long tail, gave a loud scream, and would have fallen had it not been
for Captain Wilson, who, in his full uniform, was coming in, and caught
her in his arms: while the old lady thanked him, and Captain Wilson
bowed, Jack hastily retreated. "I shall make no conquests to-night,"
thought he, so he entered the church, and joined the crowd; but it was
so dense that it was hardly possible to move, and our hero soon got
tired of flourishing his trident, and sticking it into people, who
wondered what the devil he meant.

"This is stupid work," thought Jack, "I may have more fun outside:" so
Jack put on his cloak, left the masquerade, and went out in search of
adventures. He walked into the open country about half a mile, until he
came to a splendid house, standing in a garden of orange-trees, which he
determined to reconnoitre. He observed that a window was open and
lights were in the room; and he climbed up to the window, and just
opened the white curtain and looked in. On a bed lay an elderly person,
evidently dying, and by the side of the bed were three priests, one of
whom held the crucifix in his hand, another the censer, and a third was
sitting at a table with a paper, pen, and ink. As Jack understood
Spanish, he listened, and heard one of the priests say:

"Your sins have been enormous, my son, and I cannot give you extreme
unction or absolution unless you make some amends."

"I have," answered the moribund, "left money for ten thousand masses to
be said for my soul."

"Five hundred thousand masses are not sufficient: how have you gained
your enormous wealth? by usury and robbing the poor."

"I have left a thousand dollars to be distributed among the poor on the
day of my funeral."

"One thousand dollars is nothing--you must leave all your property to
holy church."

"And my children!" replied the dying man faintly.

"What are your children compared to your salvation?--reply not: either
consent, or not only do I refuse you the consolation of the dying, but I
excommunicate--"

"Mercy, holy father--mercy!" said the old man, in a dying voice.

"There is no mercy, you are damned for ever and ever. Amen. Now hear:
_excommunicabo te_--"

"Stop--stop--have you the paper ready?"

"'Tis here, all ready, by which you revoke all former wills, and endow
the holy church with your property. We will read it, for God forbid
that it should be said that the holy church received an involuntary
gift."

"I will sign i