His Majesty added, that she might write to her father the Governor, assuring him she should meet with the treatment due to her birth. He then desired Don Alonso, with a smile, to continue to take good care of Daraxa. “Conduct her,” said he, “to my own tent, where she can rest this night with her women, and to-morrow you shall yourself escort her to Jaen, where she will be better received and entertained by the Queen than she can be in a camp.” Those officers in the army who had seen the beautiful Moor spoke of her to the others in such high terms that they were all curious to see her, and applied to Zuniga, to whom she was confided, to gratify their curiosity; but Don Alonso, jealous of his happiness, would not grant their requests, but managed to keep them from the royal tent by all sorts of excuses; for they persecuted him in such a manner, to afford them this satisfaction, that he was much troubled to resist their importunities. The next morning, according to the King’s orders, he set out for Jaen, where he arrived in the evening with his charming captive, whom he presented to the Queen. Her Majesty, to whom the King had dispatched a courier the preceding evening, was already informed of every thing. She received Daraxa most graciously, and was extremely pleased to see her. She was particularly struck with the elegance of her appearance; and when she had conversed with her for some time, was convinced that her good sense and wit were at least equal to her beauty. In the mean time, Don Alonso, having performed his commission, and being obliged to return to the army, found now for the first time, that if love has its sweets, it is not unaccompanied by chagrin; and that that deity makes us pay dearly for the least favor. He could not reflect without extreme pain that he was on the point of leaving his beautiful Moor; but what most afflicted him was, that he had not yet disclosed his sentiments to her, though he had had more than one favourable opportunity; either from a timidity, which the bravest lovers sometimes feel, or from want of experience, he had resolved to take no other mode of declaring his passion than by his actions; nevertheless, as he knew that men ought to speak first on such occasions, he made up his mind at length to declare himself. He had only now to think of the manner in which he should make this avowal; and having reflected for a long time on the subject, but not being content with any thing he could think of, he resolved to leave it entirely to his passion to inspire him with words.