n in a familiar way, and he laughed and joked with them as we passed
by.

"These men would make good soldiers, if they could be got to join the
Liberal cause," observed Mr Laffan.

"But you'll not get them while they live under the influence of their
priests," answered Juan. "The friars try to persuade the people that
the Liberals are in league with Satan, and that if they join them they
will do so at the peril of their souls. They eyed you three very
suspiciously," he continued; "for the friars tell them that all
Englishmen have tails, like monkeys, and horns on their heads, and that
they are addicted to eating babies when they can get a supply."

"You should try and disabuse them of such notions, Don Juan," said Mr
Laffan.

"I!--it is no business of mine. I let the people think as they like--it
does no harm."

"It always does harm to allow people to believe a falsehood, and we
should oppose it with truth," observed Mr Laffan.

Don Juan laughed, and commenced trolling forth a jovial song as we rode
along, as if he did not like to be lectured by our tutor.

On arriving at the hacienda, we found that Don Ricardo was out; but Dona
Maria received us very kindly, and servants immediately came forward to
take charge of our horses. My little cousin Rosa, as we always called
her, received me with smiles as I delivered Flora's package, and gave
her the message she had sent. She was a beautiful blue-eyed girl, with
a rich colour, inheriting the naturally fair complexion of her father,
with her mother's beauty; for Dona Maria was one of the prettiest of the
young people in that part of the country--still looking almost like a
girl. Without inquiring whether we would have them, she immediately
ordered the usual refreshments, wine, cake, and fruit, with some cups of
coffee, to be placed on the table; to which, after our ride, we did
ample justice. Mr Laffan complimented Dona Maria on the fruits
produced on the estate. Indeed, when I afterwards left my native
valley, I learned to appreciate them, by comparison with the productions
of other regions. Nothing, indeed, can surpass the flavour of the
chirimoya, a fruit sometimes double the size of a cocoa-nut, tasting
like a mixture of strawberries, cream, and sugar, with a fragrance far
superior to any mixture. Then the caymato (in shape like a lemon, but
far sweeter, with scarcely a touch of the acidity of the lemon), a
species of lime, and the pomegranates, oranges,