"To proceed, then: Don Fernando finding my presence an obstacle tothe execution of his treacherous and wicked design, resolved to sendme to his elder brother under the pretext of asking money from himto pay for six horses which, purposely, and with the sole object ofsending me away that he might the better carry out his infernalscheme, he had purchased the very day he offered to speak to myfather, and the price of which he now desired me to fetch. Could Ihave anticipated this treachery? Could I by any chance havesuspected it? Nay; so far from that, I offered with the greatestpleasure to go at once, in my satisfaction at the good bargain thathad been made. That night I spoke with Luscinda, and told her what hadbeen agreed upon with Don Fernando, and how I had strong hopes ofour fair and reasonable wishes being realised. She, as unsuspicious asI was of the treachery of Don Fernando, bade me try to returnspeedily, as she believed the fulfilment of our desires would bedelayed only so long as my father put off speaking to hers. I know notwhy it was that on saying this to me her eyes filled with tears, andthere came a lump in her throat that prevented her from uttering aword of many more that it seemed to me she was striving to say tome. I was astonished at this unusual turn, which I never beforeobserved in her. for we always conversed, whenever good fortune and myingenuity gave us the chance, with the greatest gaiety andcheerfulness, mingling tears, sighs, jealousies, doubts, or fears withour words; it was all on my part a eulogy of my good fortune thatHeaven should have given her to me for my mistress; I glorified herbeauty, I extolled her worth and her understanding; and she paid meback by praising in me what in her love for me she thought worthy ofpraise; and besides we had a hundred thousand trifles and doings ofour neighbours and acquaintances to talk about, and the utmostextent of my boldness was to take, almost by force, one of her fairwhite hands and carry it to my lips, as well as the closeness of thelow grating that separated us allowed me. But the night before theunhappy day of my departure she wept, she moaned, she sighed, andshe withdrew leaving me filled with perplexity and amazement,overwhelmed at the sight of such strange and affecting signs ofgrief and sorrow in Luscinda; but not to dash my hopes I ascribed itall to the depth of her love for me and the pain that separation givesthose who love tenderly. At last I took my departure, sad anddejected, my heart filled with fancies and suspicions, but not knowingwell what it was I suspected or fancied; plain omens pointing to thesad event and misfortune that was awaiting me.
"I reached the place whither I had been sent, gave the letter to DonFernando's brother, and was kindly received but not promptlydismissed, for he desired me to wait, very much against my will, eightdays in some place where the duke his father was not likely to see me,as his brother wrote that the money was to be sent without hisknowledge; all of which was a scheme of the treacherous DonFernando, for his brother had no want of money to enable him todespatch me at once.
"The command was one that exposed me to the temptation of disobeyingit, as it seemed to me impossible to endure life for so many daysseparated from Luscinda, especially after leaving her in the sorrowfulmood I have described to you; nevertheless as a dutiful servant Iobeyed, though I felt it would be at the cost of my well-being. Butfour days later there came a man in quest of me with a letter which hegave me, and which by the address I perceived to be from Luscinda,as the writing was hers. I opened it with fear and trepidation,persuaded that it must be something serious that had impelled her towrite to me when at a distance, as she seldom did so when I wasnear. Before reading it I asked the man who it was that had given itto him, and how long he had been upon the road; he told me that ashe happened to be passing through one of the streets of the city atthe hour of noon, a very beautiful lady called to him from a window,and with tears in her eyes said to him hurriedly, 'Brother, if youare, as you seem to be, a Christian, for the love of God I entreat youto have this letter despatched without a moment's delay to the placeand person named in the address, all which is well known, and bythis you will render a great service to our Lord; and that you maybe at no inconvenience in doing so take what is in this handkerchief;'and said he, 'with this she threw me a handkerchief out of thewindow in which were tied up a hundred reals and this gold ringwhich I bring here together with the letter I have given you. And thenwithout waiting for any answer she left the window, though notbefore she saw me take the letter and the handkerchief, and I had bysigns let her know that I would do as she bade me; and so, seeingmyself so well paid for the trouble I would have in bringing it toyou, and knowing by the address that it was to you it was sent （for,senor, I know you very well）， and also unable to resist that beautifullady's tears, I resolved to trust no one else, but to come myselfand give it to you, and in sixteen hours from the time when it wasgiven me I have made the journey, which, as you know, is eighteenleagues.'
"All the while the good-natured improvised courier was telling methis, I hung upon his words, my legs trembling under me so that Icould scarcely stand. However, I opened the letter and read thesewords:
"'The promise Don Fernando gave you to urge your father to speakto mine, he has fulfilled much more to his own satisfaction than toyour advantage. I have to tell you, senor, that be has demanded me fora wife, and my father, led away by what he considers Don Fernando'ssuperiority over you, has favoured his suit so cordially, that intwo days hence the betrothal is to take place with such secrecy and soprivately that the only witnesses are to be the Heavens above and afew of the household. Picture to yourself the state I am in; judgeif it be urgent for you to come; the issue of the affair will show youwhether I love you or not. God grant this may come to your hand beforemine shall be forced to link itself with his who keeps so ill thefaith that he has pledged.'
"Such, in brief, were the words of the letter, words that made meset out at once without waiting any longer for reply or money; for Inow saw clearly that it was not the purchase of horses but of hisown pleasure that had made Don Fernando send me to his brother. Theexasperation I felt against Don Fernando, joined with the fear oflosing the prize I had won by so many years of love and devotion, lentme wings; so that almost flying I reached home the same day, by thehour which served for speaking with Luscinda. I arrived unobserved,and left the mule on which I had come at the house of the worthy manwho had brought me the letter, and fortune was pleased to be foronce so kind that I found Luscinda at the grating that was the witnessof our loves. She recognised me at once, and I her, but not as sheought to have recognised me, or I her. But who is there in the worldthat can boast of having fathomed or understood the wavering mindand unstable nature of a woman? Of a truth no one. To proceed: as soonas Luscinda saw me she said, 'Cardenio, I am in my bridal dress, andthe treacherous Don Fernando and my covetous father are waiting for mein the hall with the other witnesses, who shall be the witnesses of mydeath before they witness my betrothal. Be not distressed, myfriend, but contrive to be present at this sacrifice, and if thatcannot be prevented by my words, I have a dagger concealed whichwill prevent more deliberate violence, putting an end to my life andgiving thee a first proof of the love I have borne and bear thee.' Ireplied to her distractedly and hastily, in fear lest I should nothave time to reply, 'May thy words be verified by thy deeds, lady; andif thou hast a dagger to save thy honour, I have a sword to defendthee or kill myself if fortune be against us.'
"I think she could not have heard all these words, for I perceivedthat they called her away in haste, as the bridegroom was waiting. Nowthe night of my sorrow set in, the sun of my happiness went down, Ifelt my eyes bereft of sight, my mind of reason. I could not enter thehouse, nor was I capable of any movement; but reflecting how importantit was that I should be present at what might take place on theoccasion, I nerved myself as best I could and went in, for I well knewall the entrances and outlets; and besides, with the confusion that insecret pervaded the house no one took notice of me, so, withoutbeing seen, I found an opportunity of placing myself in the recessformed by a window of the hall itself, and concealed by the ends andborders of two tapestries, from between which I could, without beingseen, see all that took place in the room. Who could describe theagitation of heart I suffered as I stood there- the thoughts that cameto me- the reflections that passed through my mind? They were suchas cannot be, nor were it well they should be, told. Suffice it to saythat the bridegroom entered the hall in his usual dress, withoutornament of any kind; as groomsman he had with him a cousin ofLuscinda's and except the servants of the house there was no oneelse in the chamber. Soon afterwards Luscinda came out from anantechamber, attended by her mother and two of her damsels, arrayedand adorned as became her rank and beauty, and in full festival andceremonial attire. My anxiety and distraction did not allow me toobserve or notice particularly what she wore; I could only perceivethe colours, which were crimson and white, and the glitter of the gemsand jewels on her head dress and apparel, surpassed by the rare beautyof her lovely auburn hair that vying with the precious stones andthe light of the four torches that stood in the hall shone with abrighter gleam than all. Oh memory, mortal foe of my peace! whybring before me now the incomparable beauty of that adored enemy ofmine? Were it not better, cruel memory, to remind me and recall whatshe then did, that stirred by a wrong so glaring I may seek, if notvengeance now, at least to rid myself of life? Be not weary, sirs,of listening to these digressions; my sorrow is not one of thosethat can or should be told tersely and briefly, for to me eachincident seems to call for many words."
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