Scenes in Spain. 11 



literally covered with a disgusting species of vermin, of which the very 

 name almost is unknown in England. Having no alternative, how- 

 ever, between the bed or the floor, I carefully rolled my cloak around 

 me, and throwing myself on the former in defiance of piojos, fleas, or 

 other nocturnal annoyances, in a few minutes I was fast asleep. 



I had continued thus for some time, when I was aroused by a shout, 

 which proceeded from above listening for- a moment, I ascertained 

 that it proceeded from a party of drunken chapelgorris carousing in 

 the apartment above our heads at the same time, I painfully dis- 

 covered by my sensations that I had eaten nothing since the morning, 

 and finding my drowsy companion still sound asleep by my side, I 

 jumped up, and putting a pistol in my pocket by w r ay of precaution, I 

 began to grope my way in the dark towards the door, in my progress 

 to the kitchen. But a few steps from the bed, I stumbled over the 

 prostrate form of my delinquent servant, as he lay extended on the 

 floor. All my attempts to rouse him, accompanied by both kicks and 

 cuffs, were unavailing. The poor fellow was actually stupified with 

 fatigue ; and all I could elicit from him was, that he had put the pot 

 containing our dinner on the fire, and then left it to its fate, while he, 

 overcome by fatigue, had followed his master's example. 



With many curses " not loud but deep" at the desagrements of a 

 soldier's life, I, at length, directed by the sound of voices, found the 

 kitchen. Round a cheerful wood fire in the centre of the room, sat 

 the patronaand her two daughters while three or four chapelgorris 

 were employed discussing the last relics of a feast, and occasionally 

 bandying 1 compliments with the girls, more lively than delicate in 

 the allusions. These damsels were a fair specimen of the pais annas, 

 of the northern provinces of Spain. Swarthy and coarse in their 

 features, and not particularly cleanly in their persons, they had yet 

 an air of natural grace about them that would not have disgraced a 

 palace ; and their dark and brilliant eyes, shaded by long superb 

 lashes, and raven hair neatly parted off the forehead, and hanging 

 in a long plait behind, almost to their feet, together with the 

 piquancy of their remarks, and the total absence of any bashfulness^ 

 rendered them rather attractive in the eyes of us English, accustomed 

 as we were to the greater reserve of our own happier countrywomen. 

 The mother, less attractive than her daughters, exhibited in her 

 countenance all that subdued expression of mournful resignation 

 noticeable, so generally, in the people of the villages in this part of 

 the country, exposed to the chances of the war, to the devastations of 

 both parties. The country people of these provinces are, with few 

 exceptions, Carlist ; and the males of the family were, at that time, 

 absent in the ranks of the enemy. 



To return I looked in vain for my puchero, but not a vestige of 

 it was to be seen. Impatiently I questioned the patrona, but the 

 unsatisfactory " No say," accompanied by a shrug expressive of her 

 total ignorance, was all the answer I received. In this dilemma, I 

 bethought myself of a small piece of salt junk that lay quietly en- 

 sconced in a corner of my servant's knapsack, in reserve for an occa- 

 sion like the present. In "a few minutes the tempting object, be- 

 grimed with dust and pipeclay, was produced and forthwith thrust 



