94 
Indiana University Studies 
to help Alejandro is to tell Margarita that the latter is really 
in love with Matilde and is trying to bore Margarita until he 
is free of her, having obligated himself to the king to marry 
her before he ever saw Matilde. He extols Alejandro as a 
gallant. This makes but a slight impression on Margarita. 
But her regard for him increases when she reads a poem, sup- 
posedly written to Matilde. Alejandro chooses Matilde for 
a partner in the festivities and Margarita fakes Luciano as 
her partner. Moclin helps Alejandro pretend to make love to 
Matilde and once started he does very well. He is overheard 
by Margarita, listening, who makes Matilde go into the garden 
with her. Later, she calls Alejandro and reproves him for his 
recent neglect of her, which he answers in such a way as to 
make her very hurt and angry, at which he is worried but as- 
sured by Moclin that all is going well. Margarita hears Lu- 
ciano telling Alejandro that he must keep up his pretense of 
love for Matilde, but, unable to let Alejandro know that she 
is listening to them, and unwilling to lose the ground already 
gained, he tells Alejandro that it will be necessary for him to 
give up his love, because he, Luciano, loves the same woman. 
In Margarita’s mind this can be no other than Matilde, and 
to Alejandro it means Margarita. In his misunderstanding, 
he accuses Luciano of treachery and swears vengeance. Mar- 
garita tells Alejandro not to return to the palace until he gets 
over his love, meaning his love for Matilde, and he leaves, say- 
ing he can never get over it, having in mind his real love for 
her. She almost confesses her love for Alejandro to Luciano 
when she asks the latter’s aid in breaking up the supposed 
affair between Matilde and Alejandro. At the suggestion of 
Atenas, Alejandro is accused of being responsible for the fail- 
ure to conclude peace between Scitia and Crete and is to be im- 
prisoned. Luciano sees in this a chance to make Margarita 
confess her love for Alejandro, which she does as he is taken 
off a prisoner. Alejandro swears vengeance on both Luciano 
and Margarita, not understanding what the former has in 
mind. 
In the third act, Tebandro is approaching, victorious over 
Tebas and Atenas, and Luciano advises the king to show favor 
to Alejandro by way of appeasing Tebandro, including giving 
him Margarita as his wife. The king goes out to meet them 
and if he is able to resist Tebandro, Alejandro is to lose his 
