Exemplary Novels (Volume 1); A Story of Two Damsels (Paperback)

Book may have numerous typos, missing text, images, or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1900. Excerpt: ... A STORY OF TWO DAMSELS Five leagues off from the city of Sevill there is a town called Castilblanco, and into one of those many inns which it hath, about the shutting in of the day, when night was drawing on, entered a traveller, a stranger to that place, mounted upon a very handsome nag; he had no servant attending on him, and, without staying that any should hold his stirrup, with great nimbleness he dismounted himself. The host of the house made all the haste he could unto him (who was a diligent man, and careful to give his guests content), but for all the speed he made he came not in soon enough, insomuch that this traveller was already lighted from his horse, and had sat him down upon a bench which was in the court, where, falling apace to the unbuttoning of his doublet, his arms fell presently one one way, and another another, giving a manifest sign and token of fainting and swooning. The hostess, who was a charitable woman, ran forth unto him, and sprinkling his face with cold water, made him come again to himself; and he, making show that it did much trouble him that they had seen him in this taking, returned to the buttoning up of his doublet, entreating that they would presently bring him to a lodging whither he might withdraw himself, and that if it were possible he might be all alone. His hostess told him that she had no more but one empty in all the house, and that that, too, had two beds in it, and that she must be constrained, if any other guests should come thither that night, to accommodate him in the one of those two beds. Whereunto this our traveller replied, that he would pay her for both the beds, whether any guest came or not; and, putting his hand into his pocket, and taking out a crown in gold, he gave it unto his hostess, but with this condition, that she s...