1831.] RecoUectiovx of Scenes and Cities. 211 



a layer of oil upon it lialf an inch deep^ elicited two or three Mon Dieus ! 

 from the little Frangaiscs, as well as from his Swedish IMajesty's consul ; 

 but the Sarclivas were delicious, and that may redeem much ; the Cas- 

 tilian and Biscayan ladies were affable, as all Spanish women are; the 

 Caballeros, somewhat reserved, as they always are when foreigners are 

 present ; the Jewess silent, but slyly making an impression in her own 

 way, and the French girls full of gaielc de cceur. I had forgotten to 

 say that the friar was a man of the world, and seemed for that day to 

 have q^uite forgotten his convent, and that he did extraordinary execu- 

 tion upoiv the oily soup. 



The feast ended — every one rose, as I imagined, to amuse themselves, 

 each according to bis inclination • but to my infinite surprise, as I stood 

 at the window, looking out upon the sea-beach, I saw first one, and then 

 another, step out of the house, and trip across the sand in bathing- 

 dresses. These were the Castilian ladies ; then followed the Biscayan 

 lady and her daughter ; next, out stepped the two Caballeins, breeched 

 in drawers, and carrying huge bladders ; then the Jewess ; then his 

 Swedish ]\Iajesty's consul, attired like the Caballeros ; and lastly, the 

 piqiiantes Franqaises, holding down their heads, and rather shaming 2LX.\he 

 thing. As for the Jew and the friar, they had seated themselves at the 

 door, with their cigars, to enjoy this exhibition of the Nereides ; and, 

 as for me, I followed the example of the majority, provided myself 

 with small-clothes, and was soon one of the party. In fact it was 

 merely an adjournment from the breakfast-room to the sea. The ladies 

 were becomingly dressed, wearing straw bonnets, for nobody wetted 

 the head, but promenaded up to the waist, sometimes swimming a little, 

 by the aid of bladders. Conversation continued as before, but was 

 more general, compliments became more pointed, and gallantry waxed 

 warmer, notwithstanding the element in which it was carried on. The 

 Spanish ladies appeared to be entirely at their ease, but the Fratigaises 

 seemed rather to decline a flirtation with the half-naked Caballeros. 

 This continued at least an hour, and then every one returned to the fonda. 

 I inquired of the friar why he kept aloof, and did not join the Paseo. 

 His answer was, that it would not have been decenle — he did not scruple, 

 however, to sit at the door of the fonda while the Senoras and Senoriias, 

 almost so many Musidoras, passed by. 



Let me pass to a very different scene, and a very different part of 

 Spain. I had returned to my quarto (bed-chamber), at Giiadex, a town 

 in the kingdom of Granada, and some hours after I had fallen asleep 

 I was awoke by the sound of angry voices underneath my window. It 

 was a bright moonlight, and as tliere was no glass in the windows, I 

 had only to rise, and step stealthily across the floor. I saw two men 

 stsmding — there had been a pause of a few seconds, and just as I looked 

 out, one said to the other, in a contemptuous tone, Engano ! (cheat) 

 and the next moment the long blade of a Gaudex knife was plunged in 

 his body — a groan — " oh ! Deos" — and the heavy fall of the dead man, 

 were all tliat were lu-ard. The murderer deliberately wiped his bloody 

 knife upon his crimson girdle (a convenient colour, by the bye, in those 

 parts), muttered something to himself, in which I could only hear 

 " Satita Maria," and walked away. Tlie murdered man l;iy within 

 four yards of my window, and the bright moonliglit fell white upon his 

 ghastly countenance, and shewed me also tlie dark stain upon the 

 groimd, from the blood that had gushed from tiie wound. To have fol- 



M.M. AW .Vmc'*— VoL.XII. No. (Ji). 2 A 



