But
I No Sooner Saw Him, Than I Hurried Away To Let You Know."
In a few minutes Benedict Mol found his way up stairs; he was, as
Antonio had remarked, in most villainous apparel, and nearly
barefooted; his old Andalusian hat was dripping with rain.
"Och, lieber herr," said Benedict, "how rejoiced I am to see you
again. Oh, the sight of your countenance almost repays me for all
the miseries I have undergone since I parted with you at Saint
James."
Myself. - I can scarcely believe that I really see you here at
Oviedo. What motive can have induced you to come to such an out-
of-the-way place from such an immense distance?
Benedict. - Lieber herr, I will sit down and tell you all that has
befallen me. Some few days after I saw you last, the canonigo
persuaded me to go to the captain-general to apply for permission
to disinter the schatz, and also to crave assistance. So I saw the
captain-general, who at first received me very kindly, asked me
several questions, and told me to come again. So I continued
visiting him till he would see me no longer, and do what I might I
could not obtain a glance of him. The canon now became impatient,
more especially as he had given me a few pesetas out of the
charities of the church. He frequently called me a bribon and
impostor. At last, one morning I went to him, and said that I had
proposed to return to Madrid, in order to lay the matter before the
government, and requested that he would give me a certificate to
the effect that I had performed a pilgrimage to Saint James, which
I imagined would be of assistance to me upon the way, as it would
enable me to beg with some colour of authority.
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