578 The Fortune- Hunters : [ June, 
another, but it is not for the public to see, as you yourselt have well 
observed.” —“ Well! I can only assure you that I am the most discreet 
person in the world ; and, to induce you to open your heart to me, I 
will first discover to you all the folds of mine—for, truly, I think it is 
not without design that fate has thus thrown us together. As for me, 
my dear Senor, I am a native of Fuentrida, a well-known spot, and re- 
nowned for the illustrious travellers who daily pass through it. My 
name is Pedro de Bincon. My father isa man of quality, one of the 
ministers of Santa Cruzada, that is to say, he distributes and carries 
round the bulls (church bulls). I used at times to assist him in his office ; 
and so well did I profit by my practice, that I defy the most experienced 
of the trade to make more of his bulls than I did of mine. But, one day; 
feeling more inclination for the bull-meney than for even the bulls 
themselves, I took possession of a purse of it, and walked off to Madrid, 
where;.by the aid of the favourable occasions that are there ordinarily to 
be met with, I cleaned out the entrails of the purse, and left it with more 
plaits in it than the pecket handkerchief of a bride. He who was ac- 
countable for the bull-money ran after me. I was seized. But the 
judges had some pity for me on account ef my youth, and contented 
themselves with ordering me an iron necklace, a strapping on the shoul- 
ders, and banishment from court for four years. I took patience, 
shrugged up my shoulders, bore the tempest, and left Madrid in such 
haste that I had not time to take leave of my friends, or bring away my 
mule. I merely snatched from among my valuables some trifles within 
reach, and, among them, these cards (pulling them from out his 
bosom), with which I have gained my livelihood in the inns and wine- 
houses from Madrid to this by playing at vingt-un. Greasy and mal- 
treated as you see them, they have such a virtue for him who understands 
them, that he needs never cut them without finding an ace below. And 
however little you may know of this game, you can easily comprehend 
the advantage of always having an ace, which counts one, or eleven, as 
you choose ; so that, with this card, you are pretty sure to put money in 
your pocket. Besides, the cook of a certain ambassador has taught me __ 
a trick or two to win at quinola ; so if you are master of the art of af 
gaiter-cutting, also am I of that of cheating the novices ; and, for a cer= — 
tainty, I run no risk of starving. Miserable as is this village, [remain __ 
in it because I seldom fail an hour of meeting some one who plays a 
game or two to kill time, and we may have the experience of it presently. _ f 
Let us spread the net, and see if there will not fall into it some of the 
muleteers who are within; that is to say, we two must begin as if we 
were in earnest, and he who comes to make the third shall pay the 
stakes.” —“ With all my heart,” said the younger: “ I owe you many 
thanks for recounting to me the incidents of your life, which obliges 
me not to conceal those of mine—and here they are. My father, the 
tailor, taught me to cut gaiters ; and, from the constant use of scissors, I 
learned of myself to cut purses. The limits of a village were as dis- 
pleasing to me as the bad usage of a step-mother. I left my birth-place 
to work at my profession in Toledo, and acquitted myself there to a 
miracle. There was no rosary so well-tied, no packet so close shut, that 
my fingers did not visit, or my scissors divide; and during the four 
months that I lived there, never was I caught between two doors ; never, 
did alguazil run after me ; never did. stick cross my shoulders. It is 
true that, about eight days ago, aspy made mention of my abilities to the: 
