Clarence King 



you can have this undoubted me- 

 mento ; and full documents shall fol- 

 low you to Madrid or Lima by the 

 next mail." 



" Honibre!" I replied, " do me the 

 favor to present to the secretary my 

 most respectful compliments, and say 

 that the supposed death of the duchess 

 is a curious mistake. The old lady 

 is living in great luxury in Seville, 

 and her steward is already on the 

 way to redeem her favorite relic." 



The man, who saw the force of my 

 pleasantry, laughed explosively, and 

 shamelessly offered me the basin at 

 two duros and a half. We shook our 

 heads, and rode away. Having gone 

 a hundred yards, we heard a voice, 

 and looking back beheld the servant, 

 who brandished aloft the basin and 

 shouted : ''One duro ? " I answered 

 " Never," and we rode out upon the 

 brown and sunburnt plain. 



Some sheep lay dozing, huddled in 



35 



