The Shepherd's Clock 



afforded good hand and foot hold, though at the outset it 

 leaned over a little, which gave the experiment a certain air 

 of difficulty. 



The tops are mostly of the same level, and were varied 

 only by occasional pines and cedars lifting their heads above 

 the alleys. 



It would be an admirable place for pic-nics ; and the cool 

 shady lanes seem made for loving loiterers to lose their way 

 among, when pigeon-pie and champagne have a little 

 obfuscated their notions of locality. 



Emerging from the city, we met in the piny suburbs a 

 venerable shepherd with flowing silver hair. His hut was 

 near at hand, and as we were hungry, he gave us to eat of a 

 sort of cake resembling the broad bakstones of Yorkshire. 

 We in return presented him with c'lgarillos. 



We wanted to know what time it was, and after a careful 

 observation of the sun's altitude, he assured us with con- 

 fidence it was half-past eleven. " Pues el cielo es su reloj, 

 muy cuerdo tiene Vmd. su relojero, que no se enganen 

 horoscopos de su hechura."* 



On our return to Val de Cabras, we dined magnificently 

 on a roasted kid, and a kind of fritters, made of crumbs 

 moulded in little lumps with egg and sugar, fried in oil, and 

 served with wine sauce. They were very good — better than 

 our English sample of Spanish fritters. After dinner, Don 

 Roberto's guide conducted us home to Cuenca, that he might 

 bring back our mules. On our way we bathed in the Jucar 

 where it enters the gorge, and arrived about sunset. 



Next day we returned to Madrid in the interior of the 

 diligence, which was nearly as much too hot as the banqueta 



* Since the heaven is your dial, your worship has an excellent 

 clockmaker ; for time-pieces of his workmanship are never out 

 of order. 



335 



