As good a collection of short stories as I have found for a long time. Spanish America dominates as background, though there is a London story and a New York story. Fast paced, varying in quality and length and impact; some are scarcely more than sharply etched character studies, some are good adventure yarns, some mere sketches. But everyone has a good reason for being. For the essential flavor read the title story, Delitch of the Back Stairs, Technique and Taboo.