Claricia, who was not now so strictly watched as she had been in the city, soon found an opportunity of stealing out of the house, and ran to the place appointed, where she found Don Alonso and Don Jaymé dressed as peasants. She informed them that the ladies were both well, but so completely prisoners, that they were scarcely permitted to walk in the garden. “However,” continued she, “if Don Lewis go to-morrow to a farm of his about three leagues off, on an affair of consequence which requires his presence, I think I may be able to obtain you an interview with them. Don Rodrigo,” added she, “has just set out for Seville, and is not expected back for two days.”
If the Cavaliers were charmed at the flattering prospect that Claricia held out to them, she was equally well pleased with the presents that she received as a recompence for her attention. After having taken leave of them, she returned to the house, and communicated to the ladies the particulars of the conversation she had just had with the young nobleman.
The next morning, every thing seemed propitious to the lovers’ wishes: the Marquis set out for his farm, and the ladies prepared to profit by so favorable an opportunity. They dressed themselves as peasant girls, in conformity with the disguises of their lovers, and left the house attended by Claricia and Laida. They soon reached the wood, where their shepherds were already waiting for them, and met with joyful congratulations at seeing each other again; after which they laughed and amused themselves exceedingly by looking at each other in their several fantastical disguises. Parties of this sort generally create a vast deal of pleasure; but do not always end so pleasantly as they begin.
They were conversing on general subjects, which was rendered more agreeable to each by being with those whom they loved, and were proceeding to penetrate into the more private walks of the grove, when they perceived through the trees two real peasants coming towards them. They conceived them to be inhabitants of a neighbouring town which formed part of the Marquis’s manor, and they were right in their conjecture. As these countrymen passed by, the ladies turned their backs upon them, that they might not see their faces, and Vivez and Zuniga followed their example for the same reason; but the fellows instead of passing on, made a full stand; and one of them gave Don Alonso so furious a blow with a cudgel, upon his back and head, as almost stunned him. Ozmin having heard the blow, turned about instantly upon the other fellow who was preparing to serve him in the same manner; but the Moor, from his excessive quickness, warded off the blow that was intended for his head, so that it slid down his back; after which he struck his adversary so tremendous a blow, with a large stick that he carried, directly on his face, that he broke half his jaw and laid him senseless on the ground: then flew to the assistance of his friend, who stood much in need of it, for he was hard put to it by his antagonist. But this rascal knew better than to await the coming up of a man who had just made his comrade bite the dust; he ran off towards the town, where he put them all in alarm, by giving out that his companion was killed, who, in fact, was only wounded.
During this skirmish, the ladies very prudently took flight, and returned to Don Lewis’s house in the greatest alarm, and most anxious to know how this affair would end. Their uneasiness was not ill-founded; for the Cavaliers, who would have acted wisely in decamping as quickly as possible, remained so long on the scene of action consulting upon what was best to be done, that they afforded sufficient time for three ruffians from the town to rush upon them with drawn swords. One of these fellows, who was superior to the others both in point of appearance and courage, came up before the rest, and advancing towards Ozmin in a most determined manner, endeavoured to run him through the body, but the Moor received the thrust in the most skilful manner with his stick, and returned him so terrible a blow on the head that it laid him lifeless at his feet; then seizing the sword which his enemy had made so bad a use of, he was prepared to receive the two others, who presently attacked him. This combat lasted longer than either that had preceded it. Ozmin being assailed by two men at once, was fully engaged in parrying their several thrusts, one of which wounded him slightly in the hand. Don Alonso did not stand idle all this time, but laid about him so furiously with his stick, that he at length decided the victory, by a chance blow which fell with such force on the right arm of one of their antagonists that he dropped his sword, and immediately fled with his companion towards the town as precipitately as their wounds would admit of.
Our Conquerors, not content with the punishment they had already inflicted, were so imprudent as to pursue them to the very entrance of the town, where they met with a storm which was just ready to burst upon them. All the inhabitants, having heard that a peasant had been killed in the wood, were up in arms, some with cudgels and clubs pointed with iron, and others with old swords, fully determined to avenge his death. Their rage increased, when the two fugitives came up and informed them that the Bailiff’s son had just shared the same fate as the countryman. They advanced in a body, and surrounded the supposed murderers, falling upon them without mercy. Ozmin, whose courage was rather increased than damped by the appearance of so many enemies, opposed their rage most resolutely, dealing his blows on all sides, and overthrowing all that resisted him. This somewhat moderated the fury of the rest. Don Alonso, although wounded, followed his example with equal valor. It was, however, impossible to resist so unequal a force, and he was taken prisoner; soon after which, his friend, whom the mob endeavoured to throw down by hurling their staves between his legs, was unfortunate enough to stumble, and was also secured.
I leave you to judge whether the enraged multitude would have spared these two unfortunate Cavaliers who were now completely at their mercy. But as chance would have it, two gentlemen came up just at that moment on horseback, accompanied by three or four servants, who wishing to know the cause of this tumult, broke through the crowd, sword in hand, until they reached the two prisoners, in one of whom they recognized Don Alonso, notwithstanding his disguise, and though his face was covered with blood, and rescued him, with great difficulty, from the hands of the mob, who in consequence became more careful to secure their other prisoner, against whom they bore the greater malice.
Zuniga, observing this, refused to accompany his deliverers, declaring that he had rather share his friend’s fate than abandon him in this manner. But the two gentlemen represented to him that it were a fruitless attempt to endeavour to release that Cavalier, who was now actually shut up in the Bailiff’s house, who kept all the inhabitants still up in arms, exciting them to avenge his son’s death: that it were wiser, in their opinion, to assemble all the friends that they could get together; and return in the night to release him from prison. Don Alonso yielded to this advice, and was soon assured of the assistance of above forty persons, masters, as well as servants, and this bold design would undoubtedly have been executed, had not the Bailiff suspected something of the kind; but this magistrate, who was an experienced cunning old rascal, expected some such violence, and therefore applied to the chief justice of Seville, who sent him so numerous a company of guards, that he no longer feared any attempt to release his prisoner.
The ladies were not at so great a distance from this scene of confusion as to be long ignorant of the particulars of the battle, and the sad result of it. They obtained their information from some of the Marquis’s servants, many of whom had been to the town out of curiosity, where they learnt all that had passed. Donna Elvira dispatched one of them to the Bailiff, desiring him to take care how he treated the Cavalier whom he had in custody, lest he should repent of it. This recommendation was not entirely thrown away; for Don Jaymé was treated better than he would otherwise have been, and furnished with every thing that was necessary to cure two or three slight wounds which he had received.
If the Bailiff was mortified at seeing his intentions to avenge his son’s death, likely to be frustrated by Elvira, how was he rejoiced when the very same evening he had the consolation to learn that the Marquis participated in his resentment. Don Lewis, in his way home from his farm, passed through the town towards the evening, and observing that a majority of the inhabitants were in arms, he inquired for what purpose they were thus assembled. The late adventure was consequently related to him, and as he wished to know the full particulars, the most considerable person among the mob addressed himself to him: “All this misfortune,” said he, “has arisen merely from a mistake of our Bailiff’s son who was in love with a young girl belonging to your family, and had a rival who was the son of a rich farmer in the environs. The Bailiff’s son was naturally of a debauched character and of a very violent disposition, and finding that his rival, who was of a more sober character and richer than himself, was always more welcome, he sent him word that he would have him well cudgelled if he were ever again found in the neighbourhood of your house with the view of speaking with his mistress. He caused him to be observed, and having been informed this morning that two men who had not the appearance of common peasants, though dressed as such, had slipped into the wood as if by stealth, he doubted not that it was the farmer’s son, with a young fellow of his acquaintance who generally accompanied him in these visits, and that they were thus disguised to avoid the drubbing they had been threatened with; with this impression he employed two of the strongest fellows in the town to conceal themselves in the wood to put his threat in execution; and he himself followed with two of his friends, in order to assist them, if necessary.”