Don Quixote - Part I - Page 338/400

The Judge was struck with amazement at the language of Don Quixote, whom

he scrutinized very carefully, no less astonished by his figure than by

his talk; and before he could find words to answer him he had a fresh

surprise, when he saw opposite to him Luscinda, Dorothea, and Zoraida,

who, having heard of the new guests and of the beauty of the young lady,

had come to see her and welcome her; Don Fernando, Cardenio, and the

curate, however, greeted him in a more intelligible and polished style.

In short, the Judge made his entrance in a state of bewilderment, as well

with what he saw as what he heard, and the fair ladies of the inn gave

the fair damsel a cordial welcome. On the whole he could perceive that

all who were there were people of quality; but with the figure,

countenance, and bearing of Don Quixote he was at his wits' end; and all

civilities having been exchanged, and the accommodation of the inn

inquired into, it was settled, as it had been before settled, that all

the women should retire to the garret that has been already mentioned,

and that the men should remain outside as if to guard them; the Judge,

therefore, was very well pleased to allow his daughter, for such the

damsel was, to go with the ladies, which she did very willingly; and with

part of the host's narrow bed and half of what the Judge had brought with

him, they made a more comfortable arrangement for the night than they had

expected.

The captive, whose heart had leaped within him the instant he saw the

Judge, telling him somehow that this was his brother, asked one of the

servants who accompanied him what his name was, and whether he knew from

what part of the country he came. The servant replied that he was called

the Licentiate Juan Perez de Viedma, and that he had heard it said he

came from a village in the mountains of Leon. From this statement, and

what he himself had seen, he felt convinced that this was his brother who

had adopted letters by his father's advice; and excited and rejoiced, he

called Don Fernando and Cardenio and the curate aside, and told them how

the matter stood, assuring them that the judge was his brother. The

servant had further informed him that he was now going to the Indies with

the appointment of Judge of the Supreme Court of Mexico; and he had

learned, likewise, that the young lady was his daughter, whose mother had

died in giving birth to her, and that he was very rich in consequence of

the dowry left to him with the daughter. He asked their advice as to what

means he should adopt to make himself known, or to ascertain beforehand

whether, when he had made himself known, his brother, seeing him so poor,

would be ashamed of him, or would receive him with a warm heart.