magined; I had not the time to waste, during
eighteen months, in dancing attendance at fortune's door; therefore
I determined to make this eye myself, without which the coquetish
captain would not be seen. I took some pieces of glass, a tube, and
set to work. After many fruitless attempts, I at last succeeded in
obtaining the perfect form of an eye; but this was not all--it must
be coloured to resemble nature. I sent for a poor carriage-painter,
who managed to imitate tolerably well the left eye of Don Juan. It
was necessary to preserve this painting from contact with the tears,
which would soon have destroyed it. To accomplish this I had made by
a jeweller a silver globe, smaller than the glass eye, inside which
I united it by means of sealing-wax. I carefully polished the edges
upon a stone, and after eight days' labour I obtained a satisfactory
result. The eye which I had succeeded in producing was really not so
bad after all. I was anxious to place it within the vacant orbit. It
somewhat inconvenienced the Senor Don Juan, but I persuaded him that
he would soon become accustomed to it. Placing across his nose a
pair of spectacles, he examined himself in the looking-glass, and
was so satisfied with his appearance that he decided on commencing
his visits the following day.

As I had anticipated, the re-appearance in the world of Captain Juan
Porras made a great sensation, and soon the consequence was, that
Senor Don Pablo, the eminent French physician--most especially the
clever oculist--was much spoken of. From all quarters patients came to
me. Notwithstanding my youth and inexperience, my first success gave
me such confidence that I performed several operations upon persons
afflicted with cataracts, which succeeded most fortunately. I no longer
sufficed to my large connection, and in a few days, from the greatest
distress, I attained perfect opulence: I had a carriage-and-four in my
stables. I could not, however, notwithstanding this change of fortune,
resign myself to leave Don Juan's house, out of gratitude for the
hospitality he so generously offered me. In my leisure hours he kept
me company, and amused me with the recital of his battle stories and
personal adventures. I had already spent nearly six months with him,
when a circumstance, which forms an epoch in my life, changed my
existence, and compelled me to quit the lively captain. One of my
American friends often called my attention in our walks towards a
yo