He told some curious and
thrilling incidents, but his profession getting the mastery of him, he
soon got to the hospital, and, amidst ghastly wounds, horrid
disfigurations, and dismembered limbs, began to bandage, slash, and
saw, until Lady Mabel sickened at the tale. "Pray stop there; you make
me shudder at your hospital scenes, which, in their endless variety of
suffering are too like the Popish pictures of souls in Purgatory. I
prefer going to dine at the posada, to stopping here to sup full of
horrors."
They now returned to the posada and had their Spanish friends to dine
with them--Lady Mabel seating Don Alonso beside her, and losing not a
word of his grandiloquence. After the meal the party dispersed--most
of them taking a siesta in order to get rid of two or three hot hours
of the afternoon before they set out on their way back to Elvas. Their
Spanish friends however, returned and persuaded them to postpone their
ride until they had taken an evening promenade on the bridge, the
favorite resort of the ladies of Badajoz and their cavaliers during
the hot weather. Here they enjoy an extended prospect, and the cooling
breezes that attend the current of a great river.
Pages:
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340