But when he entered the place it was as if a fire were kindled in the
minute stove never otherwise heated, and the old English and French
newspapers freshened themselves up to the actual date as nearly as they
could. We were mostly, perhaps, Spanish families come from our several
provinces for a bit of the season which all Spanish families of civil
condition desire more or less of: lean, dark fathers, slender,
white-stuccoed daughters, and fat, white-stuccoed mothers; very
still-faced, and grave-mannered. We were also a few English, and from
time to time a few Americans, but I believe we were not, however worthy,
very great-world. The concierge who had so skilfully got us together
was instant in our errands and commissions, and when it came to two of
us being shut up with colds brought from Burgos it vas he who
supplemented the promptness of the apothecaries in sending our medicines
and coming himself at times to ask after our welfare.
IX
In a strange country all the details of life are interesting, and we
noticed with peculiar interest that Spain was a country where the
prescriptions were written in the vulgar tongue instead of the little
Latin in which prescriptions are addressed to the apothecaries of other
lands.
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