Each of them took her turn at the peephole, and that they might see him the better, the negro stood by him with a lighted flambeau, which he moved up and down before the maestro’s body. After all the women, from the lady of the house down to the two negresses, had thus gratified their eyes, Loaysa took his guitar, and played and sang more bewitchingly than ever. Leonora’s women were bewildered with delight, and all besought Luis to contrive so that the senor maestro should come in through the inner door, so that they might hear and see him better, instead of squinting at him through a gimlet-hole, and without the risk they ran of being caught in the fact by their master, which would not be so great if they had the musician concealed inside. Their lady strenuously opposed this proposition, declaring she would not permit any such thing. She was shocked to hear them mention it, for they could hear and see him well enough as it was, without danger to their honour. “Honour,” exclaimed the duena; “the king has plenty. Your ladyship may shut yourself up with your Methusalem, if you have a mind, but leave us to amuse ourselves as well as we can; the more so since this senor appears to be too much the gentleman to ask anything of us but what would be pleasing to ourselves.”
“Never!” interposed Loaysa. “I came hither, ladies, with no other intention than to offer you my humble services, with all my heart and soul, moved by commiseration for the unparalleled rigour of your confinement, and for the precious moments that are lost to you through this recluse way of life. By the life of my father, I am a man so artless, so meek, so tractable and obedient, that I will never do more than I am bidden. If any one of you should please to say, ’Maestro, sit down here; Maestro, step this way, step that way, go yonder,’ I will do just as you bid me, like the tamest and best trained dog that jumps for the king of France.”
“Well, if that be so,” said the inexperienced Leonora, “what is to be done, so that the senor maestro may come in?”
“Nothing can be easier,” said Loaysa. “So please you, ladies, just take the trouble to make an impression on wax with the key of this door; and I will take care that by to-morrow night another shall be made exactly like it, which will answer our purpose.”
“With that key,” one of the women remarked, “we shall have those of the whole house, for it is a master-key.”
“So much the better,” said Loaysa.
“That is true,” said Leonora; “but this senor must first of all swear, that when he is inside here he will not attempt to do anything but sing and play when he is asked, and that he will keep close and quiet wherever we may put him.”
“I swear to this,” said Loaysa.
“That oath is good for nothing,” replied Leonora: “the senor must swear by the life of his father, and by the cross, which he must kiss in sight of us all.”
“I swear by the life of my father,” said Loaysa, “and by this sign of the cross, which I kiss with my unworthy mouth;” and crossing two of his fingers, he kissed them three times.