[44] Calomels, for calumnies

“What do you find lower down?” inquired Monipodio.  “I find, ’Greasing with oil of juniper at the house in—­’” “Don’t read the place or name of the house,” interrupted Monipodio, “for we know where it is, and I am myself the tuautem and secutor of this trifling matter; four crowns have already been given on account, and the total is eight.”  “That is exactly what is here written,” replied Rinconete.  “A little lower down,” continued the boy, “I find, ‘Horns to be attached to the house—­’” “Read neither the name nor the place where,” interrupted Monipodio.  “It is quite enough that we offer this outrage to the people in question; we need not make it public in our community, for that would be an unnecessary load on your consciences.  I would rather nail a hundred horns, and as many sanbenitos, on a man’s door, provided I were paid for my work, than once tell that I had done so, were it to the mother that bore me.”  “The executor of this is Nariqueta,"[45] resumed Rinconete.  “It is already done and paid for,” said Monipodio; “see if there be not something else, for if my memory is not at fault, there ought to be a fright of the value of twenty crowns.  One half the money has already been paid, and the work is to be done by the whole community, the time within which it is to come off being all the current month.  Nor will we fail in our duty; the commission shall be fulfilled to the very letter without missing a tilde,[46] and it will be one of the finest things that has been executed in this city for many years.  Give me the book, boy, I know there is nothing more, and it is certain that business is very slack with us just now; but times will mend, and we shall perhaps have more to do than we want.  There is not a leaf on the tree that moves without the will of God, and we cannot force people to avenge themselves, whether they will or not.  Besides, many a man has the habit of being brave in his own cause, and does not care to pay for the execution of work which he can do as well with his own hands.”

[45] The flat-nose.

[46] The tilde is the mark placed over the Spanish letter n, as in Senor.

“That is true,” said Repolido; “but will your worship, Senor Monipodio, see what you have for us to do, as it is getting late, and the heat is coming on at more than a foot-pace.”

“What you have now to do is this,” rejoined Monipodio:  “Every one is to return to his post of the week, and is not to change it until Sunday.  We will then meet here again, and make the distribution of all that shall have come in, without defrauding any one.  To Rinconete and Cortadillo I assign for their district, until Sunday, from the Tower of Gold, all without the city, and to the postern of the Alcazar, where they can work with their fine flowers.[47] I have known those who were much less clever than they appear to be, come home daily with more than twenty reals in small money, to say nothing of silver, all made with a single pack, and that four cards short.  Ganchuelo will show them the limits of their district, and even though they should extend it as far as to San Sebastian, or Santelmo, there will be no great harm done, although it is perhaps of more equal justice that none should enter on the domain of another.”