While telling Laura about the duel between the merchant and the gallant lover, Don tells her that the gallant lover was his cousin and he was very fond of him. Don Gonzaio tells her that after the duel the young man took refuge in his house being scared of the consequences of a duel with a person highly regarded in that locality. Then he tells her that from his home his cousin went to Seville and then came to Madrid. Then he wrote Laura many letters which were intercepted by her parents.
He says so because he knows for sure that she did not answer his letters at all. Don then concludes the story saying that, in despair, believing that he had lost his love forever he joined the army, then went to Africa and there is a trench, met a glorious death grasping the flag of Spain and whispering the name of his beloved Laura.
