The Smuggler Chief

of the ocean, whose calm and smooth surface was tinged by the ardent beams of the sun, which had spent two-thirds of its course. It was a saint's day, and the people, dressed in their best clothes, whose varied colours offer the eye such a piquant effect, hurried along with shouts, song, and laughter, of which no idea can be formed in Europe. In South America a holiday is the

not to be recognised and delayed, mingled with the crowd, and elbowing and elbowed, pushing and pushed, t

e ex-Spanish colonies, the cloak is constantly in use, and almost indispensable! It is worn everywhere and always in all weathers and all places, at every hour of the night and of the day. T

ence. The American never works save when driven into his last entrenchments, when hunger forces him to lay aside his careless and contemplative habits in order to earn means to support

rs, and a cloak. When he has succeeded in obtaining these objects of permanent necessity, he is all right and his honour is saved, for thanks to the exceptional talent which he possesses of draping himself elegantl

ate, the advantage of the cloak is felt in the fact that it is ample and wide, leaves the limbs liberty of movement, and

stopped before the church adjoining the convent. There they separated: Crevel proceeded toward the gate of the community, and Leon,

li, in the Renaissance style. It is lofty, large, and well lighted by a number of arched windows, whose coloured glass is among the finest specimens of the art. A double row of columns delicately carved, suppor

is of lapis lazuli, and sixteen silver columns support a dome painted blue, and studded! with gold stars, above the splendid t

ined more a?rial or coquettish than the ebony pulpit, inlaid with mother-of-pearl, used by the preacher. This pulpit is a masterpiece, and it is said that a Spanish workman, finding himself in great danger, made a vow to Nuestra Se?ora del Carmen that he would give her a pulpit if he escaped. Having

r. When Leon entered the church it was full of faithful people. Upwards of two thousand candles spread a dazzl

n bring with them small square carpets on which they kneel. This custom may perhaps injure the symmetry, but it certainly imparts to the assembly of the faithful a more religious appearance. We do not see,

felt himself involuntarily assailed by a melancholy feeling. Gradually forgetting the motive of his presence at this sacred spot, he

looking around him rather through habit than distrust, in order to make certain that he was not followed. The door was not opened, but a trap in the niche of the upper panel was p

a Purísim

woman replied, who was no other than th

ry ill," Crevel repea

ing at the newcomer more attentively, "you are the worthy Frenchman established in the Calle San Ag

g her to accept." Crevel, like a good many of his fellow traders, had the praisewor

small eyes glistened with covetousness; "wait a

d I will wait as l

f a quarter of an hour the door was opened just wide enough to leave passage for a man. The la

ister porter; "it is a long way

aking advantage of the invitatio

poncho the two bottles, wh

e these bottles to your Mother Superior, b

ail, brother,

ottle, "take this, which I brought for you, and which will do you good,

k you; but tell me the nature of t

en dizziness, and as your convent possesses a miraculous w

that I cannot make you a present of it; but this water is deposited in my ha

st observation, he drew four piastres from his pocket, which he placed in the sister's hand. The latter put them out of sight with a vivacity which astonished the banian himself: then running to a chest of dra

ed it with marks of

do me good," he said, striv

oubt it,

comprehend that nothing need detain him now that he had what

ire, in spite of the charm which your conversat

"hence I will not keep you; you know that

r, thanks. And

ll, my

oward the door, but the

forgotten, "I trust that the accident which happened to one of

s to Heave

er; then she has

ister porter, "that she is

a Maria de Soto-

now he

formerly butler to t

that Sister Maria left this morning for the countr

we shall meet again soon," Crevel exclai

d the sister, surprised

ks, t

already in

r was still waiting for Crevel to rejoin him. After remaining a quarter of an hour in the church, he l

d he was b

sked, on app

l, with satisfaction, "I

k at

ectly well, and feels no effects from t

ex

something

," the smuggler cried, a

Se?or Caballero; you will never

nd he stamped his foot passiona

ing the young lady left the

?" Leon asked, u

sister porter assu

ase, I am

hy

you have m

ened his horse and leaped on its back. Then, throwing his purse to the lan

devil's certainly in that fellow, or he h

appearing round the corner of the square, the worthy land

t, he is a g