The Helmet of Mambrino 



much. He is called the Bachelor of 

 San Francisco, and he has never seen 

 a Spanish barber's basin, so I want to 

 carry this as a gift to him. We have 

 no barbers' basins in America." 



" Caramba / " she exclaimed, " what 

 a land ! Full of women as black as 

 coals, and no barbers ! My father's 

 cousin had a beard like an English- 

 man when he came back, and his wife 

 looked like a black sheep just sheared. 

 As to the basin, sefior, it is yours." 



Then turning to a hitherto un- 

 noticed roll of rags in a dark corner, 

 she gave an affectionate shove with 

 her foot, which called forth a yawn- 

 ing, smiling lad, who respectfully 

 bowed to us, while yet half asleep. 



" Crisanto, get down the old bar- 

 ber's basin from the patio, and bring 

 it here ! " 



In a moment the boy returned 

 with the old relic, but seemed to 

 hesitate before relinquishing it to his 



2S 



