"I don't want your news," replied Bartolo at last. "I am looking for my wife. The jade has escaped from my house, and I swear that, if I catch her, she'll have to bear more wood than a miller's ass"—
"But what I have to tell you is about your wife."
"About my wife? Where is the slut?"
"Look at her over there in the field, amusing herself with one of her lovers."
"San Pedro de Cardeña, preserve me!" exclaimed the peasant, looking in the direction which the soldier had pointed out to him.
"Ha, ha, ha! I stick to what I always said—that is, that women are no great things," said the soldier, laughing maliciously.
"I swear by all that's holy!" muttered the rustic, breaking suddenly through the crowd in the direction of the hill. "My wife was a simpleton in Barbadillo, but no person ever said a word against her honour. A curse on this city and all the news that can be got out of it! Since I came to Burgos I have never had an easy day. Treacherous women! my wife is a deceiver! I swear that, this very day, she shall return to Barbadillo, with more blows than she has hairs on her head, and neither she nor I shall ever leave the village again."
At last he arrived at the little hill, and making a short circuit, in order to take at the rear his wife and the page, who were still talking, to all appearance, very confidentially, he fell suddenly on them, and with a stick, which he had provided himself with, he began to belabour them furiously, his wife specially. Alvar only received one good stroke, for he managed to escape through the crowd as soon as he felt the peasant's stick on his back.
"I swear I'll kill you, traitress!" exclaimed Bartolo, without ceasing to chastise his wife.
"Woe is me, woe is me! this brute of a husband will kill me!" cried out the peasant woman. "Is there no one to defend me against the savage?"