ee girls retired from the manger, another and larger band
appeared beneath the gallery opposite the shepherds, singing in sweet
voices a salutation to the three who had just left the chancel. These
made answer that they had come from the stable where the Saviour was
born; and so, in alternate questions and answers, they described all
that they had seen. The two groups, having advanced a step or two at
each stanza, now met, and went back to the manger together, singing the
same air the shepherds had previously sung.

When they arrived at the stable they made their offering, setting up a
tent the while, ornamented with plenteous ribbons and flowers, among
which blackbirds, thrushes, turtle-doves and partridges fluttered about
at the ends of cords to which they were fastened. They brought with
them, also, bunches of purple grapes and strings of yellow apples,
chaplets of dried prunes and heaps of walnuts and chestnuts. After
arranging these rustic offerings, the shepherdesses returned, singing in
chorus as they went:

"In Bethlehem, at midnight,
The Virgin mother bore her child.
This world contains no fairer sight
Than this fair Babe and Mary mild.
Well may we sing at sight like this,
_Gloria in Excelsis_."

I now had another unobstructed view of Donna Isabella, and Jose Rosado's
gossip, intensified by her romantic appearance as the Virgin, had given
me a deep interest in her every movement.

She reached down into the little crib to lift out the Bambino, and I
could plainly see a look of astonishment rise to her face as she started
back, both hands held wide apart, as if having encountered something
they were unprepared to touch. Then she turned hurriedly to Joseph and
whispered a word in his ear, whereupon he too bent with surprise over
the little crib. After gazing at it a moment, he reached down and lifted
out, not the waxen Bambino, but a sweet young baby that smiled and
reached its tiny arms from Joseph towards the white Virgin.

Donna Isabella was visibly affected at this, and took the tender infant
into her arms, caressing and soothing it, while it fondled her face and
white head-dress.

The audience had now become aware that, instead of the waxen image in
the crib, there had been found a living baby, and the impetuous and
susceptible minds of the Spanish peasants had jumped at the conclusion
that they had witnessed a new miracle. They crowded up to the manger,
telling th