l of a moral character; for
Preciosa would never permit those in her company to sing immodest songs,
nor would she ever sing them herself. The old gitana came with her, for
she now watched her as closely as Argus, and never left her side, lest
some one should carry her off. She called her granddaughter, and the
girl believed herself to be her grandchild.

The young gitanas began their dance in the shade, in the Calle de
Toledo, and were soon encircled by a crowd of spectators. Whilst they
danced, the old woman gathered money among the bystanders, and they
showered it down like stones on the highway; for beauty has such power
that it can awaken slumbering charity. The dance over, Preciosa said,
"If you will give me four quartos, I will sing by myself a beautiful
romance about the churching of our lady the Queen Dona Margarita. It is
a famous composition, by a poet of renown, one who may be called a
captain in the battalion of poets." No sooner had she said this, than
almost every one in the ring cried out, "Sing it, Preciosa; here are my
four quartos;" and so many quartos were thrown down for her, that the
old gitana had not hands enough to pick them up. When the gathering was
ended, Preciosa resumed her tambourine, and sang the promised romance,
which was loudly encored, the whole audience crying out with one voice,
"Sing again, Preciosa, sing again, and dance for us, girl: thou shalt
not want quartos, whilst thou hast the ground beneath thy feet."

Whilst more than two hundred persons were thus looking on at the dance,
and listening to the singing of the gitana, one of the lieutenants of
the city passed by; and seeing so many people together, he asked what
was the occasion of the crowd. Being told that the handsome gitana was
singing there, the lieutenant, who was not without curiosity, drew near
also to listen, but in consideration of his dignity, he did not wait for
the end of the romance. The gitanilla, however, pleased him so much,
that he sent his page to tell the old crone to come to his house that
evening with her troop, as he wished his wife Dona Clara to hear them.
The page delivered the message, and the old gitana promised to attend.

After the performance was ended, and the performers were going
elsewhere, a very well-dressed page came up to Preciosa, and giving her
a folded paper, said, "Pretty Preciosa, will you sing this romance? It
is a very good one, and I will give you others from time to time, by
wh