"After the ceremony of my degradation I had fancied my sufferings were over, but I had another humiliation before me. That came when I left prison, and was told off for duty, and put on sentry, as a private soldier. You can not conceive what a proud man endures at such a moment. I believe I would have just as soon been shot dead--then Ishould have marched alone at the head of my platoon, at all events; Ishould have felt I was somebody, with the eyes of others fixed upon me.
"I was posted as sentry on the door of the colonel's house. The colonel was a young man, rich, good-natured, fond of amusing himself.
All the young officers were there, and many civilians as well, besides ladies--actresses, as it was said. For my part, it seemed to me as if the whole town had agreed to meet at that door, in order to stare at me. Then up drove the colonel's carriage, with his valet on the box.
And who should I see get out of it, but the gipsy girl! She was dressed up, this time, to the eyes, togged out in golden ribbons--a spangled gown, blue shoes, all spangled too, flowers and gold lace all over her. In her hand she carried a tambourine. With her there were two other gipsy women, one young and one old. They always have one old woman who goes with them, and then an old man with a guitar, a gipsy too, to play alone, and also for their dances. You must know these gipsy girls are often sent for to private houses, to dance their special dance, the /Romalis/, and often, too, for quite other purposes.
"Carmen recognised me, and we exchanged glances. I don't know why, but at that moment I should have liked to have been a hundred feet beneath the ground.
" '/Agur laguna/,' said she. 'Oficial mio! You keep guard like a recruit,' and before I could find a word in answer, she was inside the house.
Good-day, comrade!
"The whole party was assembled in the /patio/, and in spite of the crowd I could see nearly everything that went on through the lattice.
I could hear the castanets and the tambourine, the laughter and applause. Sometimes I caught a glimpse of her head as she bounded upward with her tambourine. Then I could hear the officers saying many things to her which brought the blood to my face. As to her answers, Iknew nothing of them. It was on that day, I think, that I began to love her in earnest--for three or four times I was tempted to rush into the /patio/, and drive my sword into the bodies of all the coxcombs who were making love to her. My torture lasted a full hour;then the gipsies came out, and the carriage took them away. As she passed me by, Carmen looked at me with those eyes you know, and said to me very low, 'Comrade, people who are fond of good /fritata/ come to eat it at Lillas Pastia's at Triana!'
In most of the houses in Seville there is an inner court surrounded by an arched portico. This is used as a sitting-room in summer. Over the court is stretched a piece of tent cloth, which is watered during the day and removed at night. The street door is almost always left open, and the passage leading to the court (/zaguan/) is closed by an iron lattice of very elegant workmanship.
"Then, light as a kid, she stepped into the carriage, the coachman whipped up his mules, and the whole merry party departed, whither Iknow not.
"You may fancy that the moment I was off guard I went to Triana; but first of all I got myself shaved and brushed myself up as if I had been going on parade. She was living with Lillas Pastia, an old fried-fish seller, a gipsy, as black as a Moor, to whose house a great many civilians resorted to eat /fritata/, especially, I think, because Carmen had taken up her quarters there.
" 'Lillas,' she said, as soon as she saw me. 'I'm not going to work any more to-day. To-morrow will be a day, too. Come, fellow-countryman, let us go for a walk!'
/Manana sera otro dia./--A Spanish proverb.
"She pulled her mantilla across her nose, and there we were in the street, without my knowing in the least whither I was bound.
" 'Senorita,' said I, 'I think I have to thank you for a present I had while I was in prison. I've eaten the bread; the file will do for sharpening my lance, and I keep it in remembrance of you. But as for the money, here it is.'
" 'Why, he's kept the money!' she exclaimed, bursting out laughing.
'But, after all, that's all the better--for I'm decidedly hard up!
What matter! The dog that runs never starves! Come, let's spend it all! You shall treat.'
/Chuquel sos pirela, cocal terela. "The dog that runs finds a bone."--Gipsy proverb.
"We had turned back toward Seville. At the entrance of the /Calle de la Serpiente/ she bought a dozen oranges, which she made me put into my handkerchief. A little farther on she bought a roll, a sausage, and a bottle of manzanilla. Then, last of all, she turned into a confectioner's shop. There she threw the gold coin I had returned to her on the counter, with another she had in her pocket, and some small silver, and then she asked me for all the money I had. All I possessed was one peseta and a few cuartos, which I handed over to her, very much ashamed of not having more. I thought she would have carried away the whole shop. She took everything that was best and dearest, /yemas/, /turon/, preserved fruits--as long as the money lasted.
And all these, too, I had to carry in paper bags. Perhaps you know the /Calle del Candilejo/, where there is a head of Don Pedro the Avenger. That head ought to have given me pause. We stopped at an old house in that street. She passed into the entry, and knocked at a door on the ground floor. It was opened by a gipsy, a thorough-paced servant of the devil. Carmen said a few words to her in Romany. At first the old hag grumbled. To smooth her down Carmen gave her a couple of oranges and a handful of sugar-plums, and let her have a taste of wine. Then she hung her cloak on her back, and led her to the door, which she fastened with a wooden bar. As soon as we were alone she began to laugh and caper like a lunatic, singing out, 'You are my /rom/, I'm your /romi/.'
Sugared yolks of eggs.
A sort of nougat.
