Una Limitada Cena 



for supper. The landlady, to whom I was referred, apathe- 

 tically announced that there was nothing whatever in the 

 house ; but the rest of the party supping, begged me to be 

 seated, and sup with them. The elements before them were 

 nothing more than bread, and a large salad-bowl with some 

 remains of lettuce floating in much vinegar and water, dotted 

 with little yellow blebs of oil. I was too hungry to stand 

 on ceremony, and sat down at once. They gave me a great 

 hunch of bread and a wooden spoon, and I followed the 

 example of the company, dipping in the dish and eating the 

 sopped bread, with such shreds and tatters of lettuce as I 

 could fish up with my spoon. 



When all the verdura (green stuff) was finished, the 

 bowl was passed round, and one after another tilting it up, 

 took a long drink. One of the men, as he put it down 

 with a gasp, remarked that it was a capital thing to refresh 

 the blood [rifrescar la sangre). 



My hunger was by no means satisfied ; but examining 

 the table more narrowly after the party had risen, all except 

 myself and the mozo de la cuadra (ostler), I discovered a 

 small plate covered over with an inverted saucer. This 

 concealed treasure was a fractional reserve of olla^ set aside 

 for the supper of the landlady's little girl, as I discovered 

 without much compunction after it had been devoured ; for 

 I fell upon it without asking questions, though it smelt and 

 tasted powerfully of garlic. The landlady now bethought 

 herself to ask me if I would have a jarro (pitcher) of wine 

 and some olives. With the aid of these accessories and 

 more bread, I managed at last to replenish the vacuum 

 which a long walk (about twelve miles) had caused in my 

 vitals. 



The jarro held more than I could drink, so I shared it 

 with the ;n(5Z(7, a polite, hard-featured man, who seemed 



95 



