"'Don Quixote,' he must have said, senora," observed Sancho at this,

"otherwise called the Knight of the Rueful Countenance."

"That is it," said Dorothea; "he said, moreover, that he would be tall of

stature and lank featured; and that on his right side under the left

shoulder, or thereabouts, he would have a grey mole with hairs like

bristles."

On hearing this, Don Quixote said to his squire, "Here, Sancho my son,

bear a hand and help me to strip, for I want to see if I am the knight

that sage king foretold."

"What does your worship want to strip for?" said Dorothea.

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"To see if I have that mole your father spoke of," answered Don Quixote.

"There is no occasion to strip," said Sancho; "for I know your worship

has just such a mole on the middle of your backbone, which is the mark of

a strong man."

"That is enough," said Dorothea, "for with friends we must not look too

closely into trifles; and whether it be on the shoulder or on the

backbone matters little; it is enough if there is a mole, be it where it

may, for it is all the same flesh; no doubt my good father hit the truth

in every particular, and I have made a lucky hit in commending myself to

Don Quixote; for he is the one my father spoke of, as the features of his

countenance correspond with those assigned to this knight by that wide

fame he has acquired not only in Spain but in all La Mancha; for I had

scarcely landed at Osuna when I heard such accounts of his achievements,

that at once my heart told me he was the very one I had come in search

of."

"But how did you land at Osuna, senora," asked Don Quixote, "when it is

not a seaport?"

But before Dorothea could reply the curate anticipated her, saying, "The

princess meant to say that after she had landed at Malaga the first place

where she heard of your worship was Osuna."

"That is what I meant to say," said Dorothea.

"And that would be only natural," said the curate. "Will your majesty

please proceed?"

"There is no more to add," said Dorothea, "save that in finding Don

Quixote I have had such good fortune, that I already reckon and regard

myself queen and mistress of my entire dominions, since of his courtesy

and magnanimity he has granted me the boon of accompanying me

whithersoever I may conduct him, which will be only to bring him face to

face with Pandafilando of the Scowl, that he may slay him and restore to

me what has been unjustly usurped by him: for all this must come to pass

satisfactorily since my good father Tinacrio the Sapient foretold it, who

likewise left it declared in writing in Chaldee or Greek characters (for

I cannot read them), that if this predicted knight, after having cut the

giant's throat, should be disposed to marry me I was to offer myself at

once without demur as his lawful wife, and yield him possession of my

kingdom together with my person."




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