ACT III - SCENE IV

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ACT III: SCENE IV

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
newmaster 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
the lightning. Here I am in hot chase after my master and his
Gypsy 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 Estramadura. 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 Gypsies passed this way of late?

MOSQUITO. Yes; and they are still in the neighborhood.

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 Gypsy camp.

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

DON CARLOS. Fear not. We will pass the night at the village.

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 Gypsies, 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. Yonder come the
horses.

[Exeunt.]

Content of ACT III: SCENE IV [Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's play/drama: The Spanish Student]

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