No sooner was the master of the house gone, than the negro laid hold on the guitar, and began to scrape it in such a manner, that all the servant maids came to the second door, and asked him, through the turning-box, “What is this, Luis?  How long have you had a guitar?  Who gave it you?”

“Who gave it me?  The best musician in the world, and one who is to teach me in six days more than six thousand tunes!”

“Where is he, this musician?” said the duena.

“He is not far off,” replied the negro; “and if it were not for fear of my master, perhaps I would tell you where at once, and I warrant you would be glad to see him.”

“But where can he be for us to see him,” returned the duena, “since no one but our master ever enters this house?”

“I will not tell you any more about the matter till you have heard what I can do, and how much he has taught me in this short time.”

“By my troth, unless he is a demon who has taught you, I don’t know how you can have become a musician all at once.”

“Stop a bit and you shall hear him, and mayhap you will see him too some day.”

“That can’t be,” said another of the women, “for there are no windows on the street through which we could hear or see anybody.”

“Never mind” said the negro; “there’s a remedy for everything but death.  If you only could or would keep silence—­”

“Keep silence!  Ay that we will, brother Luis, as if we were born dumb.  I give you my word, friend, I am dying to hear a good voice, for ever since we have been shut up here we have not even heard the birds sing.”

Loaysa listened with great inward glee to this conversation, which showed how readily the women were taking the very bent he would have given them.  The negro was afraid lest his master should return and catch him talking with them; but they would not go away until he had promised that, when they least expected it, he would call them to hear a capital voice.  He then retreated to his loft, where he would gladly have resumed his lessons, but durst not do so by day for fear of detection.  His master returned soon after and went into the house, locking both doors behind him as usual.  When Luis went that day to the turning-box for his victuals, he told the negress, who brought them, to let her fellow-servants know that when their master was asleep that night, they should all of them come down to the turning-box, when he would be sure to give them the treat he had promised.  He was enabled to say so much, having previously entreated his music-master to condescend to sing and play that night before the inner door for the amusement of the women.  The maestro suffered himself to be pressed very hard to do the thing he most desired, but after much seeming reluctance he at last yielded to the solicitations of his esteemed pupil, and said he would be happy to oblige him.  The negro embraced him cordially, in testimony of his grateful sense of the promised favour, and treated him that day to as good cheer as he could possibly have had at home, or perhaps better.