"Golden fruit fresh plucked and ripe."
"And now, my brother, you see Seville. At last I can show you my
beautiful city!"
"Why--why, you never said it was like _this_!"
The Lesters had finally settled to go to Cadiz by sea, and thence by
rail to Seville, again breaking their journey at Xeres. The Stanforths
were making the journey across country; but Cheriton was not equal to
long days on horseback, nor to risking the accommodations or no
accommodations of the _ventas_ and _posadas_ (taverns and inns) where
they might have to stop. He was quite ready, however, to be excited and
patriotic as they passed through the famous waters of Trafalgar, and
curious to taste sherry at Xeres, where it proved exceedingly bad. They
arrived at Seville in the afternoon, and were driving from the station
when Alvar interrupted Cherry's astonished contemplation of the scene
with the foregoing remark.
"Ah, it pleases you!" he said in a tone of satisfaction, as they passed
under the Alcazar, the Moorish palace, with its wonderful relics of a
bygone faith and power--the great cathedral, said to be "a religion in
itself"--and saw the gay tints of the painted buildings, the picturesque
turn of the streets, the infinite variety of colour and costume, and
over all the pure blue of the sky and the glorious intensity of Southern
sunlight.