Abarbenel.—­More than you imagine.  He was one of us, at least his father was, and he could never forget what he had learned with reverence in his infancy.  He said he had tried to forget it, but he could not; that the ruah was continually upon him, and that even from his childhood he had borne its terrors with a troubled mind, till at last he could bear himself no longer; so he went to my grandsire, with whom he remained one whole night; he then returned to his diocese, where he shortly afterwards died, in much renown for sanctity.

Myself.—­What you say surprises me.  Have you reason to suppose that many of you are to be found amongst the priesthood?

Abarbenel.—­Not to suppose, but to know it.  There are many such as I amongst the priesthood, and not amongst the inferior priesthood either; some of the most learned and famed of them in Spain have been of us, or of our blood at least, and many of them at this day think as I do.  There is one particular festival of the year at which four dignified ecclesiastics are sure to visit me; and then, when all is made close and secure, and the fitting ceremonies have been gone through, they sit down upon the floor and curse.

Myself.—­Are you numerous in the large towns?

Abarbenel.—­By no means; our places of abode are seldom the large towns; we prefer the villages, and rarely enter the large towns but on business.  Indeed we are not a numerous people, and there are few provinces of Spain which contain more than twenty families.  None of us are poor, and those among us who serve, do so more from choice than necessity, for by serving each other we acquire different trades.  Not unfrequently the time of service is that of courtship also, and the servants eventually marry the daughters of the house.

We continued in discourse the greater part of the night; the next morning I prepared to depart.  My companion, however, advised me to remain where I was for that day.  “And if you respect my counsel,” said he, “you will not proceed farther in this manner.  To-night the diligence will arrive from Estremadura, on its way to Madrid.  Deposit yourself therein; it is the safest and most speedy mode of travelling.  As for your animal, I will myself purchase her.  My servant is here, and has informed me that she will be of service to us.  Let us, therefore, pass the day together in communion, like brothers, and then proceed on our separate journeys.”  We did pass the day together; and when the diligence arrived I deposited myself within, and on the morning of the second day arrived at Madrid.

CHAPTER XII

Lodging at Madrid—­My Hostess—­British Ambassador—­Mendizabal—­
Baltasar—­Duties of a National—­Young Blood—­The Execution—­
Population of Madrid—­The Higher Orders—­The Lower Classes—­The
Bull-fighter—­The Crabbed Gitano.

It was the commencement of February when I reached Madrid.  After staying a few days at a posada, I removed to a lodging which I engaged at No. 3, in the Calle de la Zarza, a dark dirty street, which, however, was close to the Puerta del Sol, the most central point of Madrid, into which four or five of the principal streets debouche, and which is, at all times of the year, the great place of assemblage for the idlers of the capital, poor or rich.