Don Alonso and Ozmin became in a few days the best friends in the world; sympathy seemed to attach them to each other, or rather, they each made daily discoveries of the other’s amiable qualities. They were both most anxious to know how things went on at the Marquis de Padilla’s. This they could only learn from Claricia, from whom they received no tidings; for this servant, who was known to be most in Elvira’s confidence, was more strictly watched than the others. She managed, however, at length to elude their vigilance, and brought Don Jaymé a letter at Don Alonso’s, containing the detail they so ardently longed for. Claricia informed Vivez that his old patron, enraged that the pretended Ambrosio had escaped his fury, had employed ten or a dozen men to go through Seville in search of him, who till then had sought him in vain: that Elvira was very ill, and that Daraxa had also been much indisposed from the share she took in her friend’s affliction: that, lastly, Don Lewis was so much ashamed and vexed at the whole affair, that he would see nobody, but had made up his mind to retire into the country until all these unpleasant rumors had blown over. Claricia’s letter was a fresh topic of conversation for the two Cavaliers, and amused Don Alonso exceedingly, who, having no regard for the house of Padilla, was delighted at the recital of this adventure. Ozmin having so good an opportunity of giving some account of himself to Daraxa, wrote her a very long letter in the Moorish language, which he sent by Claricia. Daraxa, who was most anxious on his account, fearing that he had been wounded by the many musket shots which, as she thought, had been fired at him, was overjoyed to hear of his good luck, and that she might now have the means of returning him an answer by the same messenger. A few days after this, the old Marquis set out with his family and all his servants, for a country house of his own at about a league beyond Seville. This would have proved very vexatious to Ozmin, who feared that by this absence he should be deprived of Claricia, whose mediation was so great an advantage to him, had not Don Alonso consoled him by saying; “we ought to rejoice at Don Lewis’s being in the country. Within about two miles from his house, I have a pretty little seat which I visit occasionally. We have nothing to do but to get there as privately as possible. We shall find it more easy to obtain accounts of our mistresses there, than in this city, and may even find occasional opportunities of seeing and conversing with them.”