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As Sherry and I left the theatre in Mexico City one night, we met a blind beggar tapping his way home. Sherry stopped him. “Good evening,” he said over the blind man’s shoulder.

“Good evening, senor,” was the reply. “You are late.”

“Si, senor,” and the blind man pushed a hand down in his coat pocket.

“He’s got his fist on the rhino,” said Sherry to me in English. “He’s not quite sure whether we’re footpads or not–poor devil.”

“How much has he got?” asked I.

“Perhaps four or five dollars. Good business, eh? Got it in big money mostly, too–had it changed at some cafe.”

The blind man was nervous, seemed not to understand us. He made as if to move on. Sherry and I, to reassure him, put a few reals into his hand–not without an object, for I asked Sherry to make him talk on. A policeman sauntered near with his large lantern–a superior sort of Dogberry, but very young, as are most of the policemen in Mexico, save the Rurales, that splendid company of highwaymen whom Diaz bought over from being bandits to be the guardians of the peace. This one eyed us meaningly, but Sherry gave him a reassuring nod, and our talk went on, while the blind man was fingering the money we had just given him. Presently Sherry said to him: “I’m Bingham Sherry,” adding some other particulars–“and you’re all right. I’ve a friend here who wants to talk with you. Come along; we’ll take you home–confound the garlic, what a breath he’s got!”

For a moment the blind man seemed to hesitate, then he raised his head quickly, as if looking into Sherry’s face; a light came over it, and he said, repeating Sherry’s name: “Si, senor; si, si, senor. I know you now. You sit in the right-hand corner of the little back-room at the Cafe Manrique, where you come to drink chocolate. Is it not?”

“That’s where I sit,” said Sherry. “And now, be gad, I believe I remember you. Are you Becodar?”

“Si, senor.”

“Well, I’m damned!” Then, turning tome: “Lots of these fellows look so much alike that I didn’t recognise this one. He’s a character. Had a queer history. I’ll get him to tell it.”

We walked on, one on either side, Sherry using his hat to wave away the smell of garlic. Presently he said “Where’ve you been to-night, Becodar?”

“I have paid my respects to the Maison Dore, to the Cafe de la Concordia, to the Cafe Iturbide, senor.”

“And how did paying your respects pay you, Becodar?”

“The noble courtesy of these cafes, and the great consideration of the hidalgos there assembled rendered to me five pesos and a trifle, senor.”

“The poor ye have always with you. He that giveth to the poor lendeth to the Lord. Becodar has large transactions with Providence, mio amigo,” said Sherry.

The beggar turned his sightless eyes to us, as though he would understand these English words. Sherry, seeing, said: “We were saying, Becodar, that the blessed saints know how to take care of a blind man, lest, having no boot, he stub his toe against a stone.”

Off came Becodar’s hat. He tapped the wall. “Where am I, senor?” he asked.

Sherry told him. “Ah!” he said, “the church of Saint Joseph is near.” Then he crossed himself and seemed to hurry his steps. Presently he stood still. We were beside the church. Against the door, in a niche, was a figure of the Virgin in stone. He got to his knees and prayed fast. And yet as he prayed I saw his hand go to his pocket, and it fumbled and felt the money there.

“Begad, he’s counting it all,” said Sherry, “and now he’s giving thanks for the exact amount, adding his distinguished consideration that the sum is by three reals greater than any day since Lent began. He promises to bring some flowers to-morrow for the shrine, and he also swears to go a pilgrimage to a church of Mary at Guadaloupe, and to be a kind compadre–By Jove, there you are! He’s a compadre–a blind compadre!”