CHAPTER XII
PILAR'S GRANDFATHER REMEMBERS
After Pilar went out, her grandfather lay thinking. Somehow the old manfelt better today. He did not fall asleep as soon as Pilar left thehouse.
He began to wonder where she had gone and why she had taken thecastanets with her. He knew that she had been obliged to sell many ofher mother's souvenirs, so that they might live. But he hoped that soonhe would be able again to provide for his granddaughter and himself.
"Suppose Pilly has gone out to sell the castanets," he thought.
The idea frightened him. Yet he tried to tell himself that he was just afoolish old man, to believe in a fairy tale about the charm of a pairof castanets.
Still he could not help remembering the legends which had been handeddown through his family.
He lay dreaming, and before him passed the days when Pilar's mother hadbeen young. Her name had been Carmen Pilar Innocentia Gonzales, but shehad been known as "Carmen, the Little Spanish Dancer."
As a little girl, she had been just such a graceful dancer as Pilar. Andone day a great teacher from Madrid had seen her and had taken her awayto study in the capital.
But before that, she had spent much time on the streets of Seville. Herfather could still see her playing there with her little friend Tony,who had lived next door.
Tony and his comrades had often staged a bullfight. Tony would be thebrave torero (t[+o]-r[=a]'r[=o]) or fighter, while all the neighborswould gather round to watch the sport.
When Tony would plunge his make-believe sword into the make-believebull, everyone would cheer loudly.
BOYS PLAYING BULLFIGHT]
Bullfighting is still Spain's favorite sport, though recently footballhas arrived there. The Spanish call it "futbol," and it has become verypopular.
But Tony had always wanted to be a torero. Pilar's grandfather laysmiling as he thought of that same Tony, now a wealthy tobacco merchantliving in America. He was far from being a bullfighter today.
However, when Pilar's mother, Carmen, grew older, she had been courtedby a young man who was a bullfighter. The memory of this young manbrought to mind again the fear of losing the castanets.
For Pilar's grandfather recalled a very real and dramatic story aboutCarmen and Pedro, the young torero.
BULLFIGHT, MADRID]
The Little Spanish Dancer Page 13