The Spanish Cavalier

visitor, Donna Maria de Rivas, a middle-aged lady of Seville, well known to the Aguiler

pression on her face was that of keen curiosity; and even before she greeted Inez with a k

, "and Don Alcala is to appear in full f

o know all that concerned them. Perhaps to the motherless girl at her side it was some relief to pour forth the tale of her sorrows to one who professed at least to feel a strong interest in the children of her early companion. In the

grandmother and brother, I mean-have no l

distinguished hidalgos of Sp

could not endure to see our aged grandmother wanting what her infirmities required. Alcala therefore consented to-to"-Inez was a Spaniard, and may be forgiven if she had inherite

ia, pitying her friends under what she regarded

on with

est society of Seville. He spent his evenings often-ah! much t

has beautiful eyes," observed the visitor with a mea

Alcala had never, never met their basilisk glance! It is not her wealth that he cares for

suitors insulted De Aguilera in

ady's white glove.' Then Alcala fired up at the taunt; it had stung him to the quick. He was roused to speak of his fathers, of their triumphs over the Moors, and to tell how one of our race had gained a chain of gold from Queen Joanna for spearing a huge bull at a gran foncion held in her presence.

m to a word so hastily spoke

ow encounter the bull, that the desperate struggle is left to picador and ma

er cavalier to attempt so rash

ature as the crowning triumph of her beauty! She will be there-Antonia will be in the Plaza de Toros, and she will look on with

on the shoulder of the sobbing girl; "Donna Antonia de Rivadeo may see the t

im?" she added sadly. "Alcala has had no training for the bull-ring, as had knights and gentlemen of old. They had active and powerful s

Maria; "there will be the matadors, the picadors, the chulos,[8]

king rapidly. "My father took me when I was a child; but he never ventured to take me again. The sight-the horrible sight of the poor gored horses madly rushing round the circus in their agony haunted me for weeks,-it brought on a nervous fever! And how the scene comes back on my memory now in terrible distinctness! I long lay awake last night trying, but trying in vain, to drive away thought by repeating aves and credos, till I dropped asleep at last

d then Donna Maria said, "Have you attempted to dissua

ped his knees, and implored as if for my life? I pained, but I

a Maria, glancing down at the embroidered jacket and scarlet

w much of her brother's hardly-earned gains had been frittered away on that gaudy costume; nor how she had not only given the labour of her hands, but sacrificed every little silver

served Donna Maria in an encouraging tone. "

ez de Aguilera, "and yet-hark! surely there is the soun

enter," suggested Donna Maria. "

and a letter, in the other a lantern borrowed from Donna Maria's attendant, who was waiting with her mule-carriage in the street. Inez had a presentiment that the missive was from her brother, a

note was a

my dress to the Posada[9] de Quesada; he knows the place well. Kiss for me the hand of our venerable

TNO

l costume o

e bull on horse-back. The matador meets

sticking into him small darts with

An