Three minutes later the diligence drew up in front of an open door, through which the light from a good oil lamp streamed into the blackness of the street.
"This seems to be the place," said the Boy. "But it's a shop!"
There was no opportunity for hesitation. Our luggage was already on the pavement. Turning to a tall, bearded man in a white apron who appeared in the doorway, we asked if he had accommodation.
Yes, he had room, he replied; would we enter?—and, following him, we found ourselves in a wide, airy shop. On one side were shelves filled with delicacies. On the other were three great wine barrels. And on the floor stood the usual assortment of hampers and open baskets containing fruits and vegetables.
At the back of the shop, sandwiched between it and the kitchen, was a neat little dining-room. And when we had been ushered in there the Boy, as our spokesman, proceeded, after the custom of the country, to ask terms—"What would be the charge for board and lodging, wine included, a day?"
Our host hesitated. He was an exceptionally nice-looking man and spoke beautiful Spanish.
"The terms? That would depend upon what one had. He could make any terms that suited, from one peseta and a half a day. But for four pesetas—then he could do us really well."
A bargain was quickly struck. We were to pay three pesetas and a half a day, wine and the little breakfast included; and our first meal was to be served as soon as it could be prepared.
After a short stroll through the dark streets, and not a little conjecture concerning immediate happenings, we returned to our lodging. The glass doors of the little dining-room opened on to the shop, its window looked to the kitchen, where our host was already busy over the stove. The sound of quick footsteps overhead suggested that rooms were being prepared for our reception. Her parents being engaged, the shop had been left in charge of the daughter of the house, a pretty, dark-eyed child of seven years old.
She made a charming little picture, as she sat amongst the scarlet pimientos and the yellow lemons waiting for custom. And when a younger child, carrying a quart bottle, entered to buy a pennyworth of wine, the business-like way in which she placed the funnel in the bottle, and filling the measure from the barrel poured it in without spilling a drop, delighted us. As also did the accustomed way in which she dropped the penny into the table-drawer that served as till.