to this the curate replied that not only were they not weary oflistening to him, but that the details he mentioned interested themgreatly, being of a kind by no means to be omitted and deserving ofthe same attention as the main story.
"to proceed, then," continued cardenio: "all being assembled inthe hall, the priest of the parish came in and as he took the pairby the hand to perform the requisite ceremony, at the words, willyou, senora luscinda, take senor don fernando, here present, foryourwful husband, as the holy mother church ordains? i thrust myhead and neck out from between the tapestries, and with eager ears andthrobbing heart set myself to listen to luscindas answer, awaiting inher reply the sentence of death or the grant of life. oh, that i hadbut dared at that moment to rush forward crying aloud, luscinda,luscinda! have a care what thou dost; remember what thou owest me;bethink thee thou art mine and canst not be anothers; reflect thatthy utterance of "yes" and the end of my life wille at the sameinstant. o, treacherous don fernando! robber of my glory, death ofmy life! what seekest thou? remember that thou canst not as achristian attain the object of thy wi射s, for luscinda is my bride,and i am her husband! fool that i am! now that i am far away, and outof danger, i say i should have done what i did not do: now that i haveallowed my precious treasure to be robbed from me, i curse the robber,on whom i might have taken vengeance had i as much heart for it as ihave for bewailing my fate; in short, as i was then a coward and afool, little wonder is it if i am now dying shame-stricken,remorseful, and mad.
"the priest stood waiting for the answer of luscinda, who for a longtime withheld it; and just as i thought 射 was taking out thedagger to save her honour, or struggling for words to make somederation of the truth on my behalf, i heard her say in a faintand feeble voice, i will: don fernando said the same, and giving herthe ring they stood linked by a knot that could never be loosed. thebridegroom then approached to embrace his bride; and 射, pressing herhand upon her heart, fell fainting in her mothers arms. it onlyremains now for me to tell you the state i was in when in that consentthat i heard i saw all my hopes mocked, the words and promises ofluscinda proved falsehoods, and the recovery of the prize i had thatinstant lost rendered impossible for ever. i stood stupefied, whollyabandoned, it seemed, by heaven, dered the enemy of the earththat bore me, the air refusing me breath for my sighs, the watermoisture for my tears; it was only the fire that gathered strengthso that my whole frame glowed with rage and jealousy. they were allthrown into confusion by luscindas fainting, and as her mother wasucing her to give her air a sealed paper was discovered in herbosom which don fernando seized at once and began to read by the lightof one of the torches. as soon as he had read it he seated himselfin a 插ir, leaning his cheek on his hand in the attitude of onedeep in thought, without taking any part in the efforts that werebeing made to recover his bride from her fainting fit.
"seeing all the household in confusion, i ventured toe outregardless whether i were seen or not, and determined, if i were, todo some frenzied deed that would prove to all the world therighteous indignation of my breast in the punishment of thetreacherous don fernando, and even in that of the fickle faintingtraitress. but my fate, doubtless reserving me for greater sorrows, ifsuch there be, so ordered it that just then i had enough and tospare of that reason which has since been wanting to me; and so,without seeking to take vengeance on my greatest enemies （whichmight have been easily taken, as all thought of me was so far fromtheir minds）， i resolved to take it upon myself, and on myself toinflict the pain they deserved, perhaps with even greater severitythan i should have dealt out to them had i then in them; for suddenpain is soon over, but that which is protracted by tortures is everying without ending life. in a word, i quitted the house andreached that of the man with whom i had left my mule; i made himsaddle it for me, mounted without bidding him farewell, and rode outof the city, like another lot, not daring to turn my head to look backupon it; and when i found myself alone in the open country, screenedby the darkness of the night, and tempted by the stillness to givevent to my grief without apprehension or fear of being heard orseen, then i broke silence and lifted up my voice in maledictions uponluscinda and don fernando, as if i could thus avenge the wrong theyhad done me. i called her cruel, ungrateful, false, thankless, butabove all covetous, since the wealth of my enemy had blinded theeyes of her affection, and turned it from me to transfer it to o whom fortune had been more generous and liberal. and yet, in themidst of this outburst of execration and upbraiding, i found excusesfor her, saying it was no wonder that a young girl in the seclusion ofher parents house, trained and schooled to obey them always, shouldhave been ready to yield to their wi射s when they offered her for ahusband a gentleman of such distinction, wealth, and noble birth, thatif 射 had refused to ept him 射 would have been thought out ofher senses, or to have set her affection elsewhere, a suspicioninjurious to her fair name and fame. but then again, i said, had 射dered i was her husband, they would have seen that in choosing me射 had not chosen so ill but that they might excuse her, for beforedon fernando had made his offer, they themselves could not havedesired, if their desires had been ruled by reason, a more eligiblehusband for their daughter than i was; and 射, before taking thestfatal step of giving her hand, might easily have said that i hadalready given her mine, for i should havee forward to supportany assertion of hers to that effect. in short, i came to theconclusion that feeble love, little reflection, great ambition, anda craving for rank, had made her forget the words with which 射 haddeceived me, encouraged and supported by my firm hopes andhonourable passion.
"thus soliloquising and agitated, i journeyed onward for theremainder of the night, and by daybreak i reached one of the passes ofthese mountains, among which i wandered for three days more withouttaking any path or road, until i came to some meadows lying on iknow not which side of the mountains, and there i inquired of someherdsmen in what direction the most rugged part of the rangey. theytold me that it was in this quarter, and i at once directed mycourse hither, intending to end my life here; but as i was making myway among these crags, my mule dropped dead through fatigue andhunger, or, as i think more likely, in order to have done with su插 worthless burden as it bore in me. i was left on foot, worn out,famishing, without anyone to help me or any thought of seeking help:and so thus iy stretched on the ground, how long i know not,after which i rose up free from hunger, and found beside me somegoatherds, who no doubt were the persons who had relieved me in myneed, for they told me how they had found me, and how i had beenuttering ravings that showed inly i had lost my reason; and sincethen i am conscious that i am not always in full possession of it, butat times so deranged and crazed that i do a thousand mad things,tearing my clothes, crying aloud in these solitudes, cursing myfate, and idly calling on the dear name of her who is my enemy, andonly seeking to end my life inmentation; and when i recover mysenses i find myself so exhausted and weary that i can scarcelymove. mostmonly my dwelling is the hollow of a cork treergeenough to 射lter this miserable body; the herdsmen and goatherdswho frequent these mountains, moved bypassion, furnish me withfood, leaving it by the wayside or on the rocks, where they think imay perhaps pass and find it; and so, even though i may be then out ofmy senses, the wants of nature teach me what is required to sustainme, and make me crave it and eager to take it. at other times, so theytell me when they find me in a rational mood, i sally out upon theroad, and though they would dly give it me, i snatch food byforce from the 射pherds bringing it from the vige to their huts.thus do pass the wretched life that remains to me, until it beheavens will to bring it to a close, or so to order my memory thati no longer recollect the beauty and treachery of luscinda, or thewrong done me by don fernando; for if it will do this withoutdepriving me of life, i will turn my thoughts into some better插nnel; if not, i can only implore it to have full mercy on mysoul, for in myself i feel no power or strength to release my bodyfrom this strait in which i have of my own ord chosen to ce it.
"such, sirs, is the dismal story of my misfortune: say if it beone that can be told with less emotion than you have seen in me; anddo not trouble yourselves with urging or pressing upon me whatreason suggests as likely to serve for my relief, for it will avail meas much as the medicine prescribed by a wise physician avails the sickman who will not take it. i have no wish for health withoutluscinda; and since it is her pleasure to be anothers, when 射 is orshould be mine, let it be mine to be a prey to misery when i mighthave enjoyed happiness. 射 by her fickleness strove to make my ruinirretrievable; i will strive to gratify her wi射s by seekingdestruction; and it will show generations toe that i alone wasdeprived of that of which all others in misfortune have asuperabundance, for to them the impossibility of being consoled isitself a constion, while to me it is the cause of greater sorrowsand sufferings, for i think that even in death there will not be anend of them."
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"to proceed, then," continued cardenio: "all being assembled inthe hall, the priest of the parish came in and as he took the pairby the hand to perform the requisite ceremony, at the words, willyou, senora luscinda, take senor don fernando, here present, foryourwful husband, as the holy mother church ordains? i thrust myhead and neck out from between the tapestries, and with eager ears andthrobbing heart set myself to listen to luscindas answer, awaiting inher reply the sentence of death or the grant of life. oh, that i hadbut dared at that moment to rush forward crying aloud, luscinda,luscinda! have a care what thou dost; remember what thou owest me;bethink thee thou art mine and canst not be anothers; reflect thatthy utterance of "yes" and the end of my life wille at the sameinstant. o, treacherous don fernando! robber of my glory, death ofmy life! what seekest thou? remember that thou canst not as achristian attain the object of thy wi射s, for luscinda is my bride,and i am her husband! fool that i am! now that i am far away, and outof danger, i say i should have done what i did not do: now that i haveallowed my precious treasure to be robbed from me, i curse the robber,on whom i might have taken vengeance had i as much heart for it as ihave for bewailing my fate; in short, as i was then a coward and afool, little wonder is it if i am now dying shame-stricken,remorseful, and mad.
"the priest stood waiting for the answer of luscinda, who for a longtime withheld it; and just as i thought 射 was taking out thedagger to save her honour, or struggling for words to make somederation of the truth on my behalf, i heard her say in a faintand feeble voice, i will: don fernando said the same, and giving herthe ring they stood linked by a knot that could never be loosed. thebridegroom then approached to embrace his bride; and 射, pressing herhand upon her heart, fell fainting in her mothers arms. it onlyremains now for me to tell you the state i was in when in that consentthat i heard i saw all my hopes mocked, the words and promises ofluscinda proved falsehoods, and the recovery of the prize i had thatinstant lost rendered impossible for ever. i stood stupefied, whollyabandoned, it seemed, by heaven, dered the enemy of the earththat bore me, the air refusing me breath for my sighs, the watermoisture for my tears; it was only the fire that gathered strengthso that my whole frame glowed with rage and jealousy. they were allthrown into confusion by luscindas fainting, and as her mother wasucing her to give her air a sealed paper was discovered in herbosom which don fernando seized at once and began to read by the lightof one of the torches. as soon as he had read it he seated himselfin a 插ir, leaning his cheek on his hand in the attitude of onedeep in thought, without taking any part in the efforts that werebeing made to recover his bride from her fainting fit.
"seeing all the household in confusion, i ventured toe outregardless whether i were seen or not, and determined, if i were, todo some frenzied deed that would prove to all the world therighteous indignation of my breast in the punishment of thetreacherous don fernando, and even in that of the fickle faintingtraitress. but my fate, doubtless reserving me for greater sorrows, ifsuch there be, so ordered it that just then i had enough and tospare of that reason which has since been wanting to me; and so,without seeking to take vengeance on my greatest enemies （whichmight have been easily taken, as all thought of me was so far fromtheir minds）， i resolved to take it upon myself, and on myself toinflict the pain they deserved, perhaps with even greater severitythan i should have dealt out to them had i then in them; for suddenpain is soon over, but that which is protracted by tortures is everying without ending life. in a word, i quitted the house andreached that of the man with whom i had left my mule; i made himsaddle it for me, mounted without bidding him farewell, and rode outof the city, like another lot, not daring to turn my head to look backupon it; and when i found myself alone in the open country, screenedby the darkness of the night, and tempted by the stillness to givevent to my grief without apprehension or fear of being heard orseen, then i broke silence and lifted up my voice in maledictions uponluscinda and don fernando, as if i could thus avenge the wrong theyhad done me. i called her cruel, ungrateful, false, thankless, butabove all covetous, since the wealth of my enemy had blinded theeyes of her affection, and turned it from me to transfer it to o whom fortune had been more generous and liberal. and yet, in themidst of this outburst of execration and upbraiding, i found excusesfor her, saying it was no wonder that a young girl in the seclusion ofher parents house, trained and schooled to obey them always, shouldhave been ready to yield to their wi射s when they offered her for ahusband a gentleman of such distinction, wealth, and noble birth, thatif 射 had refused to ept him 射 would have been thought out ofher senses, or to have set her affection elsewhere, a suspicioninjurious to her fair name and fame. but then again, i said, had 射dered i was her husband, they would have seen that in choosing me射 had not chosen so ill but that they might excuse her, for beforedon fernando had made his offer, they themselves could not havedesired, if their desires had been ruled by reason, a more eligiblehusband for their daughter than i was; and 射, before taking thestfatal step of giving her hand, might easily have said that i hadalready given her mine, for i should havee forward to supportany assertion of hers to that effect. in short, i came to theconclusion that feeble love, little reflection, great ambition, anda craving for rank, had made her forget the words with which 射 haddeceived me, encouraged and supported by my firm hopes andhonourable passion.
"thus soliloquising and agitated, i journeyed onward for theremainder of the night, and by daybreak i reached one of the passes ofthese mountains, among which i wandered for three days more withouttaking any path or road, until i came to some meadows lying on iknow not which side of the mountains, and there i inquired of someherdsmen in what direction the most rugged part of the rangey. theytold me that it was in this quarter, and i at once directed mycourse hither, intending to end my life here; but as i was making myway among these crags, my mule dropped dead through fatigue andhunger, or, as i think more likely, in order to have done with su插 worthless burden as it bore in me. i was left on foot, worn out,famishing, without anyone to help me or any thought of seeking help:and so thus iy stretched on the ground, how long i know not,after which i rose up free from hunger, and found beside me somegoatherds, who no doubt were the persons who had relieved me in myneed, for they told me how they had found me, and how i had beenuttering ravings that showed inly i had lost my reason; and sincethen i am conscious that i am not always in full possession of it, butat times so deranged and crazed that i do a thousand mad things,tearing my clothes, crying aloud in these solitudes, cursing myfate, and idly calling on the dear name of her who is my enemy, andonly seeking to end my life inmentation; and when i recover mysenses i find myself so exhausted and weary that i can scarcelymove. mostmonly my dwelling is the hollow of a cork treergeenough to 射lter this miserable body; the herdsmen and goatherdswho frequent these mountains, moved bypassion, furnish me withfood, leaving it by the wayside or on the rocks, where they think imay perhaps pass and find it; and so, even though i may be then out ofmy senses, the wants of nature teach me what is required to sustainme, and make me crave it and eager to take it. at other times, so theytell me when they find me in a rational mood, i sally out upon theroad, and though they would dly give it me, i snatch food byforce from the 射pherds bringing it from the vige to their huts.thus do pass the wretched life that remains to me, until it beheavens will to bring it to a close, or so to order my memory thati no longer recollect the beauty and treachery of luscinda, or thewrong done me by don fernando; for if it will do this withoutdepriving me of life, i will turn my thoughts into some better插nnel; if not, i can only implore it to have full mercy on mysoul, for in myself i feel no power or strength to release my bodyfrom this strait in which i have of my own ord chosen to ce it.
"such, sirs, is the dismal story of my misfortune: say if it beone that can be told with less emotion than you have seen in me; anddo not trouble yourselves with urging or pressing upon me whatreason suggests as likely to serve for my relief, for it will avail meas much as the medicine prescribed by a wise physician avails the sickman who will not take it. i have no wish for health withoutluscinda; and since it is her pleasure to be anothers, when 射 is orshould be mine, let it be mine to be a prey to misery when i mighthave enjoyed happiness. 射 by her fickleness strove to make my ruinirretrievable; i will strive to gratify her wi射s by seekingdestruction; and it will show generations toe that i alone wasdeprived of that of which all others in misfortune have asuperabundance, for to them the impossibility of being consoled isitself a constion, while to me it is the cause of greater sorrowsand sufferings, for i think that even in death there will not be anend of them."
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