184 



INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



sons, they could not be brought into right juxtaposi- 

 tion to the table. Consequently, we sent for our two 

 borrowed chairs, and, with the table in front of one 

 of the hammocks, we were all seated except our host, 

 who proposed to wait upon us. There was one 

 aristocratic arrangement in Don Juan's household. 

 His kitchen was on the other side of the street, a 

 rickety old frame of poles, and Don Juan, after run- 

 ning across several times, bare-headed, to watch the 

 progress of the dinner, returned and threw himself 

 into a hammock a little within the doorway, crying 

 out across the street, " Trae la comida, muchacha." 

 " Bring the dinner, girl." The first course included 

 a bowl of soup, a plate of rice, and three spoons ; 

 rather an alarming intimation, but at the same time 

 rather grand, and much better than the alternative 

 that sometimes happened, of three plates and one 

 spoon, or none at all ; and all apprehension was dis- 

 sipated by the reappearance of the girl with another 

 bowl and plate. Don Juan himself followed with 

 each hand full, and we had a bowl, plate, and spoon 

 apiece. The contents disposed of, another dish was 

 served, which, by counting the wings and legs, we 

 ascertained to be the substance of two fowls ; and 

 while attending to them, we were engaged in the 

 friendly office, which guests but rarely do for their 

 host, of calculating the expense he was incurring. 

 We had too good an opinion of Don Juan's shrewd- 

 ness to believe that he was making this lavish ex- 

 penditure in mere wantonness, and wondered what 



