Page:The History of the Valorous and Wity Knight-Errant, Don-Quixote of the Mancha. Volume two.djvu/25

Book IV. perceive all Comfort to be vain, seeing the Remedy thereof is impossible. Only I will request at your hands one Favour, which you ought, and may easily grant, and is, That you will address me unto some Place where I may live secure from the Fear and Suspicion I have to be found by those, which I know do daily travel in my pursuit: For tho' I am sure that my Parents great Affection towards me doth warrant me to be kindly receiv'd and entertained by them, yet the Shame is so great that possesseth me, only to think that I shall not return to their Presence in that State which they expect, as I account it far better to banish my self from their Sight for ever, than once to behold their Faces with the least Suspicion, that they again would behold mine divorced from that Honesty which while at home my modest Behaviour pomis'd. Here she ended, and her Face suddenly over-run by a lovely Scarlet, perspicuously denoted the Feeling and Bashfulness of her Soul.

The AudientsAudience [sic] of her sad Story felt great Motions both of Pity and Admiration for her Misfortunes; and altho' the Curate thought to comfort and counsel her forthwith, yet was he prevented by Cardenio, who taking her first by the Hand, said at last. Lady, thou art the beautiful Dorotea, Daughter unto rich Cleonardo. Dorotea rested admir'd when she heard her Father's Name, and saw of how little Value he seem'd who had named him; for we have already recounted how raggedly Cardenio was clothed; and therefore she said unto him. And who art thou, Friend, that know'st so well my Father's Name, for until this Hour (if I have not forgotten my self) I did not once name him throughout the whole Discourse of my unfortunate Tale? I am (answer'd Cardenio) the unlucky Knight whom Luscinda (as thou saidst) affirm'd to be her Husband: I am the disastrous Cardenio, whom the wicked Proceeding of him that hath also brought thee to those Terms wherein thou art, hath conducted me to the State in which I am, and thou mayst behold ragged, naked, abandon'd by all human Comfort, and, what is worse, void of Sense, seeing I only enjoy it but at some few short times, and