All my efforts to detain her were unavailing. I represented to her that there might be found many similar rosaries at a Goldsmith’s, and that, if she would allow me, I would presume to send her one as soon as possible; but she would not accept of my offer, requesting me, in an engaging manner, to allow her to depart; assuring me, that whether she found her cross at home or not, she would not fail to pay me a visit the next day at the same hour. Upon this she quitted my chamber, leaving me well pleased with her figure, and much grieved at her so precipitate departure.
It was no longer possible to think of sleeping after such an interview, so that I lay and reflected on my good fortune, and the pleasures that I anticipated, until it was time for dinner. I then rose and dressed myself, after which I sat down to a small table, and partook of a variety of dishes sufficient for six persons. In the middle of my repast, Marcia returned, and informed me with a mournful countenance that the golden cross could not be found; “and what is still more vexatious,” added she, “my mistress accuses me of being the cause of this misfortune, and I must allow that I was rather too pressing this morning to make her dress herself quickly to come and see you. I have been to a Goldsmith’s out of curiosity, to see if I could not find a cross of the same description, and have been fortunate enough to meet with one that resembles it as nearly as possible.” I soon understood her meaning, and wishing to be thought generous, I answered, that if she would wait until I had dined, I would accompany her to the Goldsmith’s, and purchase the cross which she had seen. As this was, in fact, the sole object of her coming, she replied, that she would do just as I pleased; then beginning to praise her mistress, she told me all that was charming of her.
After dinner we repaired to the Goldsmith’s together, and purchased the aforesaid cross, which I gave to Marcia, requesting her to tell her mistress, that as I considered myself in some degree the cause of her loss, it was my duty to repair it. This faithful servant, overjoyed at her good success, immediately departed, after having assured me that she would make her lady acquainted with my generous way of proceeding, and that she was sure her mistress would not fail to see me next day, personally to return thanks for my kindness.
As soon as Marcia had left me, I determined to avail myself of this opportunity to see my lady in St. Cyprian-street again; for although I had such good reason to believe that she was a cheat and her brother a bully, yet I should have been glad to have found myself mistaken; forgetting, therefore, the scurvy trick they had played me, I hastened towards their house, and perceived my charmer at a window, whence I was soon remarked. She made signs to me that she had company, but that I was not to go away; I stopped, and about a quarter of an hour after, saw her go out alone. I followed her at a distance, and observed her enter the great church to shorten her way to Patten street, whence she went into Mercer’s-street, and entered a shop, making signs to me to follow her, which I obeyed. How admirably did she then play her part! She burst into tears, which, I suppose, she had always ready at command, and complaining to Heaven that she had so troublesome a brother, she assured me of the extreme pain she had suffered on my account, swearing over and over again that it had not been her fault that so untoward an adventure had occurred to me: she then told me, that she hoped to recompense me for my late unpleasant night by assuring me of a pleasant one; that her brother was to set out immediately for the country, where he would remain for at least two days, and she trusted, therefore, that I would not refuse her invitation to spend that evening with her. She then spoke to me with so much tenderness, that I was completely convinced of her sincerity, and was weak enough to promise to see her at her own house again as soon as it was dusk.
As she had entered this shop, she could not make up her mind to leave it, without asking the prices and cheapening some trifles, as is customary with women; and she agreed to purchase some of them for a hundred and fifty reals; but instead of paying for them, she said to the shopkeeper, “you will be kind enough to allow me to take these articles with me now, and give me credit until to-morrow, when I will send my waiting-woman to pay you.” The shopkeeper, who either did not know her at all, or possibly was but too well acquainted with her, refused to trust her; upon which Signor Guzman, always ready to please the ladies, stepped forward and said to him, “my good friend, do you not perceive that the lady is only in jest; she has not this sum at hand, but I carry her purse, and have the honour to be her steward:” thus saying, I drew it from my pocket in the most graceful manner, and paid the shopkeeper his demand. After this we parted. “Adieu, my chicken,” said she, in a languishing and tender manner; “remember that I shall expect to see you at nine in the evening, but I absolutely forbid you to provide any supper, for I must insist on being allowed to treat you this time.”
The hour of rendezvous, which I expected with the greatest impatience, having at length arrived, I set out towards my charmer’s house, at the risk of passing another night there in the tub. I now approached her door again with as much eagerness as I had ran from it in the morning. I made the signal we had agreed upon; but no answer. I repeated it; but neither saw nor heard any one. I then began to fancy that the brother had been informed of his sister’s design, and had not set off for the country. Thinking it possible, however, that I had not given the signal loud enough, which was to knock with a stone at the bottom of the lower window, I redoubled my strokes; but I might as well have attempted to make the bridge of Alcantara hear me. I then knocked several times at the door, and put my ear to the key-hole to listen; but finding that there was not the least noise to be heard in the house, I remained in the street until midnight, quite at a loss to account for so extraordinary a silence.
My patience, however, began at length to fail me, and I was just on the point of returning, when I observed a company of armed men coming towards me; and took the precaution to retire to the end of the street, that I might notice them unobserved. They stopped at the door of my nymph’s house, and rapped loudly; and as the people in the house persisted in not answering them, they began to thunder at the door with their staves, and would soon have shivered it to atoms, if a servant had not appeared at one of the windows, and asked what was their business. “Open,” cried an Alguazil, “open, at the summons of Justice.” At these terrible words, I felt so alarmed, that I was tempted to scamper off as fast as my legs would carry me, not knowing but it was for me they looked; a culprit cannot behold these sort of people without emotion. My courage returned, however, when I reflected that I could only be considered the dupe of my princess and her pretended brother, whose laudable conduct, had, according to all appearance, attracted the attention of justice.
I even ventured to approach the house, as soon as the Alguazil and his myrmidons had entered it; and joining the crowd of neighbours who had collected in the street to see what was going on, I heard one among them say to the rest, “They call themselves brother and sister; but they must trace their pedigree from Adam, for they are no otherwise related. The man is an adventurer of Cordova, who for some months past, has lived here at Toledo with this woman who was formerly an actress at Seville, at the expence of such young fools as fell into their hands; but unfortunately for these two honest folks, they have been practising their knaveries upon a scrivener, who has played them this trick to be avenged on them.
At this relation, all the neighbours laughed heartily at the expence of the scrivener, whom they knew to be but newly married: but, although they were so glad to find that this limb of the law had been duped, they did not the less applaud his vengeance on that account, so true is it that nobody ever pities persons who are detected in dishonesty. It seemed even a most agreeable comedy for the witnesses of this adventure, when they saw the Alguazil and his officers leading to prison the lady all in disorder, accompanied by her gallant well bound with cords. For my own part, though I could not well forget her scurvy treatment of me in the tub, yet I could not feel any pleasure in seeing this miserable woman in her present deplorable situation: I was the only one of all the spectators who felt any pity for her, though I had most reason to feel none. Rejoiced, however, that I could no longer be her dupe, I returned to my inn, fool enough still to flatter myself that the other lady would not deceive me; but I waited, in vain, the whole of the next day at home for her: I did not even see her servant again: so that being no longer able to doubt that I was also gulled in that quarter, I resolved that in future I would be more upon my guard against the fair sex.