ied that he had not; but
just then one of the men exclaimed that the youth must be there, since
the Judge's coach--which he had suddenly observed--was there. They
then decided to dissemble, each one going to a different entrance of
the inn, so there would be no chance for the youth to escape.

The landlord was curious to know what it was all about, but could
arrive at no conclusion. The truth was that these men were servants of
the young muleteer's father. And it was not long ere they had
discovered him, lying asleep, never thinking that he would himself be
pursued. The servant who roused him made a few caustic remarks to the
young Don Luis--for this was his name--about his bed and the luxury of
his surroundings, as particularly befitting a youth of his rank and
breeding.

Don Luis could not at first believe that he was really awake. He
rubbed his eyes in astonishment, and failed to find a reply to the
servant's remarks. The man then continued, advising his young master
to return to his home at once, saying that his father, as a result of
his disappearance, was dangerously ill. The youth was curious to learn
how his father had found out what road he had taken and that he had
disguised himself as a muleteer. The servant answered that a student
to whom Don Luis had confided his love for Dona Clara, had told his
master everything, when he saw how he suffered.

Now, it chanced that another muleteer, who had been sleeping with Don
Luis, could not keep what he was hearing to himself; besides, he
deemed it best to disappear from the scene. He informed some of the
guests of what had occurred, and thus it happened that Don Fernando
and Cardenio learned of the plight of the young singer, whose voice
they had so admired a short time before; and when the muleteer told
them that his comrade was a young nobleman in disguise, they decided
to go and help him in his quandary.

They found the four men entreating Don Luis to return to his father;
and the youth emphatically refusing to do so, saying that they might
take him dead, but never alive.

At this moment Dorothea saw Cardenio from her window, and she called
him and told him the story of the lad and Dona Clara. He in turn
related to her how the servants of the youth's father had come to take
him back to his home. In telling Dorothea this news Cardenio was
overheard by Dona Clara who would have swooned had not Dorothea
supported her.

By this time the servants had brought Don