n, and by six
o'clock, with the sun above the horizon, was not sorry to see towers
and pinnacles, or to hear across the emptiness the clangorous notes of
a deep-toned bell. "The muezzin calls the faithful, but for me another
summons must be sounded. That town will be Palencia. There I
breakfast, by the grace of God. Coffee and eggs."

Palencia it was, a town of pretence, if such a word can be applied to
anything Spanish, where things either are or are not, and there's an
end. It was as drab as the landscape, as weatherworn and austere; but
it had a squat officer sitting at the receipt of custom, which Sahagun
had not, and a file of anxious peasants before him, bargaining for
their chickens and hay.

Upon the horseman's approach the functionary raised himself, looking
over the heads of the crowd as at a greater thing, saluted, and
inquired for gate-dues with his patient eyes. "I have here," said
Manvers, who loved to be didactic in a foreign language, "a shirt and a
comb, the New Testament, the History of the Ingenious Gentleman, Don
Quixote de la Mancha, and a toothbrush."

Much of this was Greek to the _doganero_, who, however, understood that
the stranger was referring in tolerable Castilian to a provincial
gentleman of degree. The name and Manvers' twisted smile together won
him the entry. The officer just eased his peaked cap. "Go with God,
sir," he directed.

"Assuredly," said Manvers, "but pray assist me to the inn."

The Providencia was named, indicated, and found. There was an elderly
man in the yard of it, placidly plucking a live fowl, a barbarity with
which our traveller had now ceased to quarrel.

"Leave your horrid task, my friend," he said. "Take my horse, and feed
him."

The bird was released, and after shaking, by force of habit, what no
longer, or only partially existed, rejoined its companions. They
received it coldly, but it soon showed that it could pick as well as be
picked.

"Now," said Manvers to the ostler, "give this horse half a feed of
corn, then some water, then the other half feed; but give him nothing
until you have cooled him down. Do these things, and I present you
with one _peseta_. Omit any of them, and I give you nothing at all.
Is that a bargain?"

The old man haled off the horse, muttering that it would be a bad
bargain for his Grace, to which Manvers replied that we should see.
Then he went into the Providencia for his coffee and eggs.

CHAPTER III