LOVE IN A PHRENSY. 



105 



seized the sash around his waist, and, still dancing 

 with all his might, unwound it, and, moving up to 

 her with mingled grace, gallantry, and desperation, 

 dropped it at her feet, and danced back to his place. 

 By this time his calzoncillos, kept up by the sash, 

 were giving way. Grasping them furiously, and 

 holding them up with both hands, as if by a great 

 effort, he went on dancing with a desperate expres- 

 sion of face that was irresistibly ludicrous. 



During all this time the company was convulsed 

 w^ith laughter, and I could not help remarking the 

 extreme modesty and propriety of the young lady, 

 who never even smiled or looked at him, but, when 

 the dance was ended, bowed and returned to her 

 seat. The poor fiscal stood gazing at the vacant 

 place where she had stood, as if the sun of his ex- 

 istence had set. At length he turned his head and 

 called out " amigo," asked if there were any such 

 Mestizas in my country ; if I would like to take 

 her home with me ; then said that he could not spare 

 this one, but I might take my choice of the others ; 

 insisting loudly upon my making a selection, and 

 promising to deliver any one I liked to me at the 

 convent. 



At first I supposed that these fiscales were, like 

 the vaqueros, the principal young men of the vil- 

 lage, who, for that day, gave themselves up to frolic 

 and fun, but I learned that these were not willing to 

 assume such a character, but employed others known 

 to them for wit and humour, and, at the same time, 



Vol. IL— O 



