THE GOOD OLD SCHOOL. 169 



down, leaving blackened rocks and grey stems ; and below, 

 loyal zeal bad cut away only too mucb of tlie ricb vegetation, 

 to make a sbed, or stable, in anticipation of a visit from the 

 Duke of Edinburgh, who did not come. A year or two, 

 however, in this climate, will heal these temporary scars, 

 and all wdll be as luxuriant as ever. Indeed such scars heal 

 only too fast here. For the paths become impassable from 

 brush and w^eeds every six months, and have to be cutlassed 

 out afresh ; and wdien it was known that we were going up 

 to the waterfall, a gang had to be set to work to save 

 the lady of the party being wetted through by leaf-dew 

 up to her shoulders, as she sat upon her horse. Pretty it 

 was a bit out of an older and more simple world to see 

 the yeoman-gentleman who had contracted for the mend- 

 ing of the road, and who counts among his ancestors the 

 famous Ponce de Leon, meeting us half-w^ay on our return ; 

 dressed more simply, and probably much poorer, than an 

 average English yeoman: but keeping untainted the stately 

 Castilian courtesy, as with hat in hand I hope I need not 

 say that my hat was at my saddle-bow all the while he 

 inquired whether La Sehorita had found the path free from 

 all obstructions, and so forth. 



"The old order changes, giving place to the new : 

 Lest one good custom should corrupt the world." 



But wdien, two hundred years hence, there are no more 



