It was the merest accident, too, that Jose Medina whilst he was unpacking his bag heard his name pronounced in the next room.

Jose Medina, with all his qualities, was of the peasant class with much of the peasant mind.

He was inquisitive, and he was suspicious.

Let it be said in his defence that he had enemies enough ready to pull him down, not only, as we have seen, amongst his rivals on the coast, but here, amongst the Government officials of Madrid.

It cost him a pretty penny annually to keep his balance on the tight-rope, as it was.