his pass." And then the young lady told Don Vicente what she
had heard; but he disavowed to her any intention to marry any one else
but herself. Hearing this she broke down completely, flung herself
upon his breast, and sobbed convulsively; and then she fainted.

When she came to, she found that her beloved one had passed away, and
her grief then knew no bounds. Again and again she would be overcome
by her feelings, and swoon so that they had to sprinkle water on her
face. Roque was moved to tears, and so were the servants, and Claudia
said that she would go into cloister for the rest of her life to atone
for her sin. Roque approved of her decision, and offered to conduct
her wherever she wished to go, but she declined his company, with many
thanks, and bade him farewell in tears. Roque then directed the
servants to take the body of Don Vicente to the dead man's father, and
returned to his band.

He found Don Quixote addressing his men on lawlessness, but they
seemed to be little impressed with his sermon. Soon afterward a
sentinel came up to his captain, and reported that people were coming
along on the road to Barcelona, and Roque, having made certain that
they were not armed troops out to enforce the law and in search of
bandits, gave order to capture the travelers and have them brought
before him.

Here the outlaw revealed himself again to Don Quixote as a naturally
kindly and tender-hearted man, for though the travelers possessed a
good deal of money, he assessed them but one hundred and forty crowns.
Of this money he gave the men of his band two crowns each; that left
twenty crowns over, and this he divided between some pilgrims who were
on their way to Rome and our worthy Sancho. The travelers were two
captains of Spanish infantry, and some titled ladies; and the women
felt so grateful to Roque for his generosity, and his unusual behavior
and courtesy touched them so, that they wanted to kiss his hand,
considering him in the light of a hero rather than a robber. Roque did
not forget to give them a safe-conduct to the leaders of his bands,
for there were many of them, operating all through that region.

One of Roque's men seemed dissatisfied with such leniency as he had
seen displayed, and voiced his opinion rather too loudly, for the
leader of the band heard it, and the offender's head was nearly cleft
open in the next second. The captain turned to Don Quixote and
remarked that that was the way he punished im