Page:Narrative of an Official Visit to Guatemala.djvu/239

CH. XV.] talents, was also of the party, and contributed greatly to the entertainment, as he sung remarkably well, and was complete master of the guitar, accompanying himself sometimes upon that instrument and, at others, upon the piano or base-viol. The two sons were grown up, about twenty years of age, and were quiet, gentlemanly, young men, well informed and still anxious after improvement.

As we walked, after dinner, up and down the inner corridor, they put to me many pertinent questions respecting English customs, and seemed to long for the day when opportunity might be given them to visit Europe. Whatever might be their fortune or expectations in their own country, and these were not bad, as they were amongst the more opulent of the inhabitants, they were not, apparently, following a course of life exactly adapted to their views or wishes. At the end of their house, which was handsome and commodious, there was, as usual, a shop attached, which, it seems,