There was no end of the old man’s pryings, peepings, and precautions.  He left me as little as possible by myself; and he had all the coast thereabouts at his command, together with the few boats that ever touched it.

Ordauro, however, did a thing at once the most bold and the most ingenious.  He gave out that he was married; and inviting my husband to dinner, who had heard the news with transport, presented me, to his astonished eyes, for the bride.  The old man looked as if he would have died for rage and misery.

“Horrible villain!” cried he,” what is this?”

Ordauro professed astonishment in his turn.

“What!” asked he; “do you not know that the princess, your lady’s sister, is wonderfully like her, and that she has done me the honour of becoming my wife?  I invited you in order to do honour to yourself, and so bring the good families together.”

“Detestable falsehood!” cried Folderico.  “Do you think I’m blind, or a born idiot?  But I’ll see to this business directly; and terrible shall be my revenge.”

So saying, he flung out, and hastened, as fast as age would let him, to the room in the tower, where he expected to find me not.  But there he did find me:—­there was I, sitting as if nothing had happened, with my hand on my cheek, and full of my old melancholy.

“God preserve me!” exclaimed he; “this is astonishing indeed!  Never could I have dreamt that one sister could be so like another!  But is it so, or is it not?  I have terrible suspicions.  It is impossible to believe it.  Tell me truly,” he continued; “answer me on the faith of a daring woman, and you shall get no hurt by it.  Has any one opened the portals for you to-day?  Who was it?  How did you get out?  Tell me the truth, and you shall not suffer for it; but deceive me, and there is no punishment that you may not look for.”

It is needless to say how I vowed and protested that I had never stirred; that it was quite impossible; that I could not have done it if I would, &c.  I took all the saints to witness to my veracity, and swore I had never seen the outside of his tremendous castle.

The monster had nothing to say to this; but I saw what he meant to do—­I saw that he would return instantly to the house of Ordauro, and ascertain if the bride was there.  Accordingly, the moment he turned the key on me, I flew down the subterraneous passage, tossed on my new clothes like lightning, and sat in my lover’s house as before, waiting the arrival of the panting old gentleman.

“Well,” exclaimed he, as soon as he set eyes upon me, “never in all my life—­no—­I must allow it to be impossible—­never can my wife at home be the lady sitting here.”