Page:Sixteen years of an artist's life in Morocco, Spain and the Canary Islands.djvu/67

56 it over and over. They were now completely like a parcel of overgrown children. How they struggled and scrambled to get it into their hands! Their exclamations of terror were succeeded by shouts of admiration and delight. The complete childishness of their character was more clearly displayed by their next suggestion. What was inside was now the question. It must be broken open in order that the mystery might be disclosed. This was no sooner said that done; and when the external parts were removed, and lo, only a small piece of twisted wire was found within, it would be impossible to describe the look of blank disappointment which was apparent in every face. The poor little devil had lost all his terrors; completely crestfallen, he was thrown carelessly into a corner of the apartment, where he lay neglected for the rest of the evening.

The introduction of this toy, however, was of great service to me. It acquired for me the confidence of these Moorish ladies; and I became a great favourite henceforth with several of them. The intimacy thus arising gave me many opportunities of becoming acquainted with the inner life and domestic regulations of families in this country, which, without so simple a mode of introduction, I might never have obtained. I was