the ribbon from her head, letting
her pretty hair tumble all about her shoulders, and then whipping up her
long skirt, tucks one end under her girdle, thereby making a very dainty
show of pink lining against the dark stuff, and also giving more play
for her feet. And so thus they dance their pastoral, Don Sanchez taking
a tambourine and tapping it lightly to the measure, up to Moll's song,
which so ravished these hardy, stony men by the pathetic sweetness of
her voice,--for they could understand nothing save by her
expression,--that they would not let the dance go on until she had sung
it through again. To conclude, Jack springs up as one enamoured to
madness and flings out his last steps with such vigour and agility as to
quite astound all.

[Illustration: "MOLL AND HER FATHER DANCE A PASTORAL."]

And now the show being ended, and not one but is a-crying of "Hola!" and
"Animo!" Moll snatches the tambourine from Don Sanchez's hand, and
stepping before Don Lopez drops him a curtsey, and offers it for her
reward. At this Don Lopez, glancing at the money on the table by his
side, and looking round for sanction to his company (which they did give
him without one voice of opposition), he takes up two of the gold pieces
and drops them on the parchment. Thus did our Moll, by one clever hit,
draw an acknowledgment from them that we were indeed no fine folks, but
mere players, which point they might have stumbled over in their cooler
moments.

But we were not quit yet; for on Don Sanchez's begging that we should
now be set upon our road to Ravellos, the other replies that though he
will do us this service with great pleasure, yet he cannot permit us to
encounter the danger again of being taken for persons of quality. "Fine
dress," says he, "may be necessary to the Senor and his daughter for
their court dances, and they are heartily welcome to them for the
pleasure they have given us, but for you and the musician who plays but
indifferent well, meaner garb is more suitable; and so you will be good
enough to step upstairs, the pair of you, and change your clothing for
such as we can furnish from our store."

And upstairs we were forced to go, Don Sanchez and I, and there being
stripped we were given such dirty foul rags and so grotesque, that when
we came down, Jack Dawson and Moll fell a-laughing at us, as though they
would burst. And, in truth, we made a most ludicrous spectacle,
--especially the Don, whom hitherto we had se