"Idon'tknowindeed, senor," saidshe; "Ilistentoo, andtotellthetruth, thoughIdonotunderstandit, Ilikehearingit; butitisnottheblowsthatmyfatherlikesthatIlike, butthelamentstheknightsutterwhentheyareseparatedfromtheirladies; andindeedtheysometimesmakemeweepwiththepityIfeelforthem."
"Thenyouwouldconsolethemifitwasforyoutheywept, younglady?" saidDorothea.
"Idon'tknowwhatIshoulddo," saidthegirl; "Ionlyknowthattherearesomeofthoseladiessocruelthattheycalltheirknightstigersandlionsandathousandotherfoulnames: andJesus! Idon'tknowwhatsortoffolktheycanbe, sounfeelingandheartless, 'tknowwhatisthegoodofsuchprudery; ifitisforhonour'ssake, whynotmarrythem? That'salltheywant."
"Hush, child," saidthelandlady; "itseemstomethouknowestagreatdealaboutthesethings, anditisnotfitforgirlstoknowortalksomuch."
"Asthegentlemanaskedme, Icouldnothelpansweringhim," saidthegirl.
"Wellthen," saidthecurate, "bringmethesebooks, senorlandlord, for
Ishouldliketoseethem."
"Withallmyheart," saidhe, andgoingintohisownroomhebroughtoutanoldvalisesecuredwithalittlechain, "DonCirongilioofThrace," andthesecond "DonFelixmarteofHircania," andtheotherthe "HistoryoftheGreatCaptainGonzaloHernandezdeCordova, withtheLifeofDiegoGarciadeParedes."
Whenthecuratereadthetwofirsttitleshelookedoveratthebarberandsaid, "Wewantmyfriend'shousekeeperandnieceherenow."
"Nay," saidthebarber, "Icandojustaswelltocarrythemtotheyardortothehearth, andthereisaverygoodfirethere."
"What! yourworshipwouldburnmybooks!" saidthelandlord.
