Sebastien. "We have no rainy season. You will
see that to-morrow there will be no rain, no clouds. Then if you had
stayed, I am sure you would have spoken to the padrone for me, and got
him to promote me to the dining-room. And then we could have been
married."

Sebastien, like everyone else, was building his castles and dreaming his
dreams; and it certainly caused us a slight regret that we could not
help to lay them on a solid foundation. All we could do was to give him
our best wishes, and tell him that if sufficiently earnest and
persevering he would certainly gain the desire of his heart. It only
depended on himself.

This prophecy seemed to inspire him with hope and courage; and our last
reminiscence of Manresa was that of a young man, strong, handsome, fresh
coloured, standing hat in hand on the platform, and begging us "with
tears in his voice" to stay at least two days in Manresa the next time
we passed that way and formally petition the landlord in a deputation of
one for his promotion.[B]

CHAPTER XIX.

LERIDA.

Picturesque country--Approaching Lerida--Rambling inn--Remarkable
duenna--Toothless and voiceless--Smiles upon H. C.--Nearly
expires--Civilised chef--A procession--Lerida Dragon--City of the
dead--Night study--Charging dead walls--A night encounter--Armed
demon--Wise people--Watchman proves an old friend--No
promotion--Locked out--Rousing the echoes--Night porter appears on
the scene--Also El Sereno--Apologetic and repentant--The charming
Rose--Porter congratulates himself--Cloudless morning--H. C.
confronted by the Dragon--In the hands of the Philistines--A Lerida
fine art--Boot-cleaner in Ordinary--Remarkable character--H. C.
hilarious--Steals a march.

No sooner had we left Manresa than the rain ceased, and though the sky
remained grey, the clouds lifted.

As far as Cervera the country we passed through was evidently
picturesque, and only wanted the contrast of sun and shade to make it
charming. Conspicuous amidst the landscape for many and many a long mile
was the wonderful mountain of Montserrat with its peaks and pinnacles,
about which the white mists still rolled and wrapped themselves. The
scenery was diversified by many a wide ravine, where tangled bushes grew
over the hard rock; many a fertile vale rich in fruit trees, pines,
olives, oak and cork trees, intermixed their various shades of green.
Beyond Cervera, the coun