I left the room--when Donna Emilia met me outside, and put a note into
my hand for Don Perez. I first took it to my friend Teresa, who opened
it:--"At last my affection has borne down my resolution, and I consent
to see you. There is no other way but in the saloon. Be careful not to
offend me, or it will be for the last time."
"This may go, Pedro," said Teresa, "and you may call at Don Florez'
lodgings as you pass by."
I delivered the note to Don Perez, and before he had finished it, Don
Florez entered the room.--"Congratulate me, my dear friend," said he. "I
was received as kindly as I could wish."
"And my fair one has not taken long to relent," answered Perez, "for I
have an appointment with her this evening. Pedro, tell your mistress,
that I do not write, but that I bless her for her kindness, and shall
not fail to meet her.--Do you understand? Well, what are you waiting
for? Oh! you little rogue, I understand," and he threw me a
doubloon.--"Florez, you give that boy too much money, and I am obliged
to do the same." Florez laughed, and I again took my departure.
Thus did I continue in my vocation for some time, when the old lady fell
sick and died. She divided her fortune between her two nieces, and as
they were now independent, they married their respective lovers; but the
old lady forgot to mention me in her will, and I should have been turned
adrift on the world had it not been for Donna Teresa, who immediately
appointed me as her own attendant. I was as happy as before, although no
more doubloons fell into my hands, after the marriages took place. It
appears that Don Perez was so much afraid of offending Donna Emilia,
that he never ventured to speak of the meeting, which he supposed he had
had with her in the saloon, until after marriage: then, feeling himself
quite at liberty, he had laughed at her on the subject. Donna Emilia was
all astonishment, declared most positively that it had not taken place;
and although he at first ridiculed the idea of her denial, yet
recollecting that he still had her notes in his possession, he brought
them out, and showed her the one in which she had prohibited him from
speaking on the subject. Donna Emilia protested that it was not her
writing, and was confounded at the apparent mystery. She stated that
Teresa had agreed to meet Don Florez in the saloon that night.
"On the contrary," replied Don Perez, "he received a letter from Donna
Teresa, refusing him a meeting, at the same time that I received this
from you, giving me the assignation."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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