While he was thus engaged with others of the party, Lady Mabel found
leisure to remark to Cranfield: "Short as is the distance from Elvas
to Badajoz, I fancy I can perceive, without listening to the language
around me, that I am among a new people."
"You may well be struck with the language," said Cranfield, "while
listening to our patronizing friend here. But you must not take his
discourse for a fair sample of Spanish style or facts."
"Of course not," said Lady Mabel. "Eloquence and intelligence like his
are rare everywhere."
"I trust they are," said Cranfield, with a sneer. "But there is
already an obvious difference observable here in the people, which
becomes more marked as you proceed toward Castile. The Spaniard is
taller and yet leaner than the Portuguese. He has a more expressive
countenance, a striking sedateness of carriage, and a settled gravity
of manner, especially when silent, which makes him seem wiser than he
is. With much elegance of form, his meagre person shows that he is the
denizen of a dry climate, which, every Spaniard will tell you, gives a
peculiar compactness of structure to all its products: the wheat of
Spain makes more bread, its beef and mutton are more nourishing, its
wines have more body, and the men more enduring vigor than those of
other countries.
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