reciosa," returned the other; "for the praises you
bestow on the page are so many lance-thrusts through Andrew's heart.
Look at him as he sits aghast, thrown back on his chair, with a cold
perspiration breaking through all his pores. Do not imagine, maiden,
that he loves you so lightly but that the least slight from you
distracts him. Go to him, for God's sake, and whisper a few words in his
ear, that may go straight to his heart, and recall him to himself. Go on
receiving such madrigals as this every day, and just see what will come
of it."

It was just as he had said. Andrew had been racked by a thousand
jealousies on hearing the verses; and was so overcome that his father
observed it, and cried out, "What ails you, Don Juan? You are turned
quite pale, and look as if you were going to faint."

"Wait a moment," said Preciosa, "let me whisper certain words in his
ear, and you will see that he will not faint." Then bending over him she
said, almost without moving her lips, "A pretty sort of gitano you will
make! Why, Andrew, how will you be able to bear the torture with
gauze,[73] when you are overcome by a bit of paper?" Then making
half-a-dozen signs of the cross over his heart, she left him, after
which Andrew breathed a little, and told his friends that Preciosa's
words had done him good.

[73] One of the ways in which the torture was formerly administered in
Spain, was by making the patient swallow pieces of gauze in water.

Finally, the two-faced doubloon was given to Preciosa, who told her
companions that she would change it, and share the amount honourably
with them. Andrew's father intreated her to leave him in writing the
words she had spoken to his son, as he wished by all means to know them.
She said she would repeat them with great pleasure; and that though they
might appear to be mere child's play, they were of sovereign virtue to
preserve from the heartache and dizziness of the head. The words were
these:--

Silly pate, silly pate,
Why run on at this rate?
No tripping, or slipping, or sliding!
Have trusty assurance,
And patient endurance
And ever be frank and confiding.
To ugly suspicion
Refuse all admission,
Nor let it your better sense twist over.
All this if you do
You'll not rue,
For excellent things will ensue,
With the good help of God and St. Christopher.

"Only say these words," she continued, "over any person who ha