At last! Amyntas went on shore immediately. His spirit was so airy
within him that he felt he could hover along in the air, like Mr Lang's
spiritualistic butlers, and it was only by a serious effort of will that
he walked soberly down the streets like normal persons. His soul shouted
with the joy of living. He took in long breaths as if to breathe in the
novelty and the strangeness. He walked along, too excited to look at
things, only conscious of a glare of light and colour, a thronging
crowd, life and joyousness on every side.... He walked through street
after street, almost sobbing with delight, through narrow alleys down
which the sun never fell, into big squares hot as ovens and dazzling,
up hill and down hill, past ragged slums, past the splendid palaces of
the rich, past shops, past taverns. Finally he came on to the shore
again and threw himself down in the shade of a little grove of orange
trees to sleep.
When he awoke, he saw, standing motionless by his side, a Spanish lady.
He looked at her silently, noting her olive skin, her dark and lustrous
eyes, the luxuriance of her hair. If she had only possessed a tambourine
she would have been the complete realisation of his dreams. He smiled.
'Why do you lie here alone, sweet youth?' she asked, with an answering
smile. 'And who and what are you?'
'I lay down here to rest, lady,' he replied. 'I have this day arrived
from England, and I am going to Van Tiefel, the merchant.'
'Ah! a young English merchant. They are all very rich. Are you?'
'Yes, lady,' frankly answered Amyntas, pulling out his handful of gold.
The Spaniard smiled on him, and then sighed deeply.
'Why do you sigh?' he asked.
'Ah! you English merchants are so fascinating.' She took his hand and
pressed it. Amyntas was not a forward youth, but he had some experience
of English maidens, and felt that there was but one appropriate
rejoinder. He kissed her.
She sighed again as she relinquished herself to his embrace.
'You English merchants are so fascinating--and so rich.'
Amyntas thought the Spanish lady was sent him by the gods, for she took
him to her house and gave him melons and grapes, which, being young and
of lusty appetite, he devoured with great content. She gave him
wine--strong, red, fiery wine, that burned his throat--and she gave him
sundry other very delightful things, which it does not seem necessary to
relate.
When Amyntas on his departure shyly offered some remuneration for his
entertainment, it was with an exquisite southern grace that she relieved
him of his ten golden guineas, and he almost felt she was doing him a
favour as she carelessly rattled the coins into a silken purse. And if
he was a little dismayed to see his treasure go so speedily, he was far
too delicate-minded to betray any emotion; but he resolved to lose no
time in finding out the offices of the wealthy Tiefel.