ng, the lady-in-waiting on the Queen, two
aides-de-camp, and a _gentil hombre del interior_ (the last must not be
confounded with the _gentiles hombres en ejercicio_, who have the right to
enter the ante-chamber). There are, of course, equerries
(_caballerizos_) who attend, as ours do, on horseback, when the King or
Queen goes out; but the most essentially Spanish attendants are the
Monteros de Espinosa, who have the exclusive right to watch while
Royalty sleeps. These attendants must all be born in Espinosa; it is an
hereditary honour, and the wives of the existing Monteros are careful to
go to Espinosa when they expect an addition to their family, as no one
not actually born there can hold the office. At the present time this
guard is recruited from captains or lieutenants on the retired list.

In the ante-chamber of each member of the Royal Family two of these take
their place at eleven o'clock; they never speak, never sit down, but
pass the whole night pacing the room, crossing each other as they go,
until morning relieves them from what must be rather a trying watch. At
eleven o'clock each evening there is a solemn procession of servants and
officials in imposing uniforms down the grand staircase of the Palace;
every door is closed and locked by a gentleman wearing an antique
costume and a three-cornered hat, and having an enormous bunch of keys.
From that time the Palace remains under the exclusive charge of the
Monteros de Espinosa. Although this is the official programme, it is to
be hoped the hour is not a fixed one. It would be a little cruel to put
the Royal Family to bed so early, without regard to their feelings;
especially as Madrid is essentially a city of late hours, and the
various members of it would have to scamper away from opera, or in fact
any entertainment, as if some malignant fairy were wanting to cast a
spell at the witching hour of midnight. There are some curious
superstitions, however, about being abroad when the clocks strike
twelve, which we must suppose do not now affect the Madrileno.

While the old church of Atocha was still standing, the Court, with a
royal escort, or what is called _escadron de salut_, all the dignitaries
of the Palace in attendance, guards, outriders, etc., in gorgeous array,
drove in half state (_media gala_) across Madrid and the _paseos_ to
hear the _salut "sa'nt"_ on Saturday. The Queen Regent and her
daughters, but not often the King, now visit in turn some of t