Page:Sixteen years of an artist's life in Morocco, Spain and the Canary Islands.djvu/35

24 toilet, as amid the lurid blaze of the torches, and the frantic yells and shouts of the rabble collected about her, she was conveyed to the habitation of her future husband. We followed her to the door; and having then taken a last look of this half-animated bride, we turned aside towards a neighbouring house, in which we expected to have the pleasure of seeing the pretty wife of the Hebrew interpreter to the British Mission.

The house was very unostentatious, even mean, in appearance, at least on the outside; and on his first entrance the visitor is met by a dead wall, so managed in all Moorish and Jewish houses as most effectually to prevent the passers by from gratifying their curiosity by gazing into the Patio, or central court, which is the usual rendezvous of the family circle. But in proportion to the plain and unattractive appearance of these houses on the exterior, are they rich and costly within. The Jew in Morocco may not choose to exhibit the full extent of his riches and possessions to the subjects of the Protector of the Faithful, for the consequence might be that, unless he enjoyed the protection of some very powerful patron, he would have to pay dear for his inconsiderate ostentation. The Patio of the house to which we were now introduced, was beautifully paved with glazed tiles,