ge. But,
before he had done so, he happened to go out one day and leave the book
on the top of the oat-bin. His master found it there, and looking into
it to see how the account of the oats stood, he lighted upon the verses.
Surprised and annoyed, he went off with them to his wife, but before he
read them to her, he called Costanza into the room, and peremptorily
commanded her to declare whether Tomas Pedro, the hostler, had over made
love to her, or addressed any improper language to her, or any that
gave token of his being partial to her. Costanza vowed that Tomas had
never yet spoken to her in any such way, nor ever given her reason to
suppose that he had any bad thoughts towards her.

Her master and mistress believed her, because they had always found her
to speak the truth. Having dismissed her, the host turned to his wife
and said, "I know not what to say of the matter. You must know, senora,
that Tomas has written in this book, in which he keeps the account of
the oats, verses that give me an ugly suspicion that he is in love with
Costanza."

"Let me see the verses," said the wife, "and I'll tell you what we are
to conclude."

"Oh, of course; as you are a poet you will at once see into his
thoughts."

"I am not a poet, but you well know that I am a woman of understanding,
and that I can say the four prayers in Latin."

"You would do better to say them in plain Spanish; you know your uncle
the priest has told you that you make no end of blunders when you patter
your Latin, and that what you say is good for nothing."

"That was an arrow from his niece's quiver. She is jealous of seeing me
take the Latin hours in hand, and make my way through them as easily as
through a vineyard after the vintage."

"Well, have it your own way. Listen now, here are the verses;" and he
read some impassioned lines addressed to Costanza.

"Is there any more?" said the landlady.

"No. But what do you think of these verses?"

"In the first place, we must make sure that they are by Tomas."

"Of that there can be no manner of doubt, for the handwriting is most
unquestionably the same as that in which the account of the oats is
kept."

"Look ye, husband, it appears to me that although Costanza is named in
the verses, whence it may be supposed that they were made for her, we
ought not for that reason to set the fact down for certain, just as if
we had seen them written, for there are other Costanzas in the world
besides ours.