Chapter 9, In Which I Make Friends at Court Summary

About a year after Paquita's wedding, Juan accompanies Don Diego on a trip to the north of Spain with the royal family. Juan is nervous that someone will discover his illicit paintings in his absence. Although Don Diego still has no idea that Juan is painting, he notices the slave's discomfort. Don Diego generously gives him a wooden box with a lock for his possessions.

On the hunting excursion, Juan notices that the king's favorite hunting dog, Corso, is ill. He treats the dog with herbs and medicines for a liver ailment, and the hound soon improves. His Majesty is exceedingly pleased, and gives Juan a bag of ducats, which Don Diego allows him to keep. Juan feels especially guilty for concealing his painting from his master, when the...