pted by
Lisarda, who burst abruptly into the room with looks of visible alarm.
She turned about without ceremony, and before Theodora could collect her
thoughts to inquire into the reason of this perturbation--

"_Santos Cielos!_" she exclaimed, "here are fine doings! that it should
come to this! fye--shame! precisely at the very moment that---- well,
before I would consent to be treated in this manner, I'd suffer my eyes
to be plucked out, and my tongue torn from the very root. After so much
preparation! Lord! Lord! to disappoint a whole family and throw so many
honorable people into confusion!"

Here the good Lisarda was compelled to take breath, of which Theodora
most opportunely availed herself to inquire into the cause of the
disturbance.

"Now, gentle Lisarda," she said "tell me what has happened? No disaster
to the family; I hope?"

"Alas!" screamed out Lisarda, perfectly recovered from her exhaustion,
"your hopes, lady, unhappily, cannot prevent the disaster, for truly a
most terrible disaster it is,--fraud and insolence, and most abominable
perjury is in the case, I am sure. Yes, the family has been treated this
morning with the most untimely and vexatious incivility. Such a breach
of delicacy and decorum never did I witness before. _Virgen Santa!_ how
will this end? The Lord knows that I, for my part, never felt tranquil
on the score of the gallant.--No, no; I always said Don Rodrigo for my
money--but that is neither here nor there; the evil is done, and we must
stand the results. Really it is provoking--such a beautiful dress I had
prepared, and now to defer the ceremony!"

"Defer what ceremony?" eagerly inquired Theodora.

"The wedding to be sure," responded Lisarda. "What, did I not tell you
before?"

"In sooth you did not."

"Really? God defend us! I am a most thoughtless silly girl, that is
certain. Why, my good lady, what should be deferred but the wedding?"

"And that is the misfortune, then, which has occasioned such uncommon
signs of regret?" demanded Theodora, scarcely able to conceal her inward
satisfaction.

"To be sure, lady; and by my troth, it strikes me that the subject is
well worthy the mortification it has caused us all. Good heavens! had
the accident happened to you, my sweet lady, perchance you might not be
inclined to endure it so philosophically. But the Lord save me! if you
do not appear to rejoice in this calamity!"

"Rejoice! heavens! what do you mean?" cried Theodora, b