Page:Travels in Mexico and life among the Mexicans.djvu/128

120 it dawned upon me that my aged friend was playing a game on me by getting me to talk English to a girl who didn't understand one word of the language. But when I expostulated with him, he replied, innocently and in good faith, that his daughter could not speak English certainly, and, moreover, she had never heard it spoken before, nor had any other of the young ladies in the room; but he hoped I would not refuse to gratify her curiosity to hear it. And just then the blushing beauty smiled bewitchingly, and said that she understood my English very well, and that the old man could just go along about his business, or words to that effect.

Well, we talked English together for quite a while, though it was a rather one-sided conversation, for she could only understand Spanish and Maya. Pretty soon the other girls wanted to talk English, too, and grew so anxious that the dancing was entirely suspended. As there were only three of us, and not enough to go round if but one young lady were assigned to each, it was proposed by the General that we make speeches in English. This was not so agreeable a method as taking each damsel separately and conversing to her in private; but we consented, and it fell to my lot to lead off. Now, not a mother's son, or daughter, of that assemblage could understand a syllable of anything but Spanish and Maya, and I am ashamed to confess that I presumed upon their ignorance in a way that was not fair. I recited, "The boy stood on the burning deck"; and when the Consul assured them it was a beautiful English poem, my own composition, they believed him, and applauded furiously. Then the Consul and John made speeches, the former passing off something of Daniel Webster's as an original oration, and when we were through it was midnight. Refreshments were then brought in, and, after toasting the bright eyes, etc. of the Yucatecas, we all departed for our respective dwellings.

On the morrow the General insisted upon going with us to the end of our journey, and so had his private volan hitched up, and about nine o'clock we reached our destination. In this town of Timax (pronounced Teemash) we found the only American in this section, in response to whose invitation we