a syllable was uttered, although fully a quarter of an hour had
elapsed since the arrival of the young ladies and their donzellas. Nor was
there more vivacity of movement than of tongue. From time to time, one or
other of the three girls would push aside her mantilla, and dart a
flashing glance into the street, and then, meeting no return, relapse into
her former languor.

"_A ellos! a ellos!_ Go on!" at length cried a voice out of the lap of the
mulatto girl.

"_Que quiere?_ What do you want?" replied the latter, as she discontinued
her diligent search amongst the raven locks, and raising the head from her
knees, exposed to view a youthful and charming countenance. "_Basta!_
enough!" added she, in a decided tone. The lady gave her an angry look.

"_Porque?_" she asked "_Porque acabar?_ Why leave off?"

"_Que quiere vmd?_" returned the waiting-maid; "_matar los todos? A
ninguna senora de calidad se los mata todos._ No lady of quality has them
all killed."

"_Mentira!_ 'Tis a lie!" screamed her mistress peevishly.

"_Es verdad!_ 'Tis true!" interposed Donas Ximene, Celestina, and Laura,
putting their hands into their hair, and after a short search producing
manifest proofs of the truth of the waiting-maid's assertion, and of their
own powers of endurance. Thereupon the head sank once more into the lap of
the mulatto maiden, who began to disentangle and arrange the hair.

Again all was still. The three senoritas gazed out into the street, and
smoked and yawned; the attendant twisted and plaited her mistress's
abundant tresses; all was apathy leaden, Mexican apathy.

In a side chamber, of which the door stood half open, a voice was suddenly
heard, uttering sundry Oh's! and Ah's! in such a strange, half-groaning,
half-screaming tone, that the four young ladies burst into a loud fit of
laughter. The chamber was much smaller than the saloon, but yet far larger
and higher than an ordinary European bedroom, and, like the sala, was
lined with blue china tiles. In one part of it there hung a hammock, the
occupant of which, judging from his or her loud and regular snore, was
soundly sleeping. On the right hand stood a sort of hybrid machine,
between a bed and an ottoman, which might have been cleaner, and on which,
besides other articles of dress, lay a blue cloak, richly embroidered with
gold. Hats crushed out of shape, dusty trowsers, dirty linen, and
implements of the toilet, were scattered about the apartment, side by s