. AN ADVENTURE IN THE PYRENEES. 459 



scending the Pyrenees, with the expectation of reaching the 

 nearest Spanish village by dark. The path was extremely 

 dangerous. In some places, it was just wide enough to allow 

 the mules to move along without jogging their sides against 

 the sharp rocks. In others it slanted off to the edge of awful 

 precipices, down which no one could fall and live. The mules 

 were generally left to take their own course. They knew the 

 path much better than even the muleteer, and the guidance 

 of the rein could only have embarrassed them. 



Donna Costanza, the lady of whom we have spoken, seemed 

 to be fearful of accident. She scarcely dared to gaze at the 

 cliffs that projected above her head in many places, and 

 when the mule passed along the brink of a precipice, she 

 shrunk back, and a half-suppressed shriek escaped her lips. 

 At such times, Narciso, her servant, would show his care for 

 the safety of his mistress by placing his muscular arm around 

 the saddle-seat and holding firmly to her hand. One could 

 not have fallen without dragging all down the precipice. 



To add to the fright of the lady, the reckless muleteer 

 would occasionally mention that bears were numerous among 

 the mountains, and that travellers had frequently severe con- 

 flicts with them. As a comforter, he was certainly a devoted 

 disciple of the scriptural Job. Imagination, of course, mag- 

 nified the causes of the dread which made Donna Costanza 

 trembles. The stumps of a pine assumed the formidable 

 shape of a bear ; and a speck of black in the clouds became 

 a rapidly rising storm. However, the fears of the Donna 

 were destined to have an unprophetic termination, for the 

 party arrived at a Spanish inn, near the foot of the moun- 

 tains, and by the side of a rapid stream, without any accident 

 more important than the snapping of a guitar string, which 

 the muleteer consigned mentally to another, and a worse 

 world. 



The Donna immediately retired to the best chamber in the 

 inn, \vhile Narciso secured the baggage, and ordered supper, 



