But, as is commonly said, one evil calls up another
and the end of one misfortune is apt to be the beginning
of one still greater, and so it proved in my case;
for my worthy servant, until then so faithful and
trusty when he found me in this lonely spot, moved
more by his own villainy than by my beauty, sought
to take advantage of the opportunity which these solitudes
seemed to present him, and with little shame and less
fear of God and respect for me, began to make overtures
to me; and finding that I replied to the effrontery
of his proposals with justly severe language, he laid
aside the entreaties which he had employed at first,
and began to use violence.
“But just Heaven, that seldom fails to watch
over and aid good intentions, so aided mine that with
my slight strength and with little exertion I pushed
him over a precipice, where I left him, whether dead
or alive I know not; and then, with greater speed
than seemed possible in my terror and fatigue, I made
my way into the mountains, without any other thought
or purpose save that of hiding myself among them, and
escaping my father and those despatched in search
of me by his orders. It is now I know not how
many months since with this object I came here, where
I met a herdsman who engaged me as his servant at
a place in the heart of this Sierra, and all this
time I have been serving him as herd, striving to
keep always afield to hide these locks which have now
unexpectedly betrayed me. But all my care and
pains were unavailing, for my master made the discovery
that I was not a man, and harboured the same base
designs as my servant; and as fortune does not always
supply a remedy in cases of difficulty, and I had
no precipice or ravine at hand down which to fling
the master and cure his passion, as I had in the servant’s
case, I thought it a lesser evil to leave him and
again conceal myself among these crags, than make
trial of my strength and argument with him. So,
as I say, once more I went into hiding to seek for
some place where I might with sighs and tears implore
Heaven to have pity on my misery, and grant me help
and strength to escape from it, or let me die among
the solitudes, leaving no trace of an unhappy being
who, by no fault of hers, has furnished matter for
talk and scandal at home and abroad.”
CHAPTER XXIX.
WHICH TREATS OF THE DROLL DEVICE AND METHOD ADOPTED TO EXTRICATE OUR
LOVE-STRICKEN KNIGHT FROM THE SEVERE PENANCE HE HAD IMPOSED UPON HIMSELF
“Such, sirs, is the true story of my sad adventures;
judge for yourselves now whether the sighs and lamentations
you heard, and the tears that flowed from my eyes,
had not sufficient cause even if I had indulged in
them more freely; and if you consider the nature of
my misfortune you will see that consolation is idle,
as there is no possible remedy for it. All I
ask of you is, what you may easily and reasonably do,
to show me where I may pass my life unharassed by
