Some days after the visit of the king to the solitaries of the lake, Ximena entered Burgos, accompanied by a brilliant escort of cavaliers, belonging to the court of Don Fernando, who had himself come to meet her, riding a considerable distance on the road of Briviesca.
Some peasants, who were journeying at the same time to the city, stopped to gaze on the young girl and her richly-dressed companions, and as they were ignorant of the news of the court, on account of the distance they lived from it, and did not know Ximena, one of them went up to a workman who was standing at the door of a house, and asked him—
"Do you know who that splendid girl is? On my soul, she looks like a queen."
"What? you don't know her? She is Doña Ximena, daughter of the Count of Gormaz, who is going to be married to the son of the grandee of Vivar," replied the man who had been questioned.
"Nonsense! Is it not said that the youth killed the count?"
"Certainly."
"And he is going to be married to the daughter of the dead man! Well, queer things happen now-a-days. One must be badly off for a husband."
"Be silent, you bumpkin, and don't speak badly of a lady who is more honourable than you and your whole clan."
"Keep quiet yourself, you Burgos ruffian, for I swear I have fists, and won't listen to insults."