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"That I believe," said Sancho; "and they would be great fools ifthey did or thought otherwise; once more I say, see to my feedingand my Dapple's for that is the great point and what is most to thepurpose; and when the hour comes let us go the rounds, for it is myintention to purge this island of all manner of uncleanness and of allidle good-for-nothing vagabonds; for I would have you know that lazyidlers are the same thing in a State as the drones in a hive, that eatup the honey the industrious bees make. I mean to protect thehusbandman, to preserve to the gentleman his privileges, to reward thevirtuous, and above all to respect religion and honour itsministers. What say you to that, my friends? Is there anything in whatI say, or am I talking to no purpose?"

"There is so much in what your worship says, senor governor," saidthe majordomo, "that I am filled with wonder when I see a man likeyour worship, entirely without learning (for I believe you have noneat all), say such things, and so full of sound maxims and sageremarks, very different from what was expected of your worship'sintelligence by those who sent us or by us who came here. Every day wesee something new in this world; jokes become realities, and thejokers find the tables turned upon them."

Night came, and with the permission of Doctor Pedro Recio, thegovernor had supper. They then got ready to go the rounds, and hestarted with the majordomo, the secretary, the head-carver, thechronicler charged with recording his deeds, and alguacils andnotaries enough to form a fair-sized squadron. In the midst marchedSancho with his staff, as fine a sight as one could wish to see, andbut a few streets of the town had been traversed when they heard anoise as of a clashing of swords. They hastened to the spot, and foundthat the combatants were but two, who seeing the authoritiesapproaching stood still, and one of them exclaimed, "Help, in the nameof God and the king! Are men to he allowed to rob in the middle ofthis town, and rush out and attack people in the very streets?"

"Be calm, my good man," said Sancho, "and tell me what the causeof this quarrel is; for I am the governor."

Said the other combatant, "Senor governor, I will tell you in a veryfew words. Your worship must know that this gentleman has just now wonmore than a thousand reals in that gambling house opposite, and Godknows how. I was there, and gave more than one doubtful point in hisfavour, very much against what my conscience told me. He made off withhis winnings, and when I made sure he was going to give me a crownor so at least by way of a present, as it is usual and customary togive men of quality of my sort who stand by to see fair or foulplay, and back up swindles, and prevent quarrels, he pocketed hismoney and left the house. Indignant at this I followed him, andspeaking him fairly and civilly asked him to give me if it were onlyeight reals, for he knows I am an honest man and that I have neitherprofession nor property, for my parents never brought me up to anyor left me any; but the rogue, who is a greater thief than Cacus and agreater sharper than Andradilla, would not give me more than fourreals; so your worship may see how little shame and conscience he has.But by my faith if you had not come up I'd have made him disgorgehis winnings, and he'd have learned what the range of the steel-yardwas."

"What say you to this?" asked Sancho. The other replied that all hisantagonist said was true, and that he did not choose to give himmore than four reals because he very often gave him money; and thatthose who expected presents ought to be civil and take what is giventhem with a cheerful countenance, and not make any claim againstwinners unless they know them for certain to be sharpers and theirwinnings to be unfairly won; and that there could be no better proofthat he himself was an honest man than his having refused to giveanything; for sharpers always pay tribute to lookers-on who know them.

"That is true," said the majordomo; "let your worship considerwhat is to be done with these men."

"What is to be done," said Sancho, "is this; you, the winner, be yougood, bad, or indifferent, give this assailant of yours a hundredreals at once, and you must disburse thirty more for the poorprisoners; and you who have neither profession nor property, andhang about the island in idleness, take these hundred reals now, andsome time of the day to-morrow quit the island under sentence ofbanishment for ten years, and under pain of completing it in anotherlife if you violate the sentence, for I'll hang you on a gibbet, or atleast the hangman will by my orders; not a word from either of you, orI'll make him feel my hand."

The one paid down the money and the other took it, and the latterquitted the island, while the other went home; and then the governorsaid, "Either I am not good for much, or I'll get rid of thesegambling houses, for it strikes me they are very mischievous."

"This one at least," said one of the notaries, "your worship willnot be able to get rid of, for a great man owns it, and what heloses every year is beyond all comparison more than what he makes bythe cards. On the minor gambling houses your worship may exercise yourpower, and it is they that do most harm and shelter the most barefacedpractices; for in the houses of lords and gentlemen of quality thenotorious sharpers dare not attempt to play their tricks; and as thevice of gambling has become common, it is better that men shouldplay in houses of repute than in some tradesman's, where they catch anunlucky fellow in the small hours of the morning and skin him alive."

"I know already, notary, that there is a good deal to he said onthat point," said Sancho.

And now a tipstaff came up with a young man in his grasp, andsaid, "Senor governor, this youth was coming towards us, and as soonas he saw the officers of justice he turned about and ran like a deer,a sure proof that he must be some evil-doer; I ran after him, andhad it not been that he stumbled and fell, I should never havecaught him."

"What did you run for, fellow?" said Sancho.

To which the young man replied, "Senor, it was to avoid answeringall the questions officers of justice put."

"What are you by trade?"

"A weaver."

"And what do you weave?"

"Lance heads, with your worship's good leave."

"You're facetious with me! You plume yourself on being a wag? Verygood; and where were you going just now?"

"To take the air, senor."

"And where does one take the air in this island?"

"Where it blows."

"Good! your answers are very much to the point; you are a smartyouth; but take notice that I am the air, and that I blow upon youa-stern, and send you to gaol. Ho there! lay hold of him and takehim off; I'll make him sleep there to-night without air."

"By God," said the young man, "your worship will make me sleep ingaol just as soon as make me king."

"Why shan't I make thee sleep in gaol?" said Sancho. "Have I not thepower to arrest thee and release thee whenever I like?"

"All the power your worship has," said the young man, "won't be ableto make me sleep in gaol."

"How? not able!" said Sancho; "take him away at once where he'll seehis mistake with his own eyes, even if the gaoler is willing toexert his interested generosity on his behalf; for I'll lay apenalty of two thousand ducats on him if he allows him to stir astep from the prison."

"That's ridiculous," said the young man; "the fact is, all the menon earth will not make me sleep in prison."

"Tell me, you devil," said Sancho, "have you got any angel that willdeliver you, and take off the irons I am going to order them to putupon you?"

"Now, senor governor," said the young man in a sprightly manner,"let us be reasonable and come to the point. Granted your worshipmay order me to be taken to prison, and to have irons and chains puton me, and to be shut up in a cell, and may lay heavy penalties on thegaoler if he lets me out, and that he obeys your orders; still, if Idon't choose to sleep, and choose to remain awake all night withoutclosing an eye, will your worship with all your power be able tomake me sleep if I don't choose?"

"No, truly," said the secretary, "and the fellow has made hispoint."

"So then," said Sancho, "it would be entirely of your own choice youwould keep from sleeping; not in opposition to my will?"

"No, senor," said the youth, "certainly not."

"Well then, go, and God be with you," said Sancho; "be off home tosleep, and God give you sound sleep, for I don't want to rob you ofit; but for the future, let me advise you don't joke with theauthorities, because you may come across some one who will bringdown the joke on your own skull."

The young man went his way, and the governor continued his round,and shortly afterwards two tipstaffs came up with a man in custody,and said, "Senor governor, this person, who seems to be a man, isnot so, but a woman, and not an ill-favoured one, in man's clothes."They raised two or three lanterns to her face, and by their light theydistinguished the features of a woman to all appearance of the ageof sixteen or a little more, with her hair gathered into a gold andgreen silk net, and fair as a thousand pearls. They scanned her fromhead to foot, and observed that she had on red silk stockings withgarters of white taffety bordered with gold and pearl; her breecheswere of green and gold stuff, and under an open jacket or jerkin ofthe same she wore a doublet of the finest white and gold cloth; hershoes were white and such as men wear; she carried no sword at herbelt, but only a richly ornamented dagger, and on her fingers shehad several handsome rings. In short, the girl seemed fair to lookat in the eyes of all, and none of those who beheld her knew her,the people of the town said they could not imagine who she was, andthose who were in the secret of the jokes that were to be practisedupon Sancho were the ones who were most surprised, for this incidentor discovery had not been arranged by them; and they watched anxiouslyto see how the affair would end.

Sancho was fascinated by the girl's beauty, and he asked her who shewas, where she was going, and what had induced her to dress herself inthat garb. She with her eyes fixed on the ground answered in modestconfusion, "I cannot tell you, senor, before so many people what it isof such consequence to me to have kept secret; one thing I wish tobe known, that I am no thief or evildoer, but only an unhappy maidenwhom the power of jealousy has led to break through the respect thatis due to modesty."

Hearing this the majordomo said to Sancho, "Make the people standback, senor governor, that this lady may say what she wishes with lessembarrassment."

Sancho gave the order, and all except the majordomo, thehead-carver, and the secretary fell back. Finding herself then inthe presence of no more, the damsel went on to say, "I am thedaughter, sirs, of Pedro Perez Mazorca, the wool-farmer of thistown, who is in the habit of coming very often to my father's house."

"That won't do, senora," said the majordomo; "for I know Pedro Perezvery well, and I know he has no child at all, either son ordaughter; and besides, though you say he is your father, you addthen that he comes very often to your father's house."

"I had already noticed that," said Sancho.

"I am confused just now, sirs," said the damsel, "and I don't knowwhat I am saying; but the truth is that I am the daughter of Diegode la Llana, whom you must all know."

"Ay, that will do," said the majordomo; "for I know Diego de laLlana, and know that he is a gentleman of position and a rich man, andthat he has a son and a daughter, and that since he was left a widowernobody in all this town can speak of having seen his daughter'sface; for he keeps her so closely shut up that he does not give eventhe sun a chance of seeing her; and for all that report says she isextremely beautiful."

"It is true," said the damsel, "and I am that daughter; whetherreport lies or not as to my beauty, you, sirs, will have decided bythis time, as you have seen me;" and with this she began to weepbitterly.

On seeing this the secretary leant over to the head-carver's ear,and said to him in a low voice, "Something serious has no doubthappened this poor maiden, that she goes wandering from home in such adress and at such an hour, and one of her rank too." "There can beno doubt about it," returned the carver, "and moreover her tearsconfirm your suspicion." Sancho gave her the best comfort he could,and entreated her to tell them without any fear what had happened her,as they would all earnestly and by every means in their powerendeavour to relieve her.

"The fact is, sirs," said she, "that my father has kept me shut upthese ten years, for so long is it since the earth received my mother.Mass is said at home in a sumptuous chapel, and all this time I haveseen but the sun in the heaven by day, and the moon and the stars bynight; nor do I know what streets are like, or plazas, or churches, oreven men, except my father and a brother I have, and Pedro Perez thewool-farmer; whom, because he came frequently to our house, I tookit into my head to call my father, to avoid naming my own. Thisseclusion and the restrictions laid upon my going out, were it only tochurch, have been keeping me unhappy for many a day and month past;I longed to see the world, or at least the town where I was born,and it did not seem to me that this wish was inconsistent with therespect maidens of good quality should have for themselves. When Iheard them talking of bull-fights taking place, and of javelingames, and of acting plays, I asked my brother, who is a yearyounger than myself, to tell me what sort of things these were, andmany more that I had never seen; he explained them to me as well as hecould, but the only effect was to kindle in me a still stronger desireto see them. At last, to cut short the story of my ruin, I beggedand entreated my brother- O that I had never made such an entreaty-"And once more she gave way to a burst of weeping.

"Proceed, senora," said the majordomo, "and finish your story ofwhat has happened to you, for your words and tears are keeping usall in suspense."