whom he inquired, they had never seen
her. Don Antonio was almost out of his senses at this unexpected
occurrence, which, he feared, must make the duke consider himself and
Don Juan to be mere liars and boasters. He was plunged in these sad
thoughts when Alfonso entered with Lorenzo and Don Juan, who had spurred
on before the attendants by retired and unfrequented streets. They found
Don Antonio seated with his head on his hand, and as pale as a man who
has been long dead, and when Don Juan inquired what ailed him, and where
was the Lady Cornelia, he replied, "Rather ask me what do I not ail,
since the Lady Cornelia is not to be found. She quitted the house, on
the same day as ourselves, with the gouvernante we left to keep her
company."

This sad news seemed as though it would deprive the duke of life, and
Lorenzo of his senses. The whole party remained in the utmost
consternation and dismay; when one of the pages said to Don Antonio in a
whisper, "Signor, Santisteban, Signor Don Juan's page, has had locked up
in his chamber, from the day when your worships left, a very pretty
woman, whose name is certainly Cornelia, for I have heard him call her
so." Plunged into a new embarrassment, Don Antonio would rather not have
found the lady at all--for he could not but suppose it was she whom the
page had shut up in his room--than have discovered her in such a place.
Nevertheless, without saying a word, he ascended to the page's chamber,
but found the door fast, for the young man had gone out, and taken away
the key. Don Antonio therefore put his lips to the keyhole, and said in
a low voice, "Open the door, Signora Cornelia, and come down to receive
your brother, and the duke, your husband, who are waiting to take you
hence."

A voice from within replied, "Are you making fun of me? It is certain
that I am neither so ugly nor so old but that dukes and counts may very
well be looking for me: but this comes of condescending to visit pages."
These words quite satisfied Don Antonio that it was not the Lady
Cornelia who had replied.

At that moment Santisteban returned and went up to his chamber, where he
found Don Antonio, who had just commanded that all the keys of the
house should be brought, to see if any one of them would open the door.
The page fell on his knees, and held up the key, exclaiming, "Have mercy
on me, your worship: your absence, or rather my own villainy, made me
bring this woman to my room; but I entreat your