, one of the passengers began
to quarrel with a soldier, concerning a box, which the passenger
asserted belonged to him.

Don Alphonso desirous to put an end to the contention, obliged the
passenger to declare what it contained, opening it, at the same time, to
discover whether he spoke truth.

How great was his surprise to find in it the jewels of Marina, and,
among them the very emerald he had given her. For a moment he stood
motionless, examining attentively the casket, and fixing his eyes,
sparkling with rage, on the claimant, 'how came you by these jewels?'
said he, with a terrible voice.

'What does it signify,' replied the passenger, haughtily, 'how I came by
them? It is sufficient that they are mine.'

He then endeavoured to snatch the casket from Don Alphonso; but the
latter, pushing him back, instantly drew his sword, and exclaiming,
'Wretch, confess your crime, or you die this moment,' attacked him with
great fury: his antagonist defended himself desperately, but presently
received a mortal wound, and fell.

Don Alphonso was immediately surrounded by the people of the house. They
take him to prison, and the master of the inn sends his wife to fetch
the clergyman of the parish, that he may administer spiritual comfort to
the dying man, while he runs himself, to the alcaid to carry the casket,
and inform him of the whole adventure.

How great was the surprise, the joy, and the anxiety of Marina on
perceiving her diamonds, and hearing the behaviour of the noble
stranger!

She immediately hastened to the inn: the minister was already there; and
the dying man, induced by his exhortations, declared, in presence of the
alcaid, that, two years before, as he was one night passing through a
street in Granada, a lady had given him that box, through a lattice,
desiring him to hold it till she came down, but that he immediately made
off with the jewels; for which theft he asked pardon of God, and of the
unknown lady he had injured. He immediately expired, and Marina hastened
to the prison.

Imagine the palpitations of her heart: she could no longer doubt but she
should again see Don Alphonso, but she was apprehensive of being known
by him: she therefore pulled her hat over her eyes, wrapped herself up
in her cloak, and, preceded by her clerk and the gaoler, entered the
dungeon.

No sooner had she come to the bottom of the stairs than she perceived
Don Alphonso. Her joy almost deprived her of speech; she leaned