On Returning To The House, I Found The
Two Travelling Merchants Enjoying Profound Slumber On Various
Mantas Or Mule-Cloths Stretched On The Floor.
"You are a French
merchant, I suppose, Caballero," said a man, who it seemed was the
master of the house, and whom I had not before seen.
"You are a
French merchant, I suppose, and are on the way to the fair of
Medina." "I am neither Frenchman nor merchant," I replied, "and
though I purpose passing through Medina, it is not with the view of
attending the fair." "Then you are one of the Irish Christians
from Salamanca, Caballero," said the man; "I hear you come from
that town." "Why do you call them Irish Christians?" I replied.
"Are there pagans in their country?" "We call them Christians,"
said the man, "to distinguish them from the Irish English, who are
worse than pagans, who are Jews and heretics." I made no answer,
but passed on to the room which had been prepared for me, and from
which, the door being ajar, I heard the following conversation
passing between the innkeeper and his wife:-
Innkeeper. - Muger, it appears to me that we have evil guests in the
house.
Wife. - You mean the last comers, the Caballero and his servant.
Yes, I never saw worse countenances in my life.
Innkeeper. - I do not like the servant, and still less the master.
He has neither formality nor politeness: he tells me that he is
not French, and when I spoke to him of the Irish Christians, he did
not seem to belong to them.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 297 of 809
Words from 82766 to 83031
of 222596
