"This room looks dirty, now," said Jo, "I'm ashamed to leave it like this."
"We will go outside to brush off our clothes," proposed Jim, "and I'm going to empty this dirty water myself." He started out with it when he met one of the servants in the hall. With many explanations, numerous gestures and much excitement, she took the pail from Jim and disappeared with it.
"They won't let you do anything for yourself here, Jo," reported Jim, returning to the room.
This was correct and the boys noticed afterwards that the servants regarded them with odd expressions of amusement and it was evident to the sensitive Jo that they were being "guyed" by them, to use a modern expression. The boys being American lads, were self-reliant, and were accustomed to do everything for themselves, and, unknowingly they had gone counter to a custom of constant service of the Spaniards. It was to demean oneself, according to their code, to do any menial work.
"Might as well start for the dining room," proposed Jo. "I hate leaving Tom and Juarez to their fate this way."
"I more than hate it," protested Jim, "but as you can't hurry these people, we will make the best time by falling in with their way of doing business."
Then they went out into a passageway and, taking the wrong turn, which was quite easy in the rambling old house, they came to a door that entered into the courtyard.
"My, but this is beautiful," exclaimed Jo. "It makes you appreciate California better when you see a place like this."
"That hammock looks good to me," said Jim. "I would like to stretch out in it right now."
Just then the door opened on the verandah and a really beautiful young girl stepped out. She was probably seventeen years of age, dressed in white, with a black mantilla over her equally black hair and her dark cheeks glowed with color. A very romantic meeting, Messieurs, the gallant young Americans at one end of the verandah and the Senorita at the other. Then she saw Jim and Jo with their scarred and bruised faces. With a little shriek, and clasping her hand to her eyes, she retreated quickly to her room.