and there was no time for hesitation.

Then the beautiful Quiteria, in silence, and to all appearance troubled
and sad, approached Basilius, whose eyes were already turned in his
head, and he breathed short and quick, muttering the name of Quiteria,
and giving tokens of dying more like a heathen than a Christian. At
last Quiteria, kneeling down by him, made signs to him for his hand.
Basilius unclosed his eyes, and fixing them steadfastly upon her, said
"O Quiteria! thou relentest at a time when thy pity is a sword to put a
final period to this wretched life; for now I have not strength to bear
the glory thou conferrest upon me in making me thine, nor will it
suspend the pain which shortly will veil my eyes with the dreadful
shadow of death. What I beg of thee, O fatal star of mine! is that thou
give not thy hand out of compliment, or again to deceive me, but to
declare that thou bestowest it upon me as thy lawful husband, without
any compulsion on thy will--for it would be cruel in this extremity to
deal falsely or impose on him who has been so true to thee."

Here he fainted, and the bystanders thought his soul was just departing.
Quiteria, all modesty and bashfulness, taking Basilius's right hand in
hers, said: "No force would be sufficient to bias my will; and
therefore, with all the freedom I have, I give thee my hand to be thy
lawful wife, and receive thine, if it be as freely given, and if the
anguish caused by thy rash act doth not trouble and prevent thee."

"Yes, I give it thee," answered Basilius, "neither discomposed nor
confused, but with the clearest understanding that Heaven was ever
pleased to bestow on me; and so I give and engage myself to be thy
husband."

"And I to be thy wife," answered Quiteria, "whether thou livest many
years, or art carried from my arms to the grave."

"For one so much wounded," observed Sancho, "this young man talks a
great deal. Advise him to leave off his courtship and mind the business
of his soul; though to my thinking he has it more on his tongue than
between his teeth."

Basilius and Quiteria being thus, with hands joined, the tender-hearted
priest, with tears in his eyes, pronounced the benediction upon them,
and prayed to Heaven for the repose of the bridegroom's soul; who, as
soon as he had received the benediction, suddenly started up, and nimbly
drew out the tuck which was sheathed in his body. All the spectators
were astonished, and some more simple than the re