carrying bridal favors in large and
beautiful silver salvers. Then came a crowd of friends, eagerly making
their way to Gomez Arias, and offering their congratulation to the happy
bridegroom; while the bridegroom, so congratulated, bore on his
countenance an expression of any thing but happiness. Nor were these
tokens of kindness confined alone to friends; for the fame of the
wedding had attracted a proportionate number of hungry bards and
minstrels who came at an early hour to greet the bridegroom with their
songs and rhapsodies, whilst Don Lope, as it may well be supposed,
responded to their love ditties and congratulations with most hearty
curses.

He traversed the long galleries and spacious halls of the palace,
already besieged with numerous visitors--some attracted by the splendor
of the festival, and others by the odour of savoury and delicious things
that would grace the convivial board--indeed, from the number of
intelligent artists employed in the preparations, the _connoisseurs_ in
culinary science augured favorably of this department of the feast. Don
Lope with difficulty escaped the compliments and embraces of his
_soi-disant_ dear and respected friends, and making his way through this
mighty army of parasites, called to one of the servants, and caused
himself to be announced to Don Alonso de Aguilar.

He found the warrior already attired for the ceremony, and girding on a
most magnificent sword, which he only used on solemn occasions. After
the first salutations had passed, Gomez Arias remained for a few seconds
pondering within himself the best means of breaking to Aguilar the
disagreeable communication with which he came prepared. A consciousness
of the imposture he was meditating, rendered his situation in the
highest degree embarrassing, and his habitual self-command seemed almost
to have abandoned him at this critical moment. The old warrior perceived
the constraint of his manner, and was struck with the singularity of a
conduct so much at variance with the usual courtly ease and style of
Gomez Arias.

He waited therefore for some time in expectation that Don Lope had
something to communicate; but as the young cavalier appeared in no haste
to signify his wishes--

"Don Lope," at length, said Aguilar, "you are really too thoughtful for
a man on his wedding-day."

A pause ensued; and the affair becoming more perplexing every minute,
Gomez Arias found the urgency of adopting a decisive step. He su