the skins at the hotel at nine next morning, and I entrusted to him the
following letter of acknowledgment:

"DEAR CAPTAIN BECUCCI:

"A thousand thanks for your kind presentation of _Hora Tranquila
Valse_. Mrs. London will play it for me this evening.

"Sincerely yours,

"Jack London."

Next morning Eliceo was back, but without the skins. Instead, he gave me
a letter, written in Spanish, of which the following is a free
translation:

"To my dearest and always appreciated friend, I submit myself--

"DEAR SIR:

"I sent you last night an offering by the bearer of this note, and you
returned me a letter which I translated.

"Be it known to you, sir, that I am giving this waltz away in the best
society, and therefore to your honoured self. Therefore it is
beholden to you to recognise the attention, I mean by a tangible
return, as this composition was made by myself. You will therefore
send by your humble servant, the bearer, any offering, however minute,
that you may be prompted to make. Send it under cover of an envelope.
The bearer may be trusted.