The Spanish Student

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 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 C. 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.)

  Mosq.  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?

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

Chispa.  Cachiporra!  Throw that bone to another dog.  Do I look like your aunt?

  Mosq.  No; she has a beard.

  Chispa.  Go to! go to!

  Mosq.  Are you from Madrid?

  Chispa.  Yes; and going to Estramadura.  Get us horses.

  Mosq.  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.)

  Mosq.  Oh! oh!  You hurt me!

Don C. 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?

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

Don C. And where?

Mosq.  Across the fields yonder, in the woods near Guadarrama.
[Exit.

Don C. 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 C. Fear not.  We will pass the night at the village.

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

  Don C. I hope we may find the Preciosa among them.

  Chispa.  Among the Squires?

  Don C. 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.