AVERÍGÜELO VARGAS

AvVar  

Escena: En Momblanco y en Santarén. Todos son portugueses menos "Varguillas" y Vargas.

REPARTO

 Todos son portugueses, menos "Varguillas" y Vargas.

I

Don Alfonso has cared for Ramiro and Sancha, two illegitimate children of King Duarte of Portugal, and reared them as shepherds. Unaware of their true identity, Sancha is in love with Ramiro. As the play begins, King Duarte has died and his ten-year-old son has been named as King Alfonso V, with his uncle Pedro, the King's younger brother, as regent, because the nobles do not trust such a young king. Pedro comes with his daughter, Princess Felipa, to Momblanco in order to take Ramiro to court, following instructions given him by his brother, who told him of the two illegitimate children before he died. Ramiro is dressed as a gentlemen and Tabaco as his lackey. At this time Ramiro meets Felipa and falls in love with her; she, in turn, appears to reciprocate his love. This obvious affection for Felipa on the part of Ramiro makes Sancha extremely jealous, and she decides to follow them to Santarén, disguised as a dwarf who has just died in Momblanco on his way from Castile to the court to amuse the King. Don Alfonso is to go to Castile to see the King's mother, who has gone there from Portugal.

At the court, meanwhile, Don Dionís (who also loves Felipa), Don Duarte and Don Egas are very upset at the King's youth. When Pedro arrives they convince him that, as the dead King's brother, he should be their new ruler. He repents shortly after agreeing to reign, however, and begs forgiveness of the young King.

II

The King has begun to favor Ramiro over the other nobles, much to the consternation of Dionís and Duarte, who, wondering who he is, try to find out more about Ramiro from Tabaco. The King plans to appoint Ramiro as Comendador of Avís, but at Ramiro's request gives this honor to Dionís, who had asked for it previously. Ramiro is then made Alcaide de Santarén, and at Ramiro and Pedro's request Duarte is made Conde de Penela. Ramiro is also given the titles of Maestre de Santiago, Count of Olivenza and Count of Estremós.

Sancha arrives at the court, disguised as the dwarf Vargas and accompanied by Cabello, one of the shepherds who poses as her as her lackey. Upon her arrival, she is immediately recognized by Ramiro. Dionís, meanwhile, tells Ramiro that he loves Felipa and asks him to intercede with her on his behalf. Then Sancha, in a private conversation with Ramiro, tells him that she has learned that she is his sister, although she has only invented this story and does not know that it is really true. She informs him that their father is a priest, a relative of the gran Prior. Her purpose in leading him to believe all of this is to find out the truth about whom he really loves, and when he admits Felipa is the one, Sancha promises to help him as a go-between.

Ramiro now tells Felipa that he loves Inés, one of her ladies-in-waiting, and asks her to pretend that they (Ramiro and Felipa) are in love in order to make Inés jealous. Inés, in the meantime, tells Felipa that she likes Ramiro and wants to marry him. Next comes Sancha to tell Felipa the news that Ramiro loves her. Felipa explains that it is all just a ruse to make Inés jealous. Now Sancha learns from Dionís that he, too, loves Felipa. Felipa tells Ramiro that Inés loves him and that she (Felipa) loves Dionís, but he realizes that she really loves him. Felipa tells Ramiro to tell Dionís to come to her window that night, but Ramiro plans to go himself, and so informs Sancha. Sancha says that Felipa told her that Inés and Ramiro were in love.

That night Ramiro, pretending to be Dionís, goes to Felipa. She knows, however, that it is really Ramiro. Dionís overhears their conversation, but the tryst is abruptly ended by Sancha, who arrives, shouting "¡Fuego, fuego!" 

III

That same night both Dionís and Ramiro return to the street near Felipa's window. Although Ramiro does not recognize Dionís, the latter recognizes him and lets him know that he knows that Ramiro used his name with Felipa. Dionís goes. as himself, to Felipa's window. She, thinking it is really Ramiro, makes a date for him to enter her room the next night and gives him a ribbon. Dionís then informs Ramiro and that he is to go to her room the following night. Ramiro knows that Felipa thinks she talked to Ramiro, not Dionís.

Meanwhile, Sancha agrees to help Duarte, who is in love with Inés. Told by Felipa that Ramiro is to come as Dionís that night to be her lover, Sancha determines to foil this plot. After dark, Felipa and Ramiro meet in the park and go to her chambers. Sancha, dressed as a woman, also appears in the park, where she meets Dionís. Thinking that it is not Dionís, but Ramiro, she goes away with him.

Alfonso returns from Castile to report that all is going well, including the African situation, which they had been so, concerned about. He further reports to Pedro that Sancha has disappeared. Cabello, however, confides to Tabaco that Sancha is really the dwarf, and Tabaco, in turn, passes this bit of information on to Alfonso and Pedro. Sancha now returns, announcing that Ramiro is her husband. Alfonso, shocked, says that cannot be, for she is Ramiro's sister. All is resolved happily, however, when the person with whom she had gone away turns out to be Dionís rather than Ramiro. Alfonso then reveals that Sancha and Ramiro are the dead King's sister and of high rank, so that she and Dionís can marry. Ramiro now appears, confessing that he is Felipa's lover, to which the King replies by greeting him as his brother and telling Ramiro and Felipa that they may marry. Duarte and Inés are likewise to marry. At the end only Cabello and Tabaco are left unwed, which prompts Tabaco to ask Cabello to remedy that situation by marrying him.