nd him sorely discomfited by the untoward issue of his
adventure, cursing the inefficiency of the ointment, the credulity of
his friends, and his own want of forethought in not making an experiment
with the ointment on some other person before he tried its effect on
Carrizales. But when the duena assured him that the old man was sleeping
as soundly as ever, there was an end to all his uneasiness, and he lent
a complacent ear to the very liquorish language in which Marialonso
addressed him. "Oho," said he to himself, "that's what you would be at,
is it? Well, you will do capitally as a bait to fish with for your
lady."

Whilst this _tete-a-tete_ was pending, the rest of the women had one by
one crept out of their several hiding-places, to see if it was true that
their master was awake; and finding all still in the house, they
returned to the saloon where they had left their mistress. Having learnt
from her that the alarm had been a false one, they asked what had become
of the musico and the duena. Leonora told them that Marialonso had gone
to fetch the maestro, whereupon they all stole out of the room as
noiselessly as they had entered it, and set themselves to listen at the
door to what was passing between the pair. Guiomar was one of the party,
but the negro was not among them; for upon the first alarm he had run
off, hugging his guitar, and hid himself in his loft, where he lay
huddled up under the bed-clothes, sweating with terror; in spite of
which he could not forbear from tinkling the guitar from time to time,
so inordinate--may Satanas confound him!--was his love of music. The
soft speeches of the amorous duena were distinctly heard by the group
outside the door; and there was not one of them but bestowed a blessing
upon her from the wrong side of the mouth, with the addition of sundry
epithets which I had rather not repeat. The result of the confabulation
between the pair was that Loaysa would comply with the duena's desires,
provided that first of all she brought her mistress to consent to his.
It cost the duena something to subscribe to these conditions; but, after
all, there was nothing she would not have done to compass the
gratification of the desires that had laid hold on her soul and body,
and were undermining her very bones and marrow. The bargain was struck;
and quitting the room to go and speak to her mistress, she found all the
rest of the women assembled round the door. Putting a bold face on the
mat