AN OFFICIOUS ACQUAINTANCE. 177 



to be discontinued, and went with him to his house, 

 where we had a cup of very poor chocolate, which 

 he followed up by telling us that we must eat at his 

 house during the whole of our stay in the village, 

 and that we must not spend a cent for la comida, or 

 food. Our daily expenses at Nohcacab, he said, 

 were enormous ; and when we left he escorted us 

 home, carrying with him a little earthen vessel con- 

 taining castor oil with a wick in it, and said we must 

 not spend any money for candles, and again came 

 to the point by insisting upon our promising to dine 

 at his house the next day. 



In the mean time Albino had inquired him out, and 

 we found that we had secured a valuable acquaint- 

 ance. Don Juan was one of the oldest settlers, 

 and one of the most influential inhabitants. He 

 was not then in public office, but he was highly con- 

 nected. One of his brothers was first alcalde, and 

 another keeper of the gambling-table. 



We considered his attentions for the evening at 

 an end, but in a short time he entered abruptly, and 

 with a crowd at his heels. This time he was really 

 welcome, for he called us out to look at a lunar rain- 

 bow, which the people, looking at it in connexion 

 with our visit and its strange objects, considered 

 rather ominous, and Don Juan himself was not en- 

 tirely at ease ; but it did not disturb the gentlemen 

 around the gambling-table, who had, in the mean 

 time, to avoid the night air, moved under the shed 



Vol. II.— Z 



