I Had Scarcely Been There A Minute When My Servant
Francisco Rushed In, Much Out Of Breath, And In Violent Agitation,
Exclaiming In Basque, "Niri Jauna (Master Mine), The Alguaziloac
And The Corchetoac, And All The Other Lapurrac (Thieves) Are Again
At The House.
They seem half mad, and not being able to find you,
are searching your papers, thinking, I suppose, that you are hid
among them." Mr. Southern here interrupting him, inquired of me
what all this meant.
Whereupon I told him, saying at the same
time, that it was my intention to proceed at once to my lodgings.
"But perhaps these fellows will arrest you," said Mr. S., "before
we can interfere." "I must take my chance as to that," I replied,
and presently afterwards departed.
Ere, however, I had reached the middle of the street of Alcala, two
fellows came up to me, and telling me that I was their prisoner,
commanded me to follow them to the office of the corregidor. They
were in fact alguazils, who, suspecting that I might enter or come
out of the embassy, had stationed themselves in the neighbourhood.
I instantly turned round to Francisco, and told him in Basque to
return to the embassy and to relate there to the secretary what had
just occurred. The poor fellow set off like lightning, turning
half round, however, to shake his fist, and to vent a Basque
execration at the two lapurrac, as he called the alguazils.
They conducted me to the gefatura or office of the corregidor,
where they ushered me into a large room, and motioned me to sit
down on a wooden bench.
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