Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1895-10-11
IT WAS AN INTERPRETER ONCE


II was in the entrance hall of the Hotel
de Roma at Madrid. / had come down
stairs too see if ! could get an interpreter
or competen guide to accompany my wife
70 the museum Of the Prado, while ! went
off with a toreador 10 a rustic wedding.
There was a man in the hall who rather
puzzled me; he was not well dressed
enough for a visitor TO the hotel; yet his
eye did not seek mine with the servile so
licitation which is the mark Of the guide
tribe in all civilized capitals, nor did he
show that dignifed Indifference TO my OBJ
vious wants which is, so TO say, the livery
Of the Spaniard in quest OF employment.
He was about the middle height, of com
monplace appearance. AS there was moth
ing for 1t but to speak to him, / made up
my mind 10 speak in English: Good
morning"
GOOD morning, sir, he answered qui-
city. His tone encouraged me.
''Do you happen to be an interpreter"
l asked.
"No, am not an interpreter" There
was something subdued, half melancholy
in his tone, but he was Spaniard; the RS
betrayed him unmistakably.
"What bore" / said disconsolately,
turning half aside; "Mazzantini will be
waiting for me, and wanted some one TO
90 with my wife TO the museum"
~ shall be happy to accompany madame"
said the Spaniard, land if madame cares
for paintings she will have emotions in the
Prado."
Thanks; as you are not guide, must
not trouble you"
81 often go with people to the Prado,"
he answered little eagerly.
"But, then" went on with British love
of fact, "you must be either an inter
prefer or a guide"
81 am not an interpreter" he replied
abruptly, his manner almost rude as he
turned away.
"Well," l said, feeling my mistake, "at
any rate you speak English better than
any Spaniard / have met, and daresay
you know more about the pictures than
the ordinary guide"
He turned to me, lifting his eyebrows in
deprecating pity, and as my wife appeared
at the moment confded her to his charge.
When we met before dinner my wife spoke
Of him. "Such strange man. SO terri
bly, enthusiastic. He bored nae TO extinc-
ton about Velasquez, and seemed quite
hurt because / could not appreciate-'las
Meninas,' yes, that was the name-a quite
absurd picture. Polite?-Oh, yes, for a
foreigner and man in his position!"
After this met the man frequently, and
often talked with him. ] found that he
knew a good deal about the Spanish school
of painting, and especially about Velas-
queZ, Zurbaran, and Goya; but his knowl-
edge was curiOusly fragmentary. He had
evidently OWNED more than he had read,
and his ideas about men and things had
grown TO have all the weight Of facts for
his mind. There was, too, a curious mix
ture OF self-assertion and humility about
him which / could not account for. / ven
tured 10 ask him, one evening, how he had
come to learn so much about painting, and
especially about Velasquez. He went on
twirling cigarette between his yellow
stained fingers, while his little brown eyes
contracted with the effort of thinking.
After pause, he said:
al was In the Prado every day, and
somehow or other the little pictures grew
hideousss TO me and the masterpieces more
and more interesting"
"Then you were always guide and in
terpIeter?" / interrupted.
He turned upon me abruptly in a revolt
of conceit.
ooh, yes, senior, / was an interpreter
once. did not only interpret our Ian
guage, but the works of our greatest men
in the Prado TO common people. Oh!
yes" he repeated, nOddlng his head while
a sort of flush came over his sallow cheeks
81 was an nterpreter-once."
"But why did you tell me the first even
ing that you were not an interpreter? And
why don't you wear the band on your
cap?"
He shrugged his shoulders and said moth
ing. But pressed him, and at length he
spoke:
"When the visitors found out that was
a real interpreter, they began TO recon-
mend me to their friends, and | got con-
slant employment, more than i could do;
and as got money / became proud. The
proprietor let me have room at the hotel,
and
some day, out of the season, an Eng
lish gentleman, called Mr.. PonsOnby, came
here, and after spending day in his
room, he asked me what there was to do
in this dull place, and took him to the
Prado. He was very affable and quick,
and liked all told him. He said ! ought
TO have great reputation, and when said
/ thought had, he said he did not mean
that sort of reputation. ] ought to write
down what knew about the painters, and
the book would sell and make me a reputa-
ton everywhere. We passed the evening
together in this cafe; see, at that table.
All the next day, too, we spent together;
he did not seem TO want TO be alone, 1t was
so duh he said without any one TO talk to.
He always read the English newspapers as
soon as they came. Except for that time,
was with him every minute for three
days.
"On the fourth morning, about clock,
/ was in the hall waiting for him, when
suddenly there came up TO me my sisters
husbands brothers son, the youngest of
the family. He was in the police, and had
got on. had known him as baby, and
played with him often; his third name was
Jose, after me- We began to talk.
asked him about the family; they all live
in Toledo. And so we passed about ten
minutes; then he said to me:
A" Are you doing anything now; why do
you not go and see them?'
"But Ireplied; AN, no; l stick to my
work. Besides, have an English gentle
man here now, who takes me everywhere
with him; such nice gentleman, Mr..
Ponsonby.'
"'Ah,' he said, lis he in the hotel nowP'
81 answered proudly: He is in the ho-
tel, and am waiting for him.