He sat down for a while in
the sun. With his eyes narrowed to a slit he could make out the arches
of the Almudena church just above a wall; beyond rose the Royal
Palace, a glittering white, the sandy clearings of the Principe Pio
with its long red barracks, and the row of houses on the Paseo de
Rosales, their panes aglow with the sunlight.
Toward the Casa de Campo several brown, bare knolls stood out, topped
by two or three pines that looked as if they had been cut out and
pasted upon the blue atmosphere.
From Las Vistillas Manuel walked down to the Ronda de Segovia. As he
sauntered along Aguila Street he noticed that Senor Ignacio's place
was still closed. Manuel went into the house and asked in the patio
for Salome.
"She must be at work in the house," they told him.
He climbed up the stairway and knocked at the door; from within came
the hum of a sewing-machine.
Salome opened the door and Manuel entered. The seamstress was as
pretty as ever, and, as ever, working. Her two boys had not yet
entered colegio. Salome told Manuel that Senor Ignacio had been in
hospital and that he was now looking around for some money with which
to pay off his debts and continue his business. Leandra at that moment
was down by the river, Senor Jacoba at her post, and Vidal loafing
around with no desire to work.
Pages:
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185