for her abode; but for the present he
contented himself with taking away the parchment only, desiring the
innkeeper to inform him if any one came for Costanza, before he showed
that person the chain, which he left in his custody. And with this
parting injunction the corregidor left the house, much marvelling at
what he had seen and heard.

Whilst all this affair was going on, Tomas was almost beside himself
with agitation and alarm, and lost in a thousand conjectures, every one
of which he dismissed as improbable the moment it was formed. But when
he saw the corregidor go away, leaving Costanza behind him, his spirits
revived and he began to recover his self-possession. He did not venture
to question the landlord, nor did the latter say a word about what had
passed between him and the corregidor to any body but his wife, who was
greatly relieved thereby, and thanked God for her delivery out of a
terrible fright.

About one o'clock on the following day, there came to the inn two
elderly cavaliers of venerable presence, attended by four servants on
horseback and two on foot. Having inquired if that was the Posada del
Sevillano, and being answered in the affirmative, they entered the
gateway, and the four mounted servants, dismounting, first helped their
master's out of their saddles. Costanza came out to meet the new-comers
with her wonted propriety of demeanour, and no sooner had one of the
cavaliers set eyes on her, than, turning to his companion, he said, "I
believe, senor Don Juan, we have already found the very thing we are
come in quest of." Tomas, who had come as usual to take charge of the
horses and mules, instantly recognised two of his father's servants; a
moment after he saw his father himself, and found that his companion was
no other than the father of Carriazo. He instantly conjectured that they
were both on their way to the tunny fisheries to look for himself and
his friend, some one having no doubt told them that it was there, and
not in Flanders, they would find their sons. Not daring to appear before
his father in the garb he wore, he made a bold venture, passed by the
party with his hand before his face, and went to look for Costanza,
whom, by great good luck, he found alone. Then hurriedly, and with a
tremulous voice, dreading lest she would not give him time to say a word
to her, "Costanza," he said, "one of those two elderly cavaliers is my
father--that one whom you will hear called Don Juan de Ave