CHAPTER XIV
WHERE IS PILAR?
When Pilar left the cathedral, she hurried toward the Street of theSerpents. She would have to be quick. It was growing late, and hergrandfather would be waiting for her.
As soon as she had sold the castanets to Juan, she would shop at themarket. Then she would go home and cook the dinner.
She made herself think of the good things she would cook. But her eyesfilled with tears. How could she think of eating when her preciouscastanets were soon to be gone?
Besides, what would she and her grandfather live on, after this moneywas spent? Would they be obliged to ask for charity? Pilar shuddered.
The sound of a hurdy-gurdy came from the Murillo Garden as she passed.She remembered how she used to dance there every evening before hergrandfather had become ill.
Her friends were dancing there now--all of them: Maria, Guadalupe,Teresa--yes, even Baby Dolores, happy, carefree, whirling about in theirdance.
They had no troubles. They could stay out, dancing, singing, playing aslong as they pleased.
She would join them. She must dance just once more to her golden-voicedcastanets--just once more before she gave them up to Juan!
Pilar entered the garden.
Meanwhile, at home Pilar's grandfather awoke. He had been dreaming. Hehad dreamed of that eventful bullfight when his daughter Carmen hadsaved the life of Pedro's bull, Rey.
Carmen had later married Pedro, and Pilar was their child. But both hadpassed away, leaving their little girl in the old man's care.
What was keeping Pilar now? Where had she gone, and what was taking hersuch a long time?
Her grandfather began to worry. He raised himself on the pillow. Duskhad fallen. The room was growing dark. Yet he could discern a whiteobject lying on the floor just inside the door. Why, it looked like aletter. But few letters ever arrived at this house. Still it was aletter!
Oh, if Pilar would only come home! She had never been so late before.
"Suppose," he thought, "she has sold the magic castanets, and somethingterrible has happened to her! Suppose--"
TOLEDO]
But he quickly laughed at his foolish fears, and just then the doorswung open and Pilar burst in.
She was weeping bitterly, her arm flung across her eyes. She threwherself down beside her grandfather's bed, sobs shaking her.
At first it was difficult to understand what she said, but gradually thewords swam out thickly through her tears, "Oh, I--I have donea--terrible th-thing--"
A flood of sobs broke through and drowned the rest. Her grandfather laida gentle hand upon her head.
"There, Pilly dear," he said. "Do not cry, and tell me everything. Lookup, child, and see. Your old grandfather is better tonight, and soon hewill be quite well again. Are you not glad?"
This made Pilar raise her head. Her grandfather was speaking to her justas he had done before he had been taken so ill. It was true then thathe was much better tonight.
"Tell me what happened," he repeated.
And Pilar poured out her whole story.
"We have had no money, dear Grandfather," she said. "And I have had tosell everything of value--everything out of my mother's chest ofsouvenirs.
"The castanets were the last to go. Juan had offered to buy them from mefor a great dancing master, and today I was on my way to Juan's shop.But I--I--stopped in the Murillo Garden--and--and danced--oh!"
"Go on, Pilly dear," said her grandfather patiently.
"As I was dancing," she continued, "a gentleman came up to me and askedto see the--the castanets. When I showed them to him, he said that hewould like to buy them. He said that he was the dancing master of whomJuan had spoken.
"Oh, Grandfather, he offered me so much money for them, and I--I--"
"What did you do, Pilly?" asked the old man.
"I could not sell them, Grandfather!" sobbed Pilar. "I--I could not! Iran away from him. I ran away!"
TRIANA BRIDGE, SEVILLE]
CHAPTER XV
A STRANGER ARRIVES
"Do not cry any more, Pilly," said her grandfather. "You have done noharm by keeping the castanets. Perhaps you have done good. I shall tellyou why later on. But first let us have our dinner."
Pilar tried to smile. She brushed away her tears. Her grandfather wasactually hungry! Oh, this meant that really and truly he was gettingwell!
Pilar started toward the kitchen. She had planned such a splendid dinnerfor tonight, and now they would be obliged to eat beans and drink milk.
If only she could prepare her grandfather's favorite omelet stuffedwith creamed fish, or a bowl of stew, made out of chick-peas, garlic,potatoes, sausage, peppers, and cabbage! But--
What was that white thing lying under the door? Pilar stooped down andpicked up a letter. It was postmarked "U.S.A."
Now very few of Pilar's friends would have known what those initialsmeant. And even if they had been told, many of them would have shriekedwith laughter and cried, "Only red Indians live there!"
But Pilar's grandfather had been in America long ago, and, of course,her mother had danced there.
The letter came from Antonio Santaella, and that was Tony--Tony, who hadlived in Seville as a boy and was now an important merchant in America.Enclosed in the letter, Pilar found paper bills--money--more money thanPilar and her grandfather had seen in many years!
Tony wrote that he would always remember Pilar's mother, known as "TheLittle Spanish Dancer." He also asked Pilar whether she, too, wouldbecome a dancer when she grew up.
Pilar's eyes shone.
"Oh, Grandfather!" she cried. "What a kind man Senor Tony is! How much Ilove him! How I wish to be a dancer like my mother! Shall we have eggsor stew for dinner?" She had said it all in one breath. She rushed toopen the door on her way to market, adding, "I shall be rightba--pf-f-f!"
With a terrible thud, Pilar had bumped into a tall gentleman who stoodat the door. It was the great dancing master.
"Good evening," he said. "Are you Senorita Pilar?"
A NET MAKER, SEVILLE]
Pilar backed into the room. She looked like a scared little rabbit. Whatdid he want? Had he come to take her castanets?
"Ah, yes, you are the Senorita Pilar," continued the gentleman. He cameinto the room, closed the door behind him, and sat down calmly.
"And this, I believe, is senor, your grandfather. No?" He smiled at theold man, who lay quietly in his bed. "You see, I found out all aboutyou, senorita. After you ran away from me in the garden, I made up mymind to follow you, and I did."
Suddenly Pilar's eyes flashed angrily.
"You cannot have the castanets!" she cried.
She was standing in the center of the room, and her face was white withfury. Her small body was drawn up, rigid and tense.
"I'll never let you have them!" she screamed. "They're mine! Mine!Mine!"
She stamped her foot and threw back her head. But the tall gentleman didnot seem in the least disturbed. He just sat there looking at her andsmiling as if he were watching a play.
Indeed, one had the impression that he might begin to clap at anymoment. But he did not.
Instead, he just laughed good-naturedly and said, "What a littlefirecracker you are! And how graceful, too! Now, listen, child."
He had stopped smiling. He leaned forward and spoke to Pilar in aserious voice.
"Listen to me, Pilar," he said. "I do not want your castanets if you donot care to sell them to me. But--" He hesitated for a moment whilePilar stared at him, still with that look of anger and fear in her eyes."But I do want something else!"
Pilar's grandfather raised himself upon his pillow. "What is it that youwish, Senor?" he asked.
"The Little Spanish Dancer!" replied the gentleman. "I want Pilar!"
TOLEDO]
Both Pilar and her grandfather started. What was this man talking about?
"I want to take Pilar to my school," he went on, "and teach her. For Ibelieve that some day she will be a wonderful da
ncer. And I should know,for I have taught some of the best dancers in Spain."
Now Pilar realized who he was. Often she had passed the window of hisdancing school. She had watched the fortunate pupils and listened to thestrains of a tango and the clatter of castanets.
Upon the walls of the school were colored posters showing scenes ofbullfights. Girls and boys, young and old, stamped their feet andtwirled to fiery music.
It had always made Pilar's heart beat faster. She had longed to jointhem. But lessons were only for wealthy children and--
"But, senor," said Pilar's grandfather, as if he had been readingPilar's mind, "we have no money to spend on lessons."
"I shall ask no money," replied the dancing master. "No. Our school willsome day be proud of Senorita Pilar."
He stood up and put out his hand to the little girl.
"Come tomorrow for your first lesson," he said. "My brother willinstruct you. My brother, you know, is the second greatest dancingmaster in Spain."
"And who is the first, senor?" asked Pilar's grandfather.
"Why, I am, of course!" answered the tall man proudly, and walked out ofthe room.
When he had left, there was much rejoicing in the tiny house. Pilar wentout and bought a basket full of good things, and they had dinner.
After dinner, they sat together, silent and happy, the old man'swrinkled hand caressing the child's glossy black hair.
Then all at once, in a low, mysterious voice, the grandfather began torecite:
"_Castanets, with magic spell, Never lose or give or sell; If you do, then grief and strife Will follow you through all your life._"
PILAR AND HER GRANDFATHER]
When he had told Pilar about the magic castanets and the legends withtheir strange lessons, she felt a wave of joy sweep through her.
"Oh, then, it must have been the magic of the castanets that brought usall this good fortune, Grandfather!" she cried.
Her grandfather smiled wisely and shook his head.
"No, Pilly," he said. "Good fortune always comes to those who think goodthoughts and who work hard. There is no magic in that."
THE END
PRONOUNCING VOCABULARY
Alcazar ael-kae'thaer Algeciras [)a]l'j[+e]-s[=e]'r[.a]s Andalucia aen'dae-l[=oo]-th[=e]'ae Avila ae'v[+e]-lae Babieca bae bie'ca Barcelona baer's[)e]-l[=o]'n[.a] Boabdil b[=o]'aeb-d[=e]l' Burgos b[=oo]r'g[=o]s Cadiz k[)a]d'[)i]z Castanet k[)a]s't[.a]-n[)e]t' Cervantes s[~e]r-v[)a]n't[=e]z Cid s[)i]d Cordoba kor'd[+o]-vae Damascene d[)a]m'[.a]-s[=e]n Damascus d[.a]-m[)a]s'k[)u]s Don Quixote d[+o]n-k[+e]-h[=o]'t[+a] El Escorial [)e]l [)e]s-k[=o]'r[)i]-[)a]l Fiesta fy[)e]s'tae Granada gr[.a]-nae'd[.a] Guadalquivir gwae'd[)a]l-kw[)i]v'[~e]r Jerez h[+a]-r[=a]th' Juan hwaen Montserrat m[)o]nt's[)e]-r[)a]t' Mosque m[)o]sk Murillo m[+u]-r[)i]l'[=o] Odyssey [)o]d'[)i]-s[)i] Prado prae'd[=o] Pyrenees p[)i]r'[+e] n[=e]z Rodrigo de Bivar r[+o]-dr[=e]'g[=o] de be-vaer' Salamanca s[)a]l'[.a]-m[)a]ng'k[.a] Segovia s[+a]-g[=o]'vyae Senor s[=a]-ny[=o]r' Senorita s[=a]'ny[=o]-r[=e]'tae Seville s[+e]-v[)i]l' Tagus t[=a]'g[)u]s Toreador t[)o]r'[+e]-[.a]-dor' Torero t[+o]-r[=a]'r[=o] Tormes tor'm[=a]s Torre del Oro tor'r[+a] d[)e]l-[=o]'r[=o] Valencia v[.a]-l[)e]n'sh[)i]-[.a] Valladolid vael'yae-th[+o]-l[=e]th' Visigoth v[)i]z'[)i]-g[)o]th
Transcriber's Notes:
1. Passages in italics are surrounded by _underscores_.
2. The list of illustrations with their page numbers have been addedafter the table of contents.
3. Images have been moved from the middle of a paragraph to the closestparagraph break.
4. In this etext, a letter with a diacritical mark is enclosed withinsquare brackets. For example, diacritical marks for letter 'e' are shownbelow:
[)e] represents 'letter e with breve above' [=e] 'letter e with macron above' [+e] 'letter e with up tack above' [~e] 'letter e with tilde above'
Similar representation is used for vowels other than 'e'. The followingtwo also appear within this etext:
[.a] represents 'letter a with dot above' [=oo] 'letters oo with combined macron above'
The Little Spanish Dancer Page 15