Loaysa hid himself, and the duena bent her ear to listen for her master’s footsteps; but hearing nothing, she took courage by degrees, and stealing on tip-toe to his bed-room, she found him snoring there as soundly as ever.  Back she ran, at her best speed, to gladden her mistress’s heart with the joyful intelligence; and then discreetly resolving not to lose so lucky an opportunity of being the first to enjoy the good graces of the musico, she told Leonora to wait there whilst she went and called him.  Hastily entering the room where he was concealed, she found him sorely discomfited by the untoward issue of his adventure, cursing the inefficiency of the ointment, the credulity of his friends, and his own want of forethought in not making an experiment with the ointment on some other person before he tried its effect on Carrizales.  But when the duena assured him that the old man was sleeping as soundly as ever, there was an end to all his uneasiness, and he lent a complacent ear to the very liquorish language in which Marialonso addressed him.  “Oho,” said he to himself, “that’s what you would be at, is it?  Well, you will do capitally as a bait to fish with for your lady.”

Whilst this tete-a-tete was pending, the rest of the women had one by one crept out of their several hiding-places, to see if it was true that their master was awake; and finding all still in the house, they returned to the saloon where they had left their mistress.  Having learnt from her that the alarm had been a false one, they asked what had become of the musico and the duena.  Leonora told them that Marialonso had gone to fetch the maestro, whereupon they all stole out of the room as noiselessly as they had entered it, and set themselves to listen at the door to what was passing between the pair.  Guiomar was one of the party, but the negro was not among them; for upon the first alarm he had run off, hugging his guitar, and hid himself in his loft, where he lay huddled up under the bed-clothes, sweating with terror; in spite of which he could not forbear from tinkling the guitar from time to time, so inordinate—­may Satanas confound him!—­was his love of music.  The soft speeches of the amorous duena were distinctly heard by the group outside the door; and there was not one of them but bestowed a blessing upon her from the wrong side of the mouth, with the addition of sundry epithets which I had rather not repeat.  The result of the confabulation between the pair was that Loaysa would comply with the duena’s desires, provided that first of all she brought her mistress to consent to his.  It cost the duena something to subscribe to these conditions; but, after all, there was nothing she would not have done to compass the gratification of the desires that had laid hold on her soul and body, and were undermining her very bones and marrow.  The bargain was struck; and quitting the room to go and speak to her mistress, she found all the rest of the women assembled round the door.  Putting a bold face on the matter, she bade them all go to bed, and next night they should be able to enjoy themselves without any such false alarm as had spoiled their sport for that time.  The women all knew well that the old duena only wanted to be left alone; but they could not help obeying her, for she had command over them all.