rcely
comforted her in her sorrows to learn that the son of the Infante of
Fortune was sick even to death; but never, either in presence of her
mother or of any one else, did she show any sign of grief. So strongly
did she constrain herself, that her tears, driven perforce back into her
heart, caused so great a loss of blood from the nose that her life was
endangered; and, that she might be restored to health, she was given in
marriage to one whom she would willingly have exchanged for death.

After the marriage Florida departed with her husband to the duchy of
Cardona, taking with her Avanturada, whom she privately acquainted with
her sorrow, both as regards her mother's harshness and her own regret
at having lost the son of the Infante of Fortune; but she never spoke of
her regret for Amadour except to console his wife.

This young lady then resolved to keep God and honour before her eyes. So
well did she conceal her grief, that none of her friends perceived that
her husband was displeasing to her.

In this way she spent a long time, living a life that was worse than
death, as she failed not to inform her lover Amadour, who, knowing the
virtue and greatness of her heart, as well as the love that she had
borne to the son of the Infante of Fortune, thought it impossible that
she could live long, and mourned for her as for one that was more than
dead. This sorrow was an increase to his former grief, and forgetting
his own distress in that which he knew his sweetheart was enduring, he
would willingly have continued all his life the slave he was if Florida
could thereby have had a husband after her own heart. He learnt from a
friend whom he had gained at the Court of Tunis that the King, wishing
to keep him if only he could make a good Turk of him, intended to give
him his choice between impalement and the renunciation of his faith.
Thereupon he so addressed himself to his master, the governor who had
taken him prisoner, that he persuaded him to release him on parole. His
master named, however, a much higher ransom than he thought could be
raised by a man of such little wealth, and then, without speaking to the
King, he let him go.

When Amadour reached the Court of the King of Spain, he stayed there but
a short time, and then, in order to seek his ransom among his friends,
he repaired to Barcelona, whither the young Duke of Cardona, his mother,
and Florida had gone on business. As soon as Avanturada heard that her
hus