Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 140

The Three Spaniards by George Walker begins at a grand ball given by the Duke d'Alcantery in Madrid. Young Marquis Antonio de los Velos becomes entranced by a modest young lady who arrives with a dark, brooding older man—Don Cevaro Padilla. When Antonio's friend, Marquis Albert de Denia, reveals the lady is betrothed to Padilla and destined for a convent, Antonio pursues her into the garden. He first mistakes an elderly vain woman for his quarry, then encounters the true lady fainting during a palace fire. As Antonio and Denia rescue her from the flames, she addresses Denia familiarly, calling herself Almira and asking about her father and sister. The narrative suggests complicated relationships and hidden circumstances among the three principal characters.