The Exemplary Novels of CervantesCervantes Saavedra, Miguel de
General
The Exemplary Novels of Cervantes
Cervantes Saavedra, Miguel de
Spanish fiction -- Translations into English
This sad news seemed as though it would deprive the duke of life, and
Lorenzo of his senses. The whole party remained in the utmost
consternation and dismay; when one of the pages said to Don Antonio in a
whisper, "Signor, Santisteban, Signor Don Juan's page, has had locked up
in his chamber, from the day when your worships left, a very pretty
woman, whose name is certainly Cornelia, for I have heard him call her
so." Plunged into a new embarrassment, Don Antonio would rather not have
found the lady at all--for he could not but suppose it was she whom the
page had shut up in his room--than have discovered her in such a place.
Nevertheless, without saying a word, he ascended to the page's chamber,
but found the door fast, for the young man had gone out, and taken away
the key. Don Antonio therefore put his lips to the keyhole, and said in
a low voice, "Open the door, Signora Cornelia, and come down to receive
your brother, and the duke, your husband, who are waiting to take you
hence."
A voice from within replied, "Are you making fun of me? It is certain
that I am neither so ugly nor so old but that dukes and counts may very
well be looking for me: but this comes of condescending to visit pages."
These words quite satisfied Don Antonio that it was not the Lady
Cornelia who had replied.
At that moment Santisteban returned and went up to his chamber, where he
found Don Antonio, who had just commanded that all the keys of the
house should be brought, to see if any one of them would open the door.
The page fell on his knees, and held up the key, exclaiming, "Have mercy
on me, your worship: your absence, or rather my own villainy, made me
bring this woman to my room; but I entreat your grace, Don Antonio, as
you would have good news from Spain, that you suffer the fault I have
committed to remain unknown to my master, Don Juan, if he be not yet
informed of it; I will turn her out this instant."
"What is the name of this woman?" inquired Don Antonio. "Cornelia,"
replied Santisteban. Down stairs at once went the page who had
discovered the hidden woman, and who was not much of a friend to
Santisteban, and entered the room where sat the duke, Don Juan, and
Lorenzo, and, either from simplicity or malice, began to talk to
himself, saying, "Well caught, brother page! by Heaven they have made
you give up your Lady Cornelia! She was well hidden, to be sure; and no
doubt my gentleman would have liked to see the masters remain away that
he might enjoy himself some three or four days longer."
"What is that you are saying?" cried Lorenzo, who had caught a part of
these words. "Where is the Lady Cornelia?" "She is above," replied the
page; and the duke, who supposed that his consort had just made her
appearance, had scarcely heard the words before he rushed from the
apartment like a flash of lightning, and, ascending the staircase at a
bound, gained the chamber into which Don Antonio was entering.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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