n suddenly Don Quixote appeared, in full regalia,
ready to take to the road again for new adventures. The Duke and all
in the castle were observing the departure from the corridors.
Unobserved by Don Quixote, the majordomo gave Sancho a purse, in which
he counted no less than two hundred gold crowns.

When knight and squire had mounted, the fair Altisidora declaimed with
touching voice some verses of poetry which she had written in the
night, and in which she bewailed her cruel fate that had thrust her in
the path of the valorous Don Quixote. Each verse ended with a
denunciation of his coldness toward her, and a curse upon him and his
Dulcinea. Then the daring maiden had inserted lines in which she
accused the innocent knight of having taken possession of three
kerchiefs and a pair of garters belonging to her. Don Quixote blushed
with perplexity, but his squire came to the rescue and said that he
had the kerchiefs, but knew nothing about the garters. The Duke, who
was well initiated in the joke, now rose and announced that it was
beginning to seem like a serious matter; and if the knight had the
garters and did not wish to part with them, he, the Duke, would have
to defend the fair maiden's honor and challenge him to single combat.

Now Don Quixote was beside himself. Surely, he said, it would never
occur to him, who had enjoyed such unbounded, superlative hospitality
at the hands of one so illustrious as the Duke, to let such things
come to pass as to bear arms against him; and he swore again by
everything he could think of that he was innocent of what the maiden
had inferred. Here the damsel gave a little shriek, and announced in a
giggling voice that she had found the garters. Don Quixote was much
relieved, and so seemed the Duke (though in reality both he and the
Duchess were just about to burst from the pain that their own joke had
inflicted upon them).

Now the knight errant could depart without any smudge or stain on his
honor, and quickly and resolutely he gave Rocinante the spur, and his
steed gathered all the strength he had and turned around. Gallantly
saluting the Duke and the whole assembly with a sweep of his lance,
Don Quixote set off on the road to Saragossa, followed by the retired
governor, who sat on his Dapple's back as phlegmatically as if the two
were grown together.

CHAPTER LVIII

WHICH TELLS HOW ADVENTURES CAME CROWDING ON DON QUIXOTE
IN SUCH NUMBERS THAT THEY GAVE ONE ANOTHER NO BRE