Sancho was not so stunned but that he heard all his master said, and

rising with some degree of nimbleness he ran to place himself behind

Dorothea's palfrey, and from that position he said to his master:

"Tell me, senor; if your worship is resolved not to marry this great

princess, it is plain the kingdom will not be yours; and not being so,

how can you bestow favours upon me? That is what I complain of. Let your

worship at any rate marry this queen, now that we have got her here as if

showered down from heaven, and afterwards you may go back to my lady

Dulcinea; for there must have been kings in the world who kept

mistresses. As to beauty, I have nothing to do with it; and if the truth

Advertisement..

is to be told, I like them both; though I have never seen the lady

Dulcinea."

"How! never seen her, blasphemous traitor!" exclaimed Don Quixote; "hast

thou not just now brought me a message from her?"

"I mean," said Sancho, "that I did not see her so much at my leisure that

I could take particular notice of her beauty, or of her charms piecemeal;

but taken in the lump I like her."

"Now I forgive thee," said Don Quixote; "and do thou forgive me the

injury I have done thee; for our first impulses are not in our control."

"That I see," replied Sancho, "and with me the wish to speak is always

the first impulse, and I cannot help saying, once at any rate, what I

have on the tip of my tongue."

"For all that, Sancho," said Don Quixote, "take heed of what thou sayest,

for the pitcher goes so often to the well--I need say no more to thee."

"Well, well," said Sancho, "God is in heaven, and sees all tricks, and

will judge who does most harm, I in not speaking right, or your worship

in not doing it."

"That is enough," said Dorothea; "run, Sancho, and kiss your lord's hand

and beg his pardon, and henceforward be more circumspect with your praise

and abuse; and say nothing in disparagement of that lady Toboso, of whom

I know nothing save that I am her servant; and put your trust in God, for

you will not fail to obtain some dignity so as to live like a prince."

Sancho advanced hanging his head and begged his master's hand, which Don

Quixote with dignity presented to him, giving him his blessing as soon as

he had kissed it; he then bade him go on ahead a little, as he had

questions to ask him and matters of great importance to discuss with him.

Sancho obeyed, and when the two had gone some distance in advance Don

Quixote said to him, "Since thy return I have had no opportunity or time

to ask thee many particulars touching thy mission and the answer thou

hast brought back, and now that chance has granted us the time and

opportunity, deny me not the happiness thou canst give me by such good

news."




Most Popular