[12.6] la maestra, the schoolmaster's wife.
[12.7] entre risueño y enfadado, half smiling, half vexed.
Page 13.—
[13.1] la gente principal o de media levita, the gentry or well-to-do citizens. Levita, "frock coat," gente de levita, "people who [can afford to] wear such a garment," people of the cultured or leisured class. Gente principal = gente de levita, gente de media levita = la de la clase media.
[13.2] Antes de llegar, con mucho, Long before they arrived. Con mucho, "by much."
[13.3] embarrancando, grounding, sinking in.
[13.4] se salían. Some intransitive verbs are used reflexively to emphasize the volition of the agent. El prisionero salió de la cárcel, "the prisoner left the gaol"; el p. se salió, etc., "the prisoner got out of gaol." Cf. below, se quedaban.
[13.5] pieza tras pieza, one after another, fish after fish. Pieza is used in speaking of a unit of fish or game.
Page 14.—
[14.1] mujerucas, old wives. -uco, -uca, depreciative, contemptuous in force. A somewhat rare suffix.