The Exemplary Novels of CervantesCervantes Saavedra, Miguel de
General
The Exemplary Novels of Cervantes
Cervantes Saavedra, Miguel de
Spanish fiction -- Translations into English
The gipsies, knowing from Andrew that the youth had a sum of money
about him, readily assented to his accompanying them, and promised to
guard and conceal him as long as he pleased. They determined to make a
bend to the left, and enter La Mancha and the kingdom of Murcia. The
youth thanked them cordially, and gave them on the spot a hundred gold
crowns to divide amongst them, whereupon they became as pliant as washed
leather. Preciosa, however, was not pleased with the continuance among
them of Don Sancho, for that was the youth's name, but the gipsies
changed it to Clement. Andrew too was rather annoyed at this
arrangement; for it seemed to him that Clement had given up his original
intention upon very slight grounds; but the latter, as if he read his
thoughts, told him that he was glad to go to Murcia, because it was near
Carthagena, whence, if galleys arrived there, as he expected, he could
easily pass over to Italy. Finally, in order to have him more under his
own eye, to watch his acts, and scrutinise his thoughts, Andrew desired
to have Clement for his own comrade, and the latter accepted this
friendly offer as a signal favour. They were always together, both spent
largely, their crowns came down like rain; they ran, leaped, danced, and
pitched the bar better than any of their companions, and were more than
commonly liked by the women of the tribe, and held in the highest
respect by the men.
Leaving Estramadura they entered La Mancha, and gradually traversed the
kingdom of Murcia. In all the villages and towns they passed through,
they had matches at ball-playing, fencing, running, leaping, and
pitching the bar; and in all these trials of strength, skill, and
agility Andrew and Clement were victorious, as Andrew alone had been
before. During the whole journey, which occupied six weeks, Clement
neither found nor sought an opportunity to speak alone with Preciosa,
until one day when she and Andrew were conversing together, they called
him to them, and Preciosa said, "The first time you came to our camp I
recognised you, Clement, and remembered the verses you gave me in
Madrid; but I would not say a word, not knowing with what intention you
had come among us. When I became acquainted with your misfortune, it
grieved me to the soul, though at the same time it was a relief to me;
for I had been much disturbed, thinking that as there was a Don Juan in
the world who had become a gipsy, a Don Sancho might undergo
transformation in like manner. I speak this to you, because Andrew tells
me he has made known to you who he is, and with what intention he turned
gipsy." (And so it was, for Andrew had acquainted Clement with his whole
story, that he might be able to converse with him on the subject nearest
to his thoughts.) "Do not think that my knowing you was of little
advantage to you, since for my sake, and in consequence of what I said
of you, our people the more readily admitted you amongst them, where I
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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