Part 11 (1/2)
Wherefore Encarna mortally hated Milagros and the members of her family; every hour of the day she branded them as vulgarians, starvelings, and insulted them with such scoffing sobriquets as Mendrugo, ”Beggar's Crumb,” which was applied by her to the proof-reader, and ”The Madwoman of the Vatican,” which meant his daughter.
It was not at all rare for such hatreds, between persons forced almost into living in common, to grow to violent rancour and malevolence; thus, the members of one and the other family never looked at each other without exchanging curses and wishes for the most disastrous misfortunes.
CHAPTER III
Roberto Hastings at the Shoemaker's--Procession of Beggars--Court of Miracles.
One morning toward the end of September Roberto appeared in the doorway of _The Regeneration of Footwear_, and thrusting his head into the shop exclaimed:
”h.e.l.lo, Manuel!”
”h.e.l.lo, Don Roberto!”
”Working, eh?”
Manuel shrugged his shoulders, indicating that the job was not exactly to his taste.
Roberto hesitated for a moment, but at last made up his mind and entered the shop.
”Have a seat,” invited Senor Ignacio, offering him a chair.
”Are you Manuel's uncle?”
”At your service.”
Roberto sat down, offered a cigar to Senor Ignacio and another to Leandro, and the three began to smoke.
”I know your nephew,” said Roberto to the proprietor, ”for I live in the house where Petra works.”
”You do?”
”And I wish you'd let him off today for a couple of hours.”
”All right, senor. All afternoon, if you wish.”
”Fine. Then I'll call for him after lunch.”
”Very well.”
Roberto watched them work for a while, then suddenly jumped up and left.
Manuel could not understand what Roberto wanted, and in the afternoon waited for him with genuine impatience. Roberto carne, and the pair turned out of Aguila Street down toward the Ronda de Segovia.
”Do you know where La Doctrina is?” Roberto asked Manuel.
”What Doctrina?”
”A place where herds of beggars meet every Friday.”