104 INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



ter, of a gentleman of the village ; perhaps it w^as 

 that she seemed so ill fitted to buffet v^ith contume- 

 ly and reproach that gave such an indescribable 

 interest to her appearance ; but, fortunately, brought 

 up in her father's house, she may go through life 

 w^ithout meeting an averted face, or feeling that a 

 stain rests upon her name. 



As may be supposed, the presence of this senori- 

 ta on the floor did not escape the keen eyes of 

 the mercurial fiscal. All at once he became ex- 

 cited and restless, and, starting to his feet, gazed 

 at her for a moment as if entranced by a vision, 

 and then, as if carried away by his excitement, and 

 utterly unconscious of what he was about, he push- 

 ed aside the vaquero who was dancing with her, 

 and, flinging his sombrero on the ground, cried out 

 in a tone of ecstacy, " Voy baylar con vd, mi cora- 

 zon !" " I am going to dance with you, my heart !" 

 As he danced, his excitement seemed to increase ; 

 forgetting everything around him, the expression of 

 his face became rapt, fixed, intense ; he tore ofl' his 

 cacique's mantle, and, dancing toward her, spread 

 it at the lady's feet. This seemed only to excite 

 him more ; and, as if forgetful of everything else, he 

 seized the collar of his camisa, and, dancing violent- 

 ly all the time, with a nervous grasp, tugged as if 

 he meant to pull it over his head, and throw all that 

 he was worth at her feet. Failing in this, for a mo- 

 ment he seemed to give up in despair, but all at 

 once he thrust his hands under the long garment, 



