Antonio,
opening the door of his room, found the lady seated on his bed, leaning
her cheek on her hand, and weeping piteously. Don Juan also having
approached the door, the splendour of the diamonds caught the eye of the
weeping lady, and she exclaimed, "Enter, my lord duke, enter! Why afford
me in such scanty measure the happiness of seeing you; enter at once, I
beseech you."

"Signora," replied Don Antonio, "there is no duke here who is declining
to see you."

"How, no duke!" she exclaimed. "He whom I have just seen is the Duke of
Ferrara; the rich decoration of his hat does not permit him to conceal
himself."

"Of a truth, Signora, he who wears the hat you speak of is no duke; and
if you please to undeceive yourself by seeing that person, you have but
to give your permission, and he shall enter."

"Let him do so," said the lady; "although, if he be not the duke, my
misfortune will be all the greater."

Don Juan had heard all this, and now finding that he was invited to
enter, he walked into the apartment with his hat in his hand; but he had
no sooner placed himself before the lady than she, seeing he was not the
person she had supposed, began to exclaim, in a troubled voice and with
broken words, "Ah! miserable creature that I am, tell me, Signor--tell
me at once, without keeping me in suspense, what do you know of him who
owned that sombrero? How is it that he no longer has it, and how did it
come into your possession? Does he still live, or is this the token that
he sends me of his death? Oh! my beloved, what misery is this! I see the
jewels that were thine. I see myself shut up here without the light of
thy presence. I am in the power of strangers; and if I did not know that
they were Spaniards and gentlemen, the fear of that disgrace by which I
am threatened would already have finished my life."

"Calm yourself, madam," replied Don Juan, "for the master of this
sombrero is not dead, nor are you in a place where any increase to your
misfortunes is to be dreaded. We think only of serving you, so far as
our means will permit, even to the exposing our lives for your defence
and succour. It would ill become us to suffer that the trust you have in
the faith of Spaniards should be vain; and since we are Spaniards, and
of good quality--for here that assertion, which might otherwise appear
arrogant, becomes needful--be assured that you will receive all the
respect which is your due."

"I believe you," replied the