‘’Where have I been?  Oh! well, that is a secret.’

‘’A secret! what, from me, from your compadre Pedro?’

’’Even so, my dear Pedro, even so; I have sworn not to mention the object of my journey nor my destination.’

’’Oh!  I dare say; but look here, what did you swear by—­the holy Virgin of Guadalupe?  No?  Well, was it the cross?’

‘’No, neither by the one nor the other.’

’’What is there binding, then? nothing else ought to keep you silent when I am in question?’

‘’I pledged my sacred honor.’

’’Your sacred honor!  Give me your hand, you always were a wag, but you humbugged me this time, I confess; well, that is a good one—­the best joke I have heard for an age—­excellent! well, go on, I am all attention, all ears.’

’’Well, you won’t hear much, for I am a man of honor, and bound not to speak; besides, I received a hundred dollars to keep mum.’

’Pedro for a moment appeared to be in a brown study; at last, gazing hard at his friend, he said: 

‘’Would two hundred tempt you to speak?’

’’If such a proposition were to come from a stranger, I might, perchance, accept it; but seeing it comes from you—­never.’

‘’Why?’

’’Because, when you offer me two hundred dollars for any thing, it must be worth far more than you offer.’

’’Well, now, admit, just as a supposition, that I am interested in this matter, what harm will it do you, if we both turn an honest penny?’

’’That is just the point; but I don’t want you to turn ten pennies to my one.’

’’Your scruples, my dear Pepito, display a cautious temperament, and evince deep acquaintance with human nature; you see through my little veil of mystery, and I own your sagacity; now I will be honest with you—­with a man like you, lying is mere folly.  It is true, I am to have four hundred dollars if I can find out where you have been.  I swear to you by the holy Virgin of Guadalupe, I am making a clean breast of it.  Now, will you take that amount?  Say the word, and I will go and fetch it right away.’

’This proposition seemed to embarrass the scrupulous Pepito extremely, and he remained some time lost in thought.

’’But, if you only receive four hundred, and give me four hundred, what the deuce will you make out of such an operation?’

‘’Trust entirely to your generosity.’

’’What! leave me to do what I like!  I take you up—­by Jupiter!  Pedro, that is a noble trait in your character—­I take you up.’

’’Then it is a bargain.  Will you wait here for me, or would you prefer to meet me at our usual Monte in the Calle de los Meradores?’

‘’I prefer the Monte.’

’’You will swear on the cross, to relate fully and truly every particular relating to your journey?’

‘’Of course—­every thing.’

‘’I will be there in a couple of hours.’