第57部分(第1/8 页)

it　represented；　grinning　a　wele　across　the　patio。　Now　by　some　strange　chance　from　that　moment　forward；　as　Mrs。　Jebb　tells；　everything　went　wrong　with　her　husband’s　affairs。　His　health　broke；　panies　with　which　he　was　connected　collapsed；　mines　proved　unpayable；　and；　lastly；　he　sold　a　reversionary　interest　in　a　considerable　sum　for　a　third　of　its　value　on　the　very　day　before　the　life…tenant　died！　Such　were　some；　but　by　no　means　all；　of　the　catastrophes　that　overwhelmed　him；　which　cause　one　to　wonder　for　what　exact　reason　the　finder　had　parted　gratis　with　this　peculiar　treasure　for　which　shortly　before　he　had　refused　good　gold。

One　of　the　places　in　which　we　stayed　in　Mexico　was　a　huge　hacienda　situated　by　a　lake。　This　vast　house　had　once　been　a　monastery；　and　the　great　chamber　in　which　we　slept　was　still　hung　round　with　the　portraits　of　ill…favoured　abbots。　A　feature　of　the　house　consisted　of　its　almost　endless　cemented　roofs；　on　which　we　used　to　walk。　It　was　tenanted　by　the　two　bachelor　stewards　of　the　great　estate；　who　kept　mastiff　dogs　to　guard　them　at　night；　friendly　creatures　enough　when　once　mutual　confidence　had　been　established。　Altogether　that　hacienda　was　not　a　cheerful　residence　to　my　mind；　although　the　wild…fowl　shooting　on　the　lake　was　excellent　and　the　farming　operations　that　were　carried　on　interested　me　much。

Shortly　after　the　receipt　of　the　desolating　news　of　which　I　have　written；　in　order　to　try　to　occupy　our　minds　we　made　an　expedition　to　a　p