Summary of the Invisible Lady

P. Calderon
Invisible Lady
The action takes place in the XVII century. in Madrid. Arrived in the city, Don Manuel and his servant Cosme are looking for the house of don Juan. Don Manuel and don Juan studied together and fought together, they are old friends. On the street there are two ladies whose faces are covered with veils. Behind them, someone is chasing, and they ask don Manuel for protection. He is ready to protect the ladies “from shame and misfortune.” They disappear, and after them Don Luis appears with his servant Rodrigo. Don Luis wants to know the name of a beautiful stranger whose face he barely noticed. To detain him, Cosme comes to him and asks him to read the address on the letter. Don Luis roughly repels him. Then, for his servant, Don Manuel intervenes and says that he must teach a courtesy lesson to the rude. They are fighting at swords.
On the street appear don Juan with servants and donja Beatrice with his servant Clara. Don Juan

wants to help his brother Don Luis, and Donja Beatriz keeps him. Don Juan finds out in the adversary’s brother Don Manuel and tries to reconcile the two. Don Manuel is wounded in a wrist, and he needs help. Don Juan generously invites him to his house. Doña Beatriz, hearing about the wound, thinks that don Juan is injured. Not indifferent to her, Don Luis notices her excitement and regrets that he is not the cause of her anxiety.
Don Luis is very worried that his brother settled in the house of his friend, an idle Cavalier, since he could accidentally meet with their sister Donja Anheloy, mourning for her husband. However, the servant Rodrigo calms him – the entrance to half the guest is disguised by a cupboard with dishes, and no one will guess that there is a door.
Doña Angela complains about her widow’s fate to the servant Isavel. She is mourning, and the brothers keep her locked up, for it is a shame for the family if the widow meets with men and goes to the theater. The maid responds to her that many widows at the court of the king are outwardly pious and virtuous, and under the veil they hide a sin and “ready to jump in the dance to the sound of a pipe like a ball.” She reminisces about the Cavalier with whom they met on the street and asked for protection when they fled from Don Luis, hiding their faces under the veils. Doña Angela secretly from the brothers went for a walk, and don Luis took her for a beautiful stranger and wanted to know her name.
Don Luis tells his sister about his adventure, not suspecting that it was her that he saw and because of her got into a quarrel with a stranger of cavaliers. Now this Cavaliero settled in their house.
Doña Angela wants to see the Cavalier who, for her sake, began to fight at swords, and now she is behind a wall in the house of her brothers. Isabel undertakes to easily arrange a meeting – where the door leads to the guest rooms, don Juan made a closet that can be easily pushed aside. Doña Angela wants to secretly take care of the one who shed her blood for her.
Don Luis, who is burdened by the soul of his offense and the wound of Don Manuel, gives him his sword as a sign of repentance and a pledge of friendship. He gladly accepts it.
Cosme, left alone in the room, dismantles his things, takes out his wallet and happily counts the money. Then he leaves, and out of the door, disguised as a closet, come out Don Angela and Esaule. Doña Angela for the fact that for her Don Manuel risked his life, wants to “repay him… at least some gift.” She opens his bag and looks at papers and things. Isavel searches the trunk of the servant and instead of money puts coals in the purse. Doña Angela writes a note and puts it on the bed, then they leave.
Kosme returns and sees that things are scattered around the room, and in the wallet instead of money coals. He calls the owner and tells him that in the room the housekeeper was in charge and the money turned into coals. Don Manuel says that Cosme is drunk, and don Juan advises the footman to choose other jokes, not so cocky. Cosme swears that there was someone in the room. Don Manuel finds on his bed a letter, reads it and understands that it was written by that lady, because of which he fought Don Luis: “… every door and door is accessible to her at any time.” It is not difficult for her to enter the lover’s house ” . But Cosme can not understand how all the same the note found itself on the bed of his master and why things are scattered, because all the windows are locked, and no one entered the house. Don Manuel decides to write the answer, and then to trace who carries and brings notes. He does not believe in either the house or the spirits, nor in sorcerers, for he did not yet have to meet with evil spirits. Cosme also continues to believe that “the devils play here”.
Doña Angela shows Doña Beatriz the reply of Don Manuel, who is so kindly and jokingly written, so successfully imitates the “style of knightly novels.” Doña Angela wants to continue her joke. From the letter of Don Manuel, she finds out that he considers her to be the lady of Don Luis’s heart, and thinks that she has a key from his house. However, it is very difficult to lie in wait for her, for Dona Angela always knows exactly whether the guest has left, or he is at home. Doña Angela confesses that she is jealous, for in the things of the guest she found a portrait of some lady and wants to steal it.
Don Manuel is preparing to leave for a few days to take his papers to the king in the Escorial, and asks Cosma to collect things. But Cosme is afraid to stay alone in the room, because it’s already dark. Don Manuel calls him a coward and goes to say goodbye to don Juan. At this time, in the room of Don Manuel Isavel comes out from behind the cupboard with a closed basket in his hands. Comes with Kosme’s candle, Isavel steals after him, trying not to notice her. Cosme hears rustling and trembling with fear, Isavel strikes him and puts out a candle to hide in the dark, but at this moment Don Manuel enters and asks why Cosme did not light a candle. He replies that the spirit struck him and blew out the fire. Don Manuel scolds him, at this moment Isavel in the darkness stumbles upon Don Manuel, he grabs the basket and yells that he has caught the spirit. While Cosme was running after the fire, Isavel groped for the door and left, and in the hands of Don Manuel remains a basket. Cosme brings fire, and the master and servant see the basket instead of the spirit and begin to wonder who and how could get into the room. The owner says that this was the lady who wrote letters to him, and Cosme believes that the basket came directly from hell, from the devils. In the basket is a thin underwear and note, where it is said that the lady can not be the lover of Don Luis.
Doña Angela decides to arrange a meeting with the guest – to tie his eyes and bring him to his room. Doña Beatriz believes that when he sees a pretty young rich lady in front of her, she can go crazy. She also wants to be secretly present at this meeting and assures her friend that it will not interfere with the meeting. At this time, enters Don Luis and, hiding behind the drapery, overhears their conversation. It seems to him that this is a meeting between his brother Juan and Beatrice. Don Luis is tormented by jealousy and decides in whatever herd to prevent the meeting.
Don Juan tells the ladies that Don Manuel is leaving their home, but will soon return. Doña Angela states that destiny for the time relieves everyone of the “boring attendance of a guest”. Don Juan does not understand what his guest did to the sister.
Don Manuel and Cosme return to the house, as they forgot important papers for the king. In order not to wake the owners, they do not ignite the fire. At this time, Doña Angela and Isaïla leave from behind the cupboard. Doña Angela lights a lantern and wants to read the papers that lie on the table. Cosme and Don Manuel notice the light, and they feel uneasy. Doña Angela takes the candle out of the lantern, puts it in the candlestick on the table and sits in a chair with her back to both. Don Manuel sees her and is delighted with her beauty, Cosme also seems to be sitting at the table with the devil, whose eyes burn like hell bonfires, and on his feet instead of the hoof fingers – “if you saw a leg… The leg always gives them “. Don Manuel approaches Donje Angel and grabs her by the hand. She begs him to let her go, for she is only a ghost, their meeting is yet to come, it is not yet time to reveal the secret: “When her, although by chance, you violate it, do not wait for good! “Cosme is struck by the eloquence of the evil spirit:” As he says! The speaker is directly that devil’s lady! “Don Manuel believes that before him is not a ghost, not an obsession, but a living person:” You are flesh and blood, not the devil, no, you are a woman! “But Cosme believes that” this is one and the same! “Doña Angela is already ready to tell everything, but asks first to lock the doors to the room. Don Manuel and Cosme leave to fulfill her request, at this time Isabel opens the cupboard and Dona Angela disappears with her. But Cosme believes that “it’s the same thing!”. Doña Angela is already ready to tell everything, but asks first to lock the doors to the room. Don Manuel and Cosme leave to fulfill her request, at this time Isabel opens the closet and Dona Angela disappears with her. But Cosme believes that “it’s the same thing!”. Doña Angela is already ready to tell everything, but asks first to lock the doors to the room. Don Manuel and Cosme leave to fulfill her request, at this time Isabel opens the closet and Dona Angela disappears with her.
Don Manuel and Cosme return and can not understand where the lady went, they look around all corners, Cosme continues to insist that it was not a woman, but a devil in the form of a woman, for this is not surprising – “if a woman often year-round happens hell, at least once to get even, can become a woman. “
Doña Angela’s room. In the dark, Isavel leads the hand of Don Manuel and asks him to wait. He received a letter in which he was scheduled to meet, and the servants brought him to a house. The door opens, the girls enter, carrying sweets, and behind them appear the luxuriously dressed Doña Angela and Dona Beatrice, who depicts a maid. Don Manuel is amazed and compares the night appearance of the beautiful lady with the appearance of the goddess of the dawn of the Aurora, who “shines with a blush in color, it’s already rushing to change the dawn.” Doña Angela replies that fate tells her, on the contrary, to hide in darkness, and not to shine. She asks her not to ask her anything, if Don Manuel wants to meet her secretly, eventually she will tell him everything. At this time, Don Juan’s voice asks to open the door to him. All in a panic, Isaved leads Don Manuel,
Don Juan asks why his sister at night in such a luxurious outfit – she replies that she was bored with eternal mourning, “a symbol of grief and sadness,” and she put on a chic dress to console herself for a bit. The brother notices that, although “women’s sorrow is comforted with trinkets, they make it easier for toilets, but such behavior is unreasonable, inappropriate.” Don Juan asks where Dona Beatriz is, the sister says that she went home. Then he is going to go to her by the balcony for a date.
Isavel leads Don Manuel to his room, although he does not suspect this, and leaves him waiting for her return. At this time, Cosme enters the room and stumbles upon the master in the dark. Don Manuel realizes that there is a servant in front of him, and asks where he got and who is the master of the servant. Cosme replies that the house is full of devilry, which he has to endure, and his master is a fool and his name is Don Manuel. Don Manuel recognizes Cosme and asks where they are. He answers that in his room. Don Manuel goes to check his words. Because of the closet Esauvel comes out, takes Kosme by the arm, thinking that it’s Don Manuel, and leads him to the closet. The master returns and does not find his servant, only bumping into bare walls. He decides to hide in the alcove and wait for the invisible lady.
In the room of Doña Angela, Isavel enters, pulling Cosme’s arm, barely alive with fear. Doña Angela with horror notices that there was a mistake about what the whole house will now find out. Cosme talks about the tricks of the devil, who dressed in a skirt and a corset. Don Louis knocks at the door. Isaev and Cosme hurriedly leave. Doña Beatriz hides behind the curtain. Don Luis comes in and says that at the door of the house he saw the stretcher of the doña Beatrice and thought that she was here with Don Juan. He lifts the curtain and sees Don Beatrice. Behind the closet, there’s a noise, and don Luis rushes behind a candle to find out who’s there. In the room of Don Manuel, Isavel and Cosme enter, and then with the candle Don Luis appears, he clearly saw the man and found that someone had moved the closet. Cosme hides under the table. Don Luis notices Don Manuel and accuses him of dishonoring his friend’s house, that he is a seducer. Don Manuel is very surprised by the appearance of Don Luis and can not understand what he is accused of. Don Luis claims that he entered his sister’s room through a secret door, and Don Manuel said that he had no idea of ​​any secret door. Fate must decide their dispute – they will fight with swords. During the duel with don Luis, a sword breaks, and Don Manuel generously invites him to go after another. Cosme invites the master to flee, but suddenly he notices the appearance of Don Angela. She says that, escaping from the wrath of Dona Luis, she left the house and met don Juan on the porch. He returned her to the house and is now looking for a stranger in all the rooms. Doña Angela confesses to Don Manuel that he loves him and therefore sought meetings with him, she asks him for protection. He is ready to be her protector. Don Luis appears, and Don Manuel asks for his sister’s hands. Don Juan comes in, who has heard everything and is very glad that such a denouement has come, the invisible was found and it is possible to talk about the wedding.