ring you for it a thousand gold crowns, these
links of a chain, and this parchment."

The host instantly recognised the links and the parchment, and highly
delighted with the promise of the thousand crowns, replied, "Senor, the
pledge you wish to redeem is in this house, but not the chain or the
parchment which is to prove the truth of your claim; I pray you
therefore to have patience, and I will return immediately." So saying,
he ran off to inform the corregidor of what was happening.

The corregidor, who had just done dinner, mounted his horse without
delay, and rode to the Posada del Sevillano, taking with him the tally
parchment. No sooner had he entered the room where the two cavaliers
sat, than hastening with open arms to embrace one of them, "Bless my
soul! my good cousin Don Juan de Avendano! This is indeed a welcome
surprise."

"I am delighted to see you, my good cousin," said Don Juan, "and to
find you as well as I always wish you. Embrace this gentleman, cousin;
this is Don Diego de Carriazo, a great senor and my friend."

"I am already acquainted with the senor Don Diego," replied the
corregidor, "and am his most obedient servant."

After a further interchange of civilities they passed into another room,
where they remained alone with the innkeeper, who said as he produced
the chain, "The senor corregidor knows what you are come for, Don Diego
de Carriazo. Be pleased to produce the links that are wanting to this
chain; his worship will show the parchment which he holds, and let us
come to the proof for which I have been so long waiting."

"It appears, then," said Don Diego, "that it will not be necessary to
explain to the senor corregidor the reason of our coming, since you have
done so already, senor landlord."

"He told me something," said the corregidor, "but he has left much
untold which I long to know. Here is the parchment."

Don Diego produced that which he had brought; the two were put together
and found to fit accurately into each other; and between every two
letters of the innkeeper's portion, which as we have said were TIITEREOE
there now appeared one of the following series HSSHTUTKN, the whole
making together the words, _This is the true token_. The six links of
the chain brought by Don Diego were then compared with the larger
fragment, and found to correspond exactly.

"So far all is clear," said the corregidor; "it now remains for us to
discover, if it be possible, who are the parent