Harlan: Moreto’s “El desden” 
25 
toward suitors. Ricardo, thru his servant, Julio, sends a note 
to Celia, saying he has been unable to call on her, but will do 
so on his return from Spain, and he has purposely told her 
that Ricardo, who has seen Estela, unobserved by her, finds 
her ugly. When Estela is told this she swears vengeance. 
Otavio, Ricardo’s friend, has brought it about that the latter 
is arrested, as Lauro, for a supposed theft of jewels from his 
master before he left for Spain, and the Duquesa, interested 
in Ricardo and also attracted to Lauro, keeps him and Julio 
in her palace. Ricardo feels that the course of pretending not 
to be aware of Estela’s charms, and representing himself as 
another, will be the best way to have success in his suit. In 
the second act, Estela has Ricardo, as Lauro, write to Ricardo, 
enclosing a picture of herself and saying that she did see him 
and is much in love with him and wants him to return to 
France. In exchange for this confidence to Ricardo, she has 
him tell her who his lady is, because of whom he stole the 
jewels, and she is jealous when he says, “Celia”. Estela in- 
tends to treat Ricardo with great scorn after she is sure of his 
love, and thus get vengeance for his not finding her beautiful. 
A letter comes from Ricardo pardoning Lauro for the theft, 
and asking him to come to him, as he is ill just outside the 
city on his way from Spain. It is planned that Ricardo shall 
be made jealous of Lauro when he comes to talk with Estela 
at the grating that night. Celia also asks Lauro to talk with 
her that night while Ricardo does so with Estela, and he prom- 
ises to do so if Otavio, who is in love with Celia, will permit it. 
The third act finds Otavio representing Lauro and pouring 
forth his love to Celia while Ricardo, as himself, talks with 
Estela, who, jealous of Lauro’s attentions to Celia, sends for 
him. Ricardo returns to her as Lauro, while Otavio pretends 
to be Ricardo to Celia. The next morning Estela and Celia 
quarrel, the latter saying that Lauro talked with her the whole 
time the night before. Ricardo, as Lauro, suggests that 
Ricardo be called by order of her council, the apparent inten- 
tion being to marry him, and then, to get her revenge on both 
him and Celia, to step up and take Lauro. When Ricardo 
comes, Estela, addressing him as Lauro, asks where Ricardo 
is, to which he replies that he is Ricardo, as Otavio and Julio 
testify. He then has to admit his deception ; Estela accepts him 
and Celia and Otavio are pledged. 
