There Is One Particular Festival Of The Year At
Which Four Dignified Ecclesiastics Are Sure To Visit Me; And Then,
When All Is Made Close And Secure, And The Fitting Ceremonies Have
Been Gone Through, They Sit Down Upon The Floor And Curse.
Myself. - Are you numerous in the large towns?
Abarbenel. - By no means; our places of abode are seldom the large
towns; we prefer the villages, and rarely enter the large towns but
on business. Indeed we are not a numerous people, and there are
few provinces of Spain which contain more than twenty families.
None of us are poor, and those among us who serve, do so more from
choice than necessity, for by serving each other we acquire
different trades. Not unfrequently the time of service is that of
courtship also, and the servants eventually marry the daughters of
the house.
We continued in discourse the greater part of the night; the next
morning I prepared to depart. My companion, however, advised me to
remain where I was for that day. "And if you respect my counsel,"
said he, "you will not proceed farther in this manner. To-night
the diligence will arrive from Estremadura, on its way to Madrid.
Deposit yourself therein; it is the safest and most speedy mode of
travelling. As for your animal, I will myself purchase her. My
servant is here, and has informed me that she will be of service to
us. Let us, therefore, pass the day together in communion, like
brothers, and then proceed on our separate journeys." We did pass
the day together; and when the diligence arrived I deposited myself
within, and on the morning of the second day arrived at Madrid.
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