ing few days my brother stays with us, and further, that you will 

 never lift your hand against him whatever may be the provocation." 

 I made these required asseverations, and I left Los-Barrios. For se- 

 veral days I moped about the wood, dissatisfied with myself and with 

 all the world. One evening, on my way home, I met some of the 

 charcoal people, and learned from them, that at the outskirts of the 

 forest, towards Ximena, several wild hogs had appeared, and were 

 doing much mischief in the small patches of cultivation here and 

 there to be found near the woodmen's huts. I resolved to pay these 

 foragers a visit. At dawn on the following morning, I was off, armed, 

 as indeed, I always am, with that capital gun, a good supply of am- 

 munition, and a second knife in my left pocket, in case I should come 

 to close quarters with a wounded hog no uncommon occurrence in 

 this sport. I was unsuccessful in meeting with the marauders, al- 

 though the whole forest, and the usual haunts of these animals in their 

 occasional visits from the Sierra, are well known to me. I was about 

 to give up the pursuit, and turn homewards, when I perceived two 

 figures moving down a goat-path on the side of a steep hill. It oc- 

 curred to me that these persons might have seen the game, and could 

 give me some intelligence; I therefore loitered about until they might 

 approach. I was more occupied in directing my attention to every 

 hole and thicket likely to prove the hiding place of the swine, than in 

 looking towards the two men, so that it was not until we were within a 

 few paces of each other that I recognized in them Don Tomas and 

 his friend. They were armed with guns, and seemed on a similar 



