erida. The landlord still attended us at
dinner, for the waiter was nursing his wounds in the kitchen. A violent
headache had come on, and he was vowing vengeance against the Dragon,
declaring she had imagined the whole thing.

"But for the servants, my life would be happy," said our host. "If they
keep the peace with me, they are disputing amongst themselves. The last
waiter and chambermaid I had, after quarrelling like cat and dog for six
months, suddenly went off one day together, and we never heard of them
again. It was a Sunday, and madame and I had gone off with some friends
by train to Sarinena--a long day's excursion, for we were going to the
Monastery of Sigena, near Villanueva. Has the senor visited the famous
monastery?"

We had never done so.

"It is to be regretted," returned the landlord, as he busily changed the
plates and poured out the wine. "The monastery is the most interesting
in our neighbourhood; and people come from far and wide to see it. In
situation it is most romantic, standing near a lovely stream full of
fine fish. The nuns, however, don't fish; the very thought would be
sacrilege. They are devout ladies, some of them very handsome; a pity so
much beauty should be wasted. They are of the order of St. John of
Jerusalem, which I have heard dates as far back as the twelfth century,
but I am not learned in those matters. I have seen the nuns at mass in
their chapel, and they looked like a vision of angels. But I was saying.
We had left the hotel in charge of the waiter and chambermaid. As it
happened, there were no guests staying here. When we came home at night,
we found the place locked and empty. Both servants had flown, and to add
insult to injury had taken the keys with them. Fortunately the glass
doors in this very dining-room had been left open, and by means of a
ladder, and climbing over walls at the risk of one's life, I managed to
get in, took the duplicate keys out of my desk, and admitted madame. It
caused quite a commotion."

"And had the enterprising pair taken nothing but the keys?" we asked.
"Was your gold plate safe, and madame's diamonds?"

"The senor is pleased to joke," laughed the landlord. "My gold plate is
pewter, and madame's jewelry is false, excepting her wedding-ring and
the few things she happened to have on that never-to-be-forgotten day.
No; they had taken nothing. But they had made a first-rate meal, and had
tapped and emptied three bottles of my very best Cha