Harlan: Moreto’s “El desden” 
71 
wants because he needs her money. Since Liseo has no ob- 
jections to this, he promises to help him, for help in return 
in his suit for Nise. Octavio now knows that Laurencio is 
turning his attentions to Finea, who shows her father a note 
from him, and also tells him all about how he makes love to 
her. Octavio is distressed. A slight improvement is noted 
in Finea. Nise argues with Finea that Laurencio belongs to 
her and makes her promise to put all thought of him from 
her mind. She does this, but has a sensation which her father 
tells her is jealousy. When she tells Laurencio about it, he 
devises a remedy in the form of having her give him her hand 
in promise of marriage in front of Feniso, Duardo, and Pedro. 
This is the turning-point of the play, as Finea must now be 
considered as irrevocably his. The act ends with Liseo madly 
in love with Nise, but receiving no encouragement from her. 
In the third act, Finea comments on the change which has 
come over her, giving love the credit for having made her 
intelligent. Octavio attributes the change to Liseo, rather than 
Laurencio, and his concern is now for Nise, who, he fears, with 
all her reading and writing, will be a “feminine Don Quijote”, 
at whom the whole world will laugh. Liseo, not gaining in 
the favor of Nise, and noting the great improvement in Finea, 
decides to turn his attentions to her, and she, to save the situ- 
ation, hits on the idea of pretending to be simple-minded again. 
Nise discovers that this is a trick and makes Finea confess 
that she can now be foolish at will. Nise suggests that the 
situation will be cleared up by not allowing Laurencio to come 
in the house any more, and Octavio tells Finea that she must 
never be seen by any men who come there. Finea agrees very 
eagerly to this, suggesting self-banishment to the attic, where 
she has secretly concealed Laurencio and Pedro, saying that 
the former has gone to Toledo, never to return again — never 
having left. Whenever Liseo comes, and Octavio tries to ar- 
range things between him and Finea, the latter stubbornly 
insists on obeying her father and seeing no men. Celia, Nise’s 
servant, is the one who, following Clara who takes food to 
the men in the attic, discovers their presence there. Octavio, 
very much incensed, repairs to the attic with Duardo and 
Feniso to find out who the men are. In the meantime, Nise 
has begun to look with more favor on Liseo, and the play ends 
with four marriages arranged: Finea and Laurencio, Nise 
and Liseo, Celia and Turin, and Clara and Pedro. 
