With that he turned his back on me, and walked rapidly away.  I returned to my inn a little crestfallen and depressed.  Worst of all was that, as I was undressing, I discovered my watch was missing.

I departed for Seville next day, and after several months of rambling in Andalusia, was once more back in Cordova, on my way to Madrid.

The good fathers at the Dominican convent received me with open arms.

“Your watch has been found again, and will be returned to you,” one of them told me.  “The rascal is in gaol, and is to be executed the day after to-morrow.  He is known in the country under the name of Jose Navarro, and he is a man to be seen.”

I went to see the prisoner, and took him some cigars.  At first he shrugged his shoulders and received me coldly, but I saw him again on the morrow, and passed a part of the day with him.  It was from his mouth I learnt the sad adventures of his life.

III.—­Don Jose’s Story

“I was born,” he said, “at Elizondo, and my name—­Don Jose Lizzarrabengoa—­will tell you that I am Basque, and an old Christian.  If I take the don, it is because I have the right to do so.  One day when I had been playing tennis with a lad from Alava I won, and he picked a quarrel with me.  We took our iron-tipped sticks, and fought, and again I had the advantage; but it forced me to quit the country.  I met some dragoons, and enlisted in the Almanza regiment of cavalry.  Soon I became a corporal, and they were under promise to make me sergeant when, to my misfortune, I was put on guard at the tobacco factory at Seville.

“I was young then, and I was always thinking of my native country, and was afraid of the Andalusian young women and their jesting ways.  But one Friday—­I shall never forget it—­when I was on duty, I heard people saying, ‘Here’s the gipsy.’  And, looking up, I saw her for the first time.  I saw that Carmen whom you know, in whose house I met you some months ago.

“She made some joke at me as she passed into the factory, and flipped a cassia flower just between my eyes.  When she had gone, I picked it up and put it carefully in my pocket.  First piece of folly!

“A few hours afterwards I was ordered to take two of my men into the factory.  There had been a quarrel, and Carmen had slashed another woman with two terrible cuts of her knife across the face.  The case was clear.  I took Carmen by the arm, and bade her follow me.  At the guard-house the sergeant said it was serious, and that she must be taken to prison.  I placed her between two dragoons, and, walking behind, we set out for the town.

“At first the gipsy kept silence, but presently she turned to me, and said softly, ’You are taking me to prison!  Alas! what will become of me?  Have pity on me, Mr. Officer!  You are so young, so good-looking!  Let me escape, and I will give you a piece of the loadstone which will make all women love you.’