girls fill this for me unknown to my master, and
the purveyor brings me on the sly a bottle holding a good gallon, which
makes up for the deficiency of the jug."

"That's the way to live, my boy, for a dry throat can neither grunt nor
sing."

"Well, go your ways now, and God be with you; but don't forget to come
and sing here every night until such time as you bring the tools for
getting you within doors. My fingers itch to be at the guitar."

"I'll come, never fear, and I'll bring some new tunes too."

"Ay, do; but before you go away now, sing me something that I may go to
sleep pleasantly; and for the matter of payment, be it known to the
_senor pobre_ that I will be more liberal than many a rich man."

"Oh, I ain't uneasy on that score. If you think I teach you well, I will
leave it to yourself to pay me accordingly. And now I'll just sing you
one song, but when I am inside you will see wonders."

Here ended this long dialogue, and Loaysa sang a sprightly ditty with
such good effect, that the negro was in ecstacies, and felt as if the
time for opening the door would never arrive.

Having finished his song, Loaysa took his departure, and set off at a
rounder pace than might have been expected of a man on crutches, to
report to his friends what a good beginning he had made. He told them
what he had concerted with the negro, and the following day they
procured tools of the right sort, fit to break any fastening as if it
was made of straw. The virote failed not to serenade the negro, nor the
latter to scrape at the gate-post till he had made a sufficiently wide
hole, which he plastered up so well, that no one could perceive it
unless he searched for it on purpose. On the second night Loaysa passed
in the tools, Luis went to work with them, whipped off the staple in a
trice, opened the door, and let in his Orpheus. Great was his surprise
to see him on his two crutches, with such a distorted leg, and in such a
tattered plight. Loaysa did not wear the patch over his eye, for it was
not necessary, and as soon as he entered he embraced his pupil, kissed
him on the cheek, and immediately put into his hand a big jar of wine, a
box of preserves, and other sweet things, with which his wallet was well
stored. Then throwing aside his crutches, he began to cut capers, as if
nothing ailed him, to the still greater amazement of the negro.

"You must know, brother Luis," said Loaysa, "that my lameness does not
come of natural i