The Argosy — page 61: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE PHANTOM ARMY. , 253 I raised my hat, advancing in my turn from the shadows. ‘* Since I have found you, sefiorita, the search is at an end.’’ She drew back as though resenting the compliment. It was not to be hidden from me that she feared watchers in the dark places beyond the bridge. ‘At the gate of the cathedral, Sefior,’’ she exclaimed shyly ; and with that was gone like a frightened thing, away toward the great church upon the left bank of the river. I cast a quick look round to make sure that no one followed me and then sought the church she had named. ‘There are two cathedrals in Zaragoza, but that of which she spoke is called the Seu; and thereby stands the famous gate, La Pavosteria. No better place in all the city could have been. , chosen at such an hour of night by one who sought to escape the prying eyes of gossips or of spies. Already the taverns and the fondas were merry with the junketings of the human night birds. Guitars twanged from many a balcony ; there was music in many a garden; but the great church and its close were as silent as the tombs they shadowed. The gipsy girl was waiting for me when I came up to the gate. I could see her picturesque figure motionless as one of the pillars by which she stood. When I spoke to her, she drew aside her mantilla and showed me eyes no longer timid or afraid. I saw then much to my surprise that her hair was light in color almost as the hair of an English blonde; while the exquisite delicacy of her skin, and the smallness of her hands and feet, betrayed an origin which had no kinship with the réle she assumed so easily. ‘Sefior,’’ she said, almost with a childish delight in her triumph, ‘‘I knew that you would come here.’’ ‘‘ Sefiorita, there was no choice since you commanded.”’ ‘* Madre de Dios—who is Giralda, the gipsy, to command.”’ ‘She is queen of all gipsies The flattery pleased her. She turned laughing eyes toward me and thrust out a little foot from her artificially ragged petticoat. A ray of the moonlight falling upon the silver buckle of her shoe made it shine as a knot of diamonds. I said that she was sixteen ; and I doubted no longer that she had assumed a disguise. ‘‘ Sefiorita,’’ I continued, observing her hesitation, ‘‘ you have a messagé for me?”’ | She shrugged her shoulders ; as who should say, that depends. ‘‘Ay dios—I have many messages, but for you—sefior; is it not for you to speak ?”’ ‘* Not at all, it is for your friends in London to have written to you 2 I saw that we could not come at the thing by any argle bargle; and so blurted out wy tale without more ado. ‘* Now see,’’ continued I, ‘‘ here is an Englishman sent to Zaragoza from London by a friend of his who tells him that a message will be delivered in this city.. Very well—that Englishman has not been a day in the place before you touch him upon the shoulder and ask him if he does not seek some one. Should not that make us good friends, sefiorita?’’ Eomichook (S@)