Page:Narrative of an Official Visit to Guatemala.djvu/311

CH. XX.] the visitors, were accommodated with our breakfast, a very good one, owing to the provident hospitality of our late hostess Doña Joanita. When we had done justice to it, Don José left us to take his siesta at a little distance, under a natural bower at the end of the garden, as our talking might disturb him;—for I was too gallant, myself, to think of going to sleep, and Doña Maria was polite enough to wave that ceremony, in spite of my offering to leave her the cabin for the purpose. The consequence was, that we continued chatting together very sociably till it was time to depart. I was glad to find that, although she had not slept, she was much refreshed by the rest; for she was of a delicate, sensitive constitution, and her servant had provided her with a temporary couch, which he had formed of his manta and other materials of dress and furniture peculiar to the equestrian equipments of the country. My armas de agua, spread upon the ground, furnished me with