Part 30 (1/2)
San Augustin is a _pueblo_, endoith certain es
It boasts of an _alcalde-uezils, or policemen
The heads of departente de razon,” as they proudly proclaih many are in reality of mixed blood, Mestizos Of this are the better class of shopkeepers, few in nu a scarce discernible element in the population, which is ines
At a certain season of the year, however, paler co carnival tiustin are croith gay proes andto and fro between it and the capital In Las Pascuas week, one day with another, half Mexico is there engaged in a ga the Derby More like Ho at Tlalpam is not upon the swiftness of horses, but done with dice and cards The national garanderected for its play-- real temples erected to the Goddess Fortuna Inside these est coenerals and colonels, down to the lowest grade, even sergeants and corporals, sitting at the saress, Senators, Cabinet Ministers, and, upon occasions, the Chief of the State, jostling the ragged _lepero_, and not unfrequently standing elbow to elboith the footpad and salteador!-- Soer still, ladies coh birth and proud bearing, but in this carnival of cupidity not disdaining to ”punt” on the _sota_ or _cavallo_, while brushi+ng skirts with bare-armed, barefooted rustic damsels, and _poblanas_, more elaborately robed, but with scantier reputation
After all, it is only Baden on the other side of the Atlantic; and it ustin, the fury lasts for only a few days, instead of a whole season Then the _monte_ banks disappear, with their dealers and croupiers; the great tents are taken down; the ga back to the city; and the little _pueblo_ Tlalpaht of till Carnival coht deem it rather dull, it is nevertheless one of the pleasantest residential villages in the Valley
Picturesquely situated at the foot of the southern Sierras, which forround, it has on the other side water scenery in the curious Laguna de Xochi variety to its surroundings
Besides its fixed population there is one that o These are certain ”ricos,” who chiefly affect its suburbs, where they have handsome houses--_casas de campo_ Not in hundreds, as at San Anjel and Tacubaya, Tlalpareater and more inconvenient distance from the capital Still there are several around it of first-class, belonging to _fah occupied by them only at intervals, and for a few days or weeks at a tinacio Valverde, was a favourite place of residence with him; a tranquil retreat of which he was accustoet away fronu incidents we have recorded, and he went to stay at his San Augustin house with his daughter, the Condesa Aluest Since their last appearance before the reader, all three had passed through scenes of trial An investigation had been gone into regarding the Calle de Plateros affair--private, however, before Santa Anna hi made the wiser for it Its results were all in their favour, thanks to the stern, stubborn fidelity of Jose, who lied like a very varlet Such a circumstantial story told he, no one could suspect him of complicity in the escape of the _forsados_; far less that his mistress, or the Condesa Alnacio, too, had done his share to hinder discovery of the truth
For, in the end, it was found necessary to take hi cloak and pistols, with severala clean breast of it, his daughter had felt no fear of being betrayed by him He was not the father to deal harshly with his child; besides, it was soer
In addition, she kneas affected towards the hest esteem; looked upon hio signified approval of hih Luisa Valverde'sherself to ht otherwise have kept fronacio consented to the deception, and they were saved Whatever the suspicions of Santa Anna and his adjutant, both were baffled about that affair, at least for the time
Alike had they been frustrated in their pursuit of the _escapados_
Despite the al and elsewhere, these could not be found, nor even a trace of thee in the valley, in the mountains around, and the country outside were visited by soldiers or spies--every spot likely to harbour the fugitives Pickets were placed everywhere and patrols despatched, riding the roads by night as by day, all proving abortive
After a tiorous action became relaxed Not that they who had dictated were less desirous of continuing it; but because a eance was soon likely to declare itself, and threaten their own safety Talk was beginning to be heard, though only in whispers, and at a far distance from the capital, of a new _pronuncia counter-preparations, the Dictator had now enough to occupy all his energies; not knowing the day or the hour he ain hear the cry he so dreaded, ”Patria y Libertad”
Meanwhile the people had ceased to speak of the stirring episode which had occurred in the Calle de Plateros; thought strange only from the odd circu _Tejanos_ The city of Mexico has its daily newspapers, and on theafter a full account of it appeared in _El Diario_ and _El Monitor_ For all it was but the topic of a week; in ten days no otten, save by those whom it specially concerned So varied are the events, so frequent the changes, so strange the Cosas de Mexico!
CHAPTER FORTY SEVEN
OVER THE CLIFF
For some time after their arrival at the old ht of their late ”fourth fellow” prisoner--the hunchback They cared not to inquire after hi,--”This chile don't want ever to sit eyes on his ugly pictur agin” They supposed that he was still there, however, so
And so was he, with a chain attached to his leg, the same he had shared with Rock, its severed end now padlocked to a ring bolt; and the apartment he occupied had as much of the prison aspect as any cell in the Acordada No doubt, in days gone by, many a refractory brother had pined and done penance therein for breach of monastic discipline
Why the mis-shapen creature was so kept needs little explanation; for the sa hiht appear, he was not harmless; and Don Ruperto knew that to restore hi h safely bestowed, however, no severity was shown hiularly, and a bed to sleep on, if but a pallet, quite as good as he had been accustomed to Moreover, after some time had elapsed, he was relieved fro the hours of the day A clever actor, and having a tongue that could ”wheedle with the devil,”