"'Yes, senora, my friend hates babies!' "Like two agitated fawns, Leonora and her attendant dropped their veils and sprang to the side of the chest. "'Why!--what--who has done this?' exclaimed the fair Jewess, quivering like an aspen leaf. "'You, lady, can best answer that question.' "'It is false! My whole fortune was in that chest! I am cheated, deceived, ruined!' "'Peace! infamous woman!' thundered Don Bobadil, no longer able to restrain his rage, and darting toward her. But he stepped upon his skirts, and pitched headlong to the floor. "'Do I dream?' murmured Leonora in affright. "'You do not,' screamed our hero, tucking his petticoats under his arms, and tearing off the veil that concealed his face. 'Behold! false one! behold! Don Bobadil Banco!' "'Dear Bobadil, you would not kill me?' "'No, Leonora, you shall live to repent of this. Take that wretched baby to its father, or I will strangle it before your eyes.' "'By the God we all worship, I swear I never saw the child before!' exclaimed Leonora, looking solemnly upward. "Her air of truthfulness carried conviction with it, and Bobadil stood like one thunderstruck; but soon a new expression fell upon his countenance, and he turned gravely to the duenna. "'Perhaps _you_ own the--the baby!' "'You're a nasty dirty beast!' retorted the chaste creature, rushing from the room like a ricochetting shot. "'I can answer for the innocence of Laura,' said Leonora, calmly. "Rebuked by her dignified manner, our hero mentally exonerated her from all blame; yet there was the baby, screaming lustily, and no other valuables were found in the chest. "'Forgive me, if I have wronged you,' he said, penitently, 'I judged too quickly; but then I took those gaudy robes from yonder chest, and--_who owns the baby?_' "'I see how it is,' said Donna Leonora composedly, turning toward the door, 'you have adopted this plan to rob me of the little fortune I possessed. I would willingly incur a much greater loss to escape from such a monster. Keep my gold, Don Bobadil, and say you become a better man.' "Our hero stood motionless, involved in a maze of doubts and fears; and the lady was about departing, when Lisette suddenly sprang forward, and prevented her. "'Stop, lady!' she exclaimed, 'the trick has gone far enough--_I own the baby!_' "'Lisette speaks truly, and _I am the baby's father!_' said Don Philip, grasping the hand of our perplexed hero. "'Villain!' exclaimed Bobadil, feeling for his sword. "'Wretch!' screamed Leonora, feeling for her handkerchief.