Королі та капуста

           OnedayDickysawPasa,thedaughterofMadamaOrtiz,sittingintheside-dooroftheHoteldelosEstranjeros.Hestoppedinhistracks,still,forthefirsttimeinCoralio;andthenhesped,swiftasadeer,tofindVasquez,agildednativeyouth,topresenthim.

           TheyoungmenhadnamedPasa"LaSantitaNaranjadita."NaranjaditaisaSpanishwordforacertaincolourthatyoumustgotomoretroubletodescribeinEnglish.Bysaying"Thelittlesaint,tintedthemostbeautiful-delicate-slightly-orange-golden,"youwillapproximatethedescriptionofMadamaOrtiz’sdaughter.

           LaMadamaOrtizsoldruminadditiontootherliquors.Now,youmustknowthattherumexpiateswhateveropprobriumattendsupontheothercommodities.Forrum-making,mindyou,isagovernmentmonopoly;andtokeepagovernmentdispensaryassuresrespectabilityifnotpreëminence.Moreover,thesaddestofprecisianscouldfindnofaultwiththeconductoftheshop.Customersdrankthereinthelowestofspiritsandfearsomely,asintheshadowofthedead;forMadama’sancientandvauntedlineagecounteractedeventherum’sbehesttobemerry.For,wasshenotoftheIglesias,wholandedwithPizarro?Andhadnotherdeceasedhusbandbeencomisionadodecaminosypuentesforthedistrict?

           IntheeveningsPasasatbythewindowintheroomnexttotheonewheretheydrank,andstrummeddreamilyuponherguitar.Andthen,bytwosandthrees,wouldcomevisitingyoungcaballerosandoccupytheprimlineofchairssetagainstthewallofthisroom.