72 SOME BIRDS OF THE CANARY ISLANDS 



She left the room, still talking, and returned almost 

 immediately with a bunch of knives and forks in each 

 hand, with which she was gesticulating freely, 



I began to understand now, my friend had gone 

 away and taken some of her cutlery, instead of that 

 which we had brought from the hotel with us. There 

 was evidently nothing to be done till she " ran down," 

 so I waited patiently, the more so as directly I tried to 

 get in an explanatory word the pitch of her voice was 

 raised considerably, she could hardly increase the speed. 



All things come to an end in time, and when she 

 had no breath left to talk with she began to cry. A 

 word now and then, followed by a sob and in the 

 lull of the storm I could catch such expressions as 

 ' ' Muy pobre . . . pero no sJ, Senor . . . Muy 

 pobre" 



Now was my chance, as she gradually relaxed her 

 hold on the knives and forks and placed them on the 

 table. I was very sorry, I said, but Mr. W. was not 

 a thief; I would send a letter that day to him at 

 Orotava, and the Arriero should bring her things up 

 next time he came. As to being very poor, and not 

 knowing anything, I assured her that her cooking was 

 most admirable, as indeed it was. The sun now shone 

 through her tears, she collected her weapons, and left 

 the room. 



We got on very well after that, and she flattered 

 me by saying she could understand me quite well ; I 

 wished I could have paid her the same compliment ; 

 however, she subsequently modified to some extent 

 the speed of her talking. This good woman certainly 

 cooked plain dishes very well, and in the English way, 



