QUIEN CALLA, OTORGA
(Segunda parte de El castigo del penséque)

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REPARTO

I

The play opens in Italy, with Aurora, the Marquesa, talking to her sister, Narcisa. Their father has promised Aurora to Carlos, but she has only seen his picture and does not want to marry him. Diana, their cousin, has sent them a letter asking them to take in Don Rodrigo Girón. Rodrigo arrives and tells the two sisters that at the end of El castigo del penséque Diana decided not to have him marry Clavela, so he left Flanders and has come to Italy. Clavela was angry about his leaving her, of course.

At this point Carlos appears, pretending to be his own servant so that he can look over the situation without revealing his identity. Aurora and Narcisa recognize him from the picture, however, but they do not say anything. Chinchilla appears, looking for Rodrigo. In an amusing scene he talks of having just come from Spain and comments on current fads there, such as blue hair and beards. He says that everyone in Spain calls Rodrigo "Don Rodrigo del Penséque" and that some devilish poet has even written a play about him.

Narcisa is attracted to Rodrigo, and Aurora to Carlos, but after learning that Narcisa likes Rodrigo, Aurora feels jealous and begins to like Rodrigo too. She throws him an anonymous note in a snowball, telling him that one of the ladies of the palace likes him and for him to wait and find out who it is. Rodrigo thinks the note may be from Narcisa. Aurora then comes, takes the note from him, reads it and tears it up.

II

Ascanio, who is really the Count of Monreal, is posing as secretary to Aurora because he loves Narcisa but cannot declare his love because their families are enemies. He overhears Narcisa tell Aurora that she loves Rodrigo, but Aurora says that she must not fall in love with him. Ascanio leaves, and Aurora tells Narcisa that a French duke and his brother want to marry them. Narcisa says that she was just pretending to like Rodrigo, that she really prefers Carlos, so she will take him and Aurora can marry the French duke. Aurora confesses that the story about the French duke is not true and declares that she will marry Carlos. Upon hearing this, Narcisa says that she will take Rodrigo, but Aurora won't hear of this, adding that Rodrigo could not possibly care for Narcisa. Narcisa says that she's sure Rodrigo likes her because one day when he cut his finger he sighed and said that surely she would take compassion on him, upon which she dropped her handkerchief at his feet and he used it to bind his wound. Aurora's jealousy increases when she hears this, and she calls Rodrigo and tells him that he has offended her by becoming involved with one of the ladies of her household. She shows him a second note written to him by this lady, but adds that the one who wrote it, who is of her blood, has promised to forget him, because she is supposed to marry another. In the letter the lady asks Rodrigo to meet her on the terrace that night, but Aurora makes him promise not to go. She then takes Narcisa's handkerchief, saying that it belongs to the one who wrote the letter and that she will burn it. She then gives him a ribbon to use for tying up his cut finger.

Chinchilla tells Rodrigo that one of the young women has given him signs of love and that he is imitating his master. They discuss the situation and come to the conclusion that the person who wrote the notes to Rodrigo must be Narcisa. Ascanio reveals his true identity to Rodrigo and asks him to let him (Ascanio) have Narcisa. Rodrigo tells him that he has no reason to be jealous. That night Rodrigo goes to the terrace to meet the lady of the letters. Aurora, knowing that he will come, is there at the window. Because of the darkness Rodrigo does not recognize her. Rodrigo tells the lady in the window that he believes she is Narcisa, but she denies that, saying that Narcisa loves a count who is in the palace disguised. Upon hearing this Carlos and Ascanio each assume that he's the one referred to. Aurora further adds that she's not Aurora, who loves Carlos, and that she will reveal who she is the next morning by tripping as she enters the chapel and giving him her glove when he aids her.

III

Carlos, still disguised as his own servant, asks Aurora for Narcisa's hand in marriage to Carlos. He tells her that Carlos thinks she loves another because she keeps putting him off. She asks him to tell Carlos to come and she will marry him. He assures her that Carlos really loves her, not Narcisa, but that he was afraid she didn't want to marry him. Aurora is now quite confused, jealous, and torn between Rodrigo and Carlos.

Rodrigo and Chinchilla watch as the ladies enter the chapel the following morning. Both Aurora and Narcisa enter, then Brianda, with whom Chinchilla is enamored, trips and gives Rodrigo her glove. Rodrigo, thinking that Narcisa has put Brianda up to his in order to make fun of him, is very angry.

Ascanio accuses Rodrigo of being a false friend, of loving Narcisa. Rodrigo denies this, saying that Narcisa loves Ascanio and that he does not know who wrote the letters to him whereupon Ascanio pretends to know the identity of the mysterious letter writer.

Rodrigo is sad upon hearing from Narcisa the news that Aurora has sent for Carlos and is planning to marry him. When Rodrigo makes reference to Aurora's plan to marry Narcisa to a count, Narcisa is surprised and says it might be possible if he were a count. Upon hearing this Chinchilla tells his master that Narcisa is surely the one who wrote the letters to Rodrigo, and he tells the two of them to join hands. Just then Aurora arrives. She sends Rodrigo for water and takes advantage of his absence to tell Narcisa that she is going to send him away. She tells Narcisa that she can marry Carlos if she loves him and that she (Aurora) will marry the French duke. Narcisa says that Aurora can have Carlos and she will take Rodrigo. Aurora decides to discover Rodrigo's true feelings.

When Rodrigo brings the water Aurora complains that it is too salty and tastes bad. There follows a conversation between Rodrigo and Aurora in which he pretends to be Carlos and she practices welcoming him, telling him that she is the person who wrote the notes and talked to him at the window. She tells him to take whatever of this conversation applies to him and have the rest for Carlos. Rodrigo is confused by all this, of course. Finally she decides to write a note of welcome to Carlos, but she says she does not know what to write so Rodrigo dictates it to her. He tears the paper in two pieces, down the middle, so that it is now two messages. The piece for Carlos tells him that she loves someone else, and the other piece Rodrigo gives to Aurora, saying it's from him to her. He says he loves her and that he will go to the garden to await her reply. He further adds that silence gives consent, and she has not said no.

Ascanio tells Chinchilla that he's waiting for Aurora's wedding to ask for Narcisa's hand. He thinks that Narcisa loves him and will forgive him for his ruse. Meanwhile, Carlos comes and Aurora and Rodrigo emerge from the garden, where she had gone to meet him. She tells Carlos that he is too late to marry her, but that he and Narcisa can marry. Ascanio comes to claim Narcisa, but he is too late, so he will return home. The play ends with an explanation by Rodrigo of how Aurora accepted his love in silence, but how silence gives consent.