The less you fret about them, the better they like you. I led my man a
song and dance, I can tell you. 'What are you doing in my bed! No, sir,
where you spent the summer you can spend the winter!' And out he'd go,
in a hurry. No 'dear this,' and 'dear that,' with my man! And he
followed me around like a dog. That's the way to keep them tamed!"

Dolores, reserved and on her dignity, kept biting her lip as though she
were trying to repress a laugh that was tickling at her palate. Rosario
did not agree with _tia_ Picores. No, she lived with her husband like a
good wife, and she had a right to expect him to do as well by her. She
didn't like quarreling and lying all the time. But the old woman did
not let her talk. "All nonsense! Nonsense! Good wife, good husband! Such
rot makes me sick! You've got to take men as God made them, haven't you,
girls?" And the "girls" assented with approving nods of their aged
heads. "Count the men, and you'll get the number of dogs there are in
the world! Kick them, and they eat out of your hand! But if you want to
keep your husband faithful to you, it's very easy. Just tie him to the
foot of your bed, with your petticoat, and never let him out of the
house.... So much for men!"

The teamster several times had looked in at the door. "What do you old
hens think this wagon is, your private coach?" "What's the matter with
you, codfish? What are you paid for?" roared the gentle _tia_ Picores.
But on seeing that her comrades were drawing out their "purses," she
extended her brown arm over the table majestically. "Put those bags back
where they belong! This is all mine, all mine! I'm celebrating to-day.
We've put some sense into these girls' heads!" And lifting her skirt and
petticoat, she unhooked her own bag from a belt she wore next to her
skin. From it came a pair of scissors she used in opening fish with
heavy scales; then a knife that was rusty with grime; finally a handful
of coppers which she threw down on the table. She sat for some moments
counting the sticky money over and over again. Then leaving a pile of
coins on the bare marble, she went out of the shop to join her
companions, who were already in the cart.

Rosario, carrying her empty baskets, was out on the sidewalk with
Dolores. The two girls were looking at each other and did not know what
to say.

"Come along with us, Rosario," _tia_ Picores suggested. "We'll be a bit
crowded, but we can get you home."

The girl refused, ho