l, melancholy voice. She seated herself on a stone, while the
three gathered around her, and confided to them with tears in her eyes
the reasons for her being there. She told them of a certain grandee of
Spain, living in Andalusia, of whom her father, lowly in birth but
rich in fortune, was a vassal. This grandee had two sons. She had been
betrothed to the younger one of these, Don Fernando, and he had jilted
her in favor of a lady of noble birth, whose name was Luscinda.

When Cardenio heard his own lady's name, he bit his lips and tears
came to his eyes. Dorothea--for that was the maiden's name--wondered
at such interest and such emotion, but she continued her story. She
told of how, upon Don Fernando's marriage to lady Luscinda, she had
fled in despair from house and home. A herdsman in the heart of the
Sierra had given her employment as a servant; but when he had
discovered that she was a woman, she was forced to leave. While she
was bemoaning her evil fate, and praying to God in the woods, she had
cut her feet on the stones; and she was bathing them in the brook when
she encountered the present gathering.

CHAPTER XXIX

WHICH TREATS OF THE DROLL DEVICE AND METHOD ADOPTED TO
EXTRICATE OUR LOVE-STRICKEN KNIGHT FROM THE SEVERE PENANCE
HE HAD IMPOSED UPON HIMSELF

Dorothea had told her story with great simplicity. When she had ended
it, the curate arose to console her; but Cardenio was already at her
side.

"Are you not the daughter of the rich Clenardo?" he asked of her
eagerly.

She gazed at him in wonder, for she had not spoken her father's name.
She asked the youth who he might be, and he told her that he was the
Cardenio who had been wronged by Don Fernando, the faithless friend
and faithless lover; and he swore then and there a holy oath that he
should see her married to Don Fernando or the latter would perish by
his, Cardenio's, sword. Dorothea was moved to tears by the youth's
words and thanked him profusely. The curate then made the suggestion
that both of them return with him and the barber to their village
where they could make further plans as to what to do to set things
aright. And Dorothea and Cardenio accepted this kind offer gratefully.

Sancho was now seen arriving, and the curate told the youth and the
maiden the reason for his being there. He explained to them the
curious nature of Don Quixote's madness, and Cardenio mentioned to the
curate his meeting with the knight.

Sancho had