Page:Sixteen years of an artist's life in Morocco, Spain and the Canary Islands.djvu/50

Rh of the body, she is sure, ere long, to arrive at the orthodox amplitude.

This lady introduced me to all her lord's legitimate children, while the superfluous little offshoots were collecting about to stare and gape at my novel appearance. We were assembled in the Patio, or inner court, common to all Moorish houses; a gallery ran all around, which was supported by elegant pillars; and the centre was open to the sky. Large doors, opening from the four sides, gave us an insight into long narrow passages, which served for rooms, but can scarcely be called so. There were, besides, innumerable little alcoves and oddly-shaped recesses, all ornamented with the most elegant Saracenic decorations, and all paved with the same brilliant and many-coloured tiles which I had seen in the Jewish houses and the Moorish mosque. Beckoning me to follow her upstairs, the lady conducted me through several beautiful indented Moorish arches, all most richly adorned with Arabesque mouldings, while the passages through which I was led were bordered with extracts from the Koran. We passed through a spacious pair of folding doors, with heavy bolts, but not suspended, as our doors are, upon hinges; they are made to move easily, however, by having the jambs formed at each end into axle or pivot, the upper, which is