m the scorching influence of the sun, she discovered a fair
countenance, to whose delicate cheek the heat and exercise had lent a
gentle tinge of the rose. Yet an expression of pensive sadness pervaded
the features of the lovely traveller.

At a short distance behind these two personages, rode a man who appeared
by his dress and deportment to be their attendant. He sat with perfect
nonchalance on a stout Andalusian horse, but by the looks of suspicious
alertness, which he now and then cast around, it might be inferred that
this apparent ease was not in strict unison with his inward feelings. At
the moment of which we speak, he was singing in a _mezzo tuono_ the
romance of the Marriage of the Cid--

A Ximena y a Rodrigo
Prendio el rey palabraymano
De juntarlos para en uno
En presencia de Layn Calvo.

"Cease thy confounded noise, Roque," cried angrily the knight, who, as
the reader may suppose, was no other than Gomez Arias. "What in the
name of Satan can induce thee to sing, when thou hast neither voice nor
ear? Give over, for thy confounded harmony is anything but pleasing."

"Senor," observed the attendant; "what if I only sing to please myself?"

"Silence, buffoon; or I shall presently raise a discord about thee, by
which all thy future powers of hearing shall be ruefully endangered."

"Pray, Senor, do not deny me this only comfort; I wish particularly to
sing at this moment."

"Thy reasons?"

"Because I always sing when I am afraid; there is nothing so efficacious
as a song to drive away fear."

"In sooth, such singing as thine would drive away the very devil. But
why shouldst thou fear?"

"Under favor, Don Lope," replied the valet, "methinks fear ought to be
the most natural sensation at the present moment."

"Darest thou talk of fear, poltroon!" said Gomez Arias.

"By our Lady of the Pillar," ejaculated Roque, "such talk befits both
time and place. Are we not in hourly danger of encountering a set of
most fierce murderous-looking _ladrones_?"[25]

"Well, and if that were really the case, we have but to defend ourselves
manfully. By the soul of the Cid, I would make very light work of a host
of such ruffians."

"Well, my honored master," returned the valet, "but be pleased to
consider that this is not our only danger, for I trow we are now in the
mountains of Alpujarras, where those accursed and rebellious Moors hold
dominion. A plague on the infidel dogs! Are they not continually o