1829. a Tale of the South. 583 
been at the head of us, there are but four of us have gone in 
bus, but thirty on their travels, and only sixty-two have been paired.” 
— OF a truth,” said Bincon, “ we know as much of what you mean 
as we do of flying.”—“ March,” said the guide—“I will explain by 
the way ; it is as necessary for you to learn as to eat:” and he gave 
them the explication of many terms that they named German; and as 
the way was long, there was plenty of time to enlighten them. Bincon 
then said to his conductor, “ Senor, may one take the liberty of asking 
if you are not also a thief ?”—“ Yes,” replied he, “to serve Heaven and 
honest folks ; I am not, however, one of the most skilful beings as yet 
in the year of noviciate.”—“ By my faith,” replied Costado to him, 
“it is a thing which I had yet to learn, that there are thieves in the 
world to serve Heaven and honest folks.”—* Senor,” returned the novice, 
“TI am not learned in theology ; all that I know is that every man may 
serve Heaven in his profession ; for Senor Monopadis gives this order to 
all his disciples."—*< Of a certainty,” said Bincon; “it is a saintly 
company where they all so serve.”-—“‘ The Senor Monopadis,” con- 
tinued the youth, “ has furthermore prescribed that we should give a 
certain portion of all we steal, for oil for the holy lamp, that burns before 
the sacred image here: and, of a truth, we have seen miracles occur 
from this good work. A few days ago, they gave three turns to a 
quarterer, who had decoyed two nightingales ; and though he was very 
weak and had a tertian fever, he bore all without fiinching—just as if 
it had been a mere nothing. We attributed this miracle to the holy 
lamp, for his own strength would never have done it. As I see you 
are about to ask me the explanation of all this, I will give it you with- 
out praying :—know, then, that a quarterer is a sheep-stealer ; turn—is 
the torture, and nightingale is an ass: we have plenty more of these 
sayings, which we repeat as a catechism once a week ; there are some 
of us who won't steal of a Friday or Saturday, and we never go near 
a woman called Mary.”—« All that appears to me magnanimous,” said 
Costado ; “ but tell me—do you never make any restitution, or per- 
form any other penance than those you speak of ?”— As to restitution, 
that is out of the question, because the plunder is divided into too many 
shares—the judge’s and the lawyer’s portion not to be forgotten ; but as 
we never confess, it is of no consequence. And as to excommunica- 
tions—-by always avoiding the churches at these seasons, we never fear 
them. It is only in the carnivals and fetes we go, when we find our 
account in the throng.”’—“< So, then, what.with alms and offerings, and 
the other devotions you use,” said Costado, “ you fancy that your life 
ig holy and discreet.” Well, what harm do you see in it?” replied 
the young man, “is it not better to be a thief than a renegade, or a 
heretic, or to kill one’s father or mother ?’”?—*« A difficult point,” said 
Costado, “ but though I don’t find your calling as innocent as you do, 
nevertheless, lead on a little faster, as destiny will have it that we enter 
into your honourable company. I long, truly, to see this Senor Monopa- 
dis, of whom report speaks such brave things.”—“ You will soon be satis- 
fied,” said the guide—“ you are at the house now; wait both of you 
before the gate while I go and see if he is visible, for it is the hour in 
which he gives audience.”—“ Audience !” said Bincon, “ good, by my 
faith!” The lad went on and entered a house of very ill appearance, 
while the other two remained outside ; their conductor returned in a 
second, called them in, and made them wait in a tolerably clean looking 
