I thank you for your courtesy, the same. You thought to rescue me. D DIE. How now? _Thought to?_

  D. SIL. Friend Diego, the tale runs thus: My daughter,
  Accompanied by our old serving man,
  Had hardly been attacked by the gang
  And forced to dismount, when a comely youth
  Of gentle blood----

  D. DIE. Ay, ay, the hunter's story! D. SIL. Just so. Well, my daughter says the gipsies
  Meant her no harm. Merely would detain her. D. DIE. _Meant her no harm!_ Ha, ha! Gipsies ne'er do. _Merely detain her!_ Good again! Ha, ha! Only so long as they might hope to get
  A pretty ransom. Why, friend Silvio? D. SIL. The pelf and trinkets that she had upon her
  Were not demanded. D. DIE. No; 'twas nought to what
  They looked forward to as goodly ransom. INEZ. Of their motives I know nothing; but she
  Who seemed to be the queen of all the tribe
  Did use to me such courtesy and kindness
  As had she been my mother. Even when
  That noble youth, thinking us in danger,
  Rushed in upon them, killing and maiming
  All who dared withstand him, till at length
  Himself, poor soul! fell wounded in my cause. E'en then the queen herself had pity on him,
  And helped me bind his wounds. D. DIE. What of all this? INEZ. To show you gipsies have good qualities
  E'en as Christians. D. DIE. Bah! traitors, all of them. But, what of this young man? This--this----

  INEZ. Ah! _he_,
  The noble youth whose bandaged head I still
  Was tending when you did separate us,
  And bore me off? Did you not see him then? D. DIE. Ay, some such bastard gipsy dog I saw. What! _he_ of noble blood! _He_ a Castilian! Some half-bred gipsy. Lady, sure it was
  A worse breed, far, than the pure gipsy born. What! think you, that because of borrowed plumes
  The jay will pass for peacock? Or that he,
  A base-born mongrel gipsy, just because
  Decked in the garments of some plundered lord,
  Could e'er deceive the eyes of men like us? Nay, lady, I do compassionate you. You are young, and the world to you is fresh,
  You know not of its wiles, its vice, its crimes,
  But take all men to be just as they seem. Take my experience, lady. I am old. Not _old_; but old enough to know the world
  And all its hollowness; and so most fit
  To guide and counsel inexperienced youth. Lean then on me, lady. I'll be your staff;
  And trust me faithfully when I tell you
  Not all the learning of the convent cell
  Is worth one ace of that we gain by age. INEZ. Enough, sir. That the world is full of sin
  And treachery I ever have been told. My aunt, the Lady Abbess, oft would say
  We ever should distrust the tongue of men
  When most persuasive, be they young or old. D. SIL. Come, Inez, thou art tired, and need rest
  After thy troubles and fatigues. (_To Don Diego._) My friend,
  You will excuse my daughter for a while,
  I've much to say to her in private. D. DIE. Good. [_Exeunt Don Silvio and Inez._
  Now for my ally. What ho! Rodriguez! _Enter_ RODRIGUEZ. ROD. Here I am, good my lord. D. DIE. (_Caressingly._)      Good Rodriguez,
  I know that thou'rt a good and trusty friend
  Unto this house. That thou lov'st well thy lord
  And also thy young mistress, unto whom
  From childhood thou hast acted as a mother. ROD. Well, sir, I've always tried to do my best. D. DIE. I know it. I know it both by report
  And mine own observation. Wherefore, now
  Full persuaded of thy many virtues----

  ROD. Oh, my lord! D. DIE. Nay, 'tis nothing but the truth. I say, once more, persuaded beyond doubt
  Of thy rare merits and good qualities
  And of the value of one such as thou
  To my old and long loved friend Don Silvio,
  I do repent me of the hasty words
  That lately 'scaped my too impatient tongue. ROD. My lord, pray say no more. Rodriguez ever
  Remains your humble servant. (_Aside._) Really he
  Is not so bad as once I thought he was. D. DIE. Believe me, that those words but rose in haste,
  From o'er anxiety about the fate
  Of thy young mistress, whom thou lovest so well. Whom I, too, love so well. I, too, Don Diego. ROD. I doubt not, sir, with a true father's love. D. DIE. Hark ye! Rodriguez, I must not waste time
  In coming to the point; but silence keep. ROD. Ay, my lord. Who better than Rodriguez
  At a secret. D. DIE. Ha! Sayest thou so, brave wench? Then list to me, and thou shalt never want
  For bit or sup, kirtel, or farthingale,
  As long thou livest. First accept this purse. [_Gives a heavy purse._

  ROD. Oh, my good lord! My generous, noble, lord! What can I do to deserve your bounty? (_Aside._) Well, I remember to have heard folks say,
  "The devil's not so black as he is painted." D. DIE. Rodriguez, hark! What thou hast in that purse
  Is nothing unto that which thou may'st earn,
  If thou succeedest in the task I set. ROD. Proceed, my lord. I'm all attention. Speak. D. DIE. Know then that I love thy mistress Inez. Ay, with the passion of a younger man. Count not my age--the heart is never old. I've sought her of her father, and 'twas settled
  She should be mine on her arrival home
  After her studies at St. Ursula's,
  Ay, on the very day. So ran the 'pact. The marriage, therefore, I have said takes place
  This very night, at midnight, in my chapel. All is prepared. ROD. 'Tis over soon, my lord. D. DIE. Peace! peace! I'll brook no waiting, no delay;
  I've sworn it shall be so, and it shall be. What care I, think'st thou, if the wedding dress,
  Or this or that be ready, so _I_ be? Thou knowest our acquaintance is but short;
  She scarce has seen my face. No matter that. Now listen. What I ask of thee is this:
  Do thou use all thy influence with the child,
  T'induce her to look kindly on my suit,
  And to her father's prayers and tears add thine. But leave her not until she do consent. And should she e'en at the eleventh hour
  Be obdurate, why then, as last resource,
  Tell her her father's life hangs on a thread. Say that his castle and all that he hath
  Will instantly be sold over his head;
  And he and she, and you two servants both
  Sent all adrift at once, to beg your bread. If that work not, then must I fain use force,
  And that were against me. So, Rodriguez,
  Kind Rodriguez, I pray thee do thy best. ROD. My lord, you ever shall have my good word
  What I can do I will. Albeit, I think
  Your grace is over hasty in the matter. A little time----

  D. DIE. No, faith, not one minute
  Past the hour fixed. So see to't. I will now
  Off to the castle, leaving thee one hour
  T'exercise thy powers of persuasion
  On thy young noble mistress. After that
  I shall appear again and try what I
  Myself can do to win her virgin heart. Use all thy art and strength. Till then, adieu. [_Exit._

  ROD. A pretty fix, forsooth! _Use all my art!_
  I love the dear child well, and would, I'm sure,
  Do all I could to help her to a state
  Worthy the better days of this old house. The Lady of Don Diego! That sounds well.