PADRE CURA.-This gentleman is hungry. See

thou to it.

Let us have supper.

MARTINA.

"Twill be ready soon.

PADRE CURA.-And bring a bottle of my Val-de

Penas

Out of the cellar. Stay; I'll go myself.
Pray you, Senor, excuse me.

HYFOLITO.

[Exit.

Hist! Martina!

One word with you. Bless me! what hand-
some eyes!

To-day there have been Gipsies in the village.
Is it not so?

MARTINA.

There have been Gipsies here.

HYPOLITO.-Yes, and they told your fortune.
MARTINA (embarrassed).—

Told my fortune? HYPOLITO.-Yes, yes; I know they did. Give me your hand.

I'll tell you what they said. They said they said,

The shepherd boy that loved you was a clown, And him you should not marry. Was it not? MARTINA (surprised).-How know you that? HYPOLITO. O, I know more than that. What a soft, little hand. And then they said, A cavalier from court, handsome, and tall, And rich, should come one day to marry you, And you should be a lady. Was it not? He has arrived, the handsome cavalier.

(Tries to kiss her. She runs off. Enter VICTORIAN with a letter.)

VICTORIAN.-The muleteer has come.

HYPOLITO.
VICTORIAN.

So soon?

I found him

Sitting at supper by the tavern door,
And, from a pitcher that he held aloft
His whole arm's length, drinking the blood-
red wine.

HYPOLITO.-
-What news from court?

VICTORIAN. He brought this letter only. (Reads.) O cursed perfidy! Why did I let

That lying tongue deceive me! Preciosa, Sweet Preciosa! how art thou avenged! HYPOLITO. What news is this, that makes thy cheek turn pale,

And thy hand tremble?

VICTORIAN.

O, most infamous! The Count of Lara is a damned villain! HYPOLITO. That is no news, forsooth. VICTORIAN.

He strove in vain

To steal from me the jewel of my soul,
The love of Preciosa. Not succeeding,
He swore to be revenged; and set on foot
A plot to ruin her, which has succeeded.
She has been hissed and hooted from the stage,
Her reputation stained by slanderous lies
Too foul to speak of; and, once more a beggar,
She roams a wanderer over God's green earth,
Housing with Gipsies!

HYPOLITO.

To renew again
The Age of Gold, and make the shepherd swains
Desperate in love, like Gaspar Gil's Diana.
Redit et Virgo!

VICTORIAN.

Dear Hypolito,

How have I wronged that meek, confiding
heart!

I will go seek for her; and with my tears
Wash out the wrong I've done her!

HYPOLITO.

Act not that folly o'er again.

VICTORIAN.

O beware!

Ay, folly,
Delusion, madness, call it what thou wilt,

I will confess my weakness,-I still love her!
Still fondly love her!

HYPOLITO.

(Enter the PADRE CURA.)

Tell us, Padre Cura,

Who are these Gipsies in the neighbourhood? PADRE CURA.-Beltran Cruzado and his crew.

VICTORIAN.

Kind Heaven,

I thank thee! She is found! is found again! HYPOLITO. And have they with them a pale, beautiful girl,

Called Preciosa?

PADRE CURA.—

Ay, a pretty girl.

Yes, moved with hunger;

The gentleman seems moved.

HYPOLITO.

He is half famished with his long day's journey. PADRE CURA.-Then, pray you, come this way. The supper waits. [Exeunt.

SCENE IV.

A post-house on the road to Segovia, not far from the village of Guadarrama. Enter CHISPA, cracking a whip, and singing the Cachucha.

CHISPA.-Halloo! Don Fulano! Let us have horses, and quickly. Alas, poor Chispa! what a dog's life dost thou lead! I thought, when I left my old master Victorian, the student, to serve my new master Don Carlos, the gentleman, that I, too, should lead the life of a gentleman; should go to bed early, and get up late. For when the abbot plays cards, what can you expect of the friars? But, in running away from the thunder, I have run into lightning. Here I am in hot chase after my master and his Gipsy girl. And a good beginning of the week it is, as he said who was hanged on Monday morning.

(Enter DON CARLOS.)

DON CARLOS.-Are not the horses ready yet? CHISPA. I should think not, for the hostler seems to be asleep. Ho! within there! Horses! horses! horses!

(He knocks at the gate with his whip, and enter MOSQUITO, putting on his jacket.)

MOSQUITO.-Pray, have a little patience. I'm not a musket.

CHISPA. Health and pistareens! I'm glad to see you come on dancing, padre! Pray, what's the news?

MOSQUITO. You cannot have fresh horses; because there are none.

CHISPA.-Cachiporra! Throw that bone to another dog. Do I look like your aunt? MOSQUITO.-No; she has a beard. CHISPA. Go to! go to!

MOSQUITO. Are you from Madrid?

CHISPA.-Yes; and going to Estremadura. Get us horses.

MOSQUITO.-What's the news at court? CHISPA.-Why, the latest news is, that I am going to set up a coach, and I have already bought the whip.

(Strikes him round the legs.)

MOSQUITO.-Oh! oh! you hurt me!

DON CARLOS.-Enough of this folly. Let us have horses. (Gives money to Mosquito.) It is almost dark; and we are in haste. But tell me, has a band of Gipsies passed this way of late?

MOSQUITO.-Yes; and they are still in the neigh

bourhood.

DON CARLOS.-And where?

MOSQUITO.-Across the fields yonder, in the woods near Guadarrama.

[Exit. DON CARLOS.-Now this is lucky. We will

visit the Gipsy camp.

CHISPA.-Are you not afraid of the evil eye? 30 Have you a stag's horn with you?

DON CARLOS.-Fear not.

night at the village.

We will pass the

CHISPA. And sleep like the Squires of Hernan Daza, nine under one blanket.

DON CARLOS.-I hope we may find the Preciosa among them.

CHISPA. Among the Squires?

DON CARLOS.-No; among the Gipsies, blockhead!

CHISPA. I hope we may; for we are giving ourselves trouble enough on her account. Don't you think so? However, there is no catching trout without wetting one's trousers. come the horses.

Yonder

[Exeunt.

SCENE V.

The Gipsy camp in the forest. Night. Gipsies working at a forge. Others playing cards by the fire light.

GIPSIES (at the forge sing).—

On the top of a mountain I stand,31
With a crown of red gold in my hand,
Wild Moors come trooping over the lea,

O how from their fury shall I flee, flee, flee?
O how from their fury shall I flee?

FIRST GIPSY (playing).-Down with your John Dorados, my pigeon. Down with your John Dorados, and let us make an end.

GIPSIES (at the forge sing).—

Loud sang the Spanish cavalier,
And thus his ditty ran:

God send the Gipsy lassy here,
And not the Gipsy man.

FIRST GIPSY (playing).-There you are in your

morocco !

SECOND GIPSY.-One more game. The Alcalde's doves against the Padre Cura's new moon. FIRST GIPSY.-Have at you, Chirelin. GIPSIES (at the forge sing).—

At midnight, when the moon began

To show her silver flame,

There came to him no Gipsy man;
The Gipsy lassie came.

(Enter BELTRAN CRUZADO.)

CRUZADO.-Come hither, Murcigalleros and Ras