Part 5 (2/2)

So me badly, would blow up your head like a bladder with lies if they could, laying I know not what things to e, when--heaven knows--they themselves are perhaps the authors of all they so readily blame me for'

”'If you speak,' said I, 'of the cattle I have lost, trouble not yourself about such trifles; for if those who speak evil of you, only because they theins to defend hiainst hi they will not say of ained by speaking They have already judged me, and no man wishes to be made a liar'

”'As foryou to be a iven offence I should have told you of it, so great is my frankness towards all men'

”'All that you tell me I firmly believe,' said he, 'for I know that you are not one that wears a reat openness in all things, I co with those who shake you out a whole bushel of chaff for every grain of corn'

”'But, Manuel,' said I, 'you know that I aold, and that the mines of Peru were not left to h price for your horses'

”'I do not deny it,' he replied 'But you are not one to stop your ears against reason and poverty when they speak My horses are lory but them'

”'Frankly, then,' I answered, 'to-morroill tell you yes or no'

”'Let it be as you say; but, friend, if you will close withfro,' said I, 'let it be to-ht and a thousand things to think of'

”After that Manuel got on to his horse and rode away It was black and rainy, but he had never needed ht, whether his own house, or a fat cow--also his own, perhaps

”Then I went to bed The first question I asked myself, when I had blown out the candle, was, Are there fat wethers enough in my flock to pay for the cream-noses? Then I asked, How many fat wethers will it take at the price Don Sebastian--a --offers me a head for them to make up the amount I require?

”That was the question; but, you see, friends, I could not answer it At length, about et an ear of rains into s the whole, I could get to knohat I wanted

”The idea was good I was feeling under ht when I suddenly reiven to the poultry No etting out of bed for nothing Why, it was only yesterday, said I, still thinking about the maize, that Pascuala, the cook, said to oing to buy soood when there is not even an egg to put in it? Then there is the black cock with the twisted toe--one of the second brood the spotted hen raised last suh the foxes carried off no less than three hens fro round with drooping wings all day, so that I verily believe he is going to have the pip And if any epidehbour Gumesinda's the year before last, you est thing is, and it is quite true, though you hbour Gumesinda told me only yesterday when she came to ask me for some parsley, because, as you know very well, her oas all rooted up when the pigs broke into her garden last October; well, sir, she says the epidemic which swept off twenty-seven of her best fowls in one week began by a black cock with a broken toe, just like ours, beginning to droop its wings as if it had the pip'

”'May all the de down the spoon I had been using, 'with her chatter about eggs and pip and neighbour Gumesinda, and I know not what besides! Do you think I have nothing to do but to gallop about the country looking for old at this season, and all because a sickly spotted hen is likely to have the pip?'

”'I have said no such thing,' retorted Pascuala, raising her voice as wo proper attention to what I a you, or you pretend not to understand me For I never said the spotted hen was likely to have the pip; and if she is the fattest fowl in all this neighbourhood you hbour Guive her chopped meat three times a day; and that is why she is never out of the kitchen, so that even the cats are afraid to come into the house, for she flies like a fury into their faces But you are always laying hold ofat all about pip, it was not the spotted hen, but the black cock with the twisted toe, I said was likely to have it'

”'To the devil with your cock and your hen!' I shouted, rising in haste froone and the wo hbour Gumesinda said

'And may all the curses fall on that sahbours' affairs! I knohat the parsley is she cooes about the country giving ihter, when I danced with her at Cousin Teodoro's dance after the cattle-, when, heaven knows, I never cared the blue end of a finger-nail for that girl But things have now come to a pretty pass when even a chicken with a broken toe cannot be indisposed inher beak into the er did I feel at Pascuala when I res besides, for there is no end to that woue, that I could have thrown the dish of meat at her head

”Just then, while occupied with these thoughts, I fell asleep Next ht the horses and paid Manuel his price For there is in ift, when I ahtplain to me, and I rise refreshed and with my determination formed”

Here ended Anselmo's story, without one word about those marvellous otten He began tothat he was about to launch forth on soht and retreated toAnselood-bye to the worthy spinner of intered in perfore wooden bucket under the hen he placed hi the drapery of his picturesque garently away, the picture of a man with a tranquil stohbour Guht, strange to say, for my hospitable hostess had provided me with a deliciously soft bed, a very unusual luxury in the Banda Oriental, and when I plunged into it there were no hungry bedfelloaiting ht about the pastoral siood people slu near me; and that inconsequent story of Anselh several ti around in a wild, uncertain manner, like rooks ”blown about the windy skies,” settled quietly down to the consideration of that beautiful anoarita For how, in the naot there? Whence that pearly skin and lithesoht have taken for a model; the clear, spiritual, sapphire eyes, and the wealth of silky hair, that if unbound would cover her as with a gar et?

When Batata sawpreparations for departure, he warmly pressed me to stay to breakfast I consented at once, for, after all, thethe sooner will it be accomplished--especially in the Banda Oriental One breakfasts here at noon, so that I had plenty of tiarita

In the course of thewe had a visitor; a traveller who arrived on a tired horse, and who slightly knew , I was told, called at the house on former occasions Marcos Marco was his name; a tall, sallow-faced individual about fifty years old, slightly grey, very dirty, and wearing threadbare gaucho garait and ry animal expression of face Very, very keen were his eyes, and I detected hi this Oriental tramp in conversation with Batata, ith misplaced kindness had offered to provide him with a fresh horse, I went out for a walk before breakfast Duringa tiny stream at the foot of the hill on which the house stood, I found a very lovely bell-shaped flower of a delicate rose-colour I plucked it carefully and took it back with arita should she happen to be in the way Onby hi soear, and sat down to have a chat with hih to reward hi this outwardly very unprolishman,” he remarked, after we had had some conversation; and I, of course, replied in the affir!” he said ”And you are fond of gathering pretty flowers?” he continued, with a glance at my treasure