"Your friend,
"The Duke."
Sancho was astonished at the news, and those that were with him were no less concerned. But at last, turning to the steward, "I will tell you," said he, "what is first to be done in this case, and that with all speed. Clap that same Doctor Rezio in a dungeon; for if any body has a mind to kill me, it must be he, and that with a lingering death, the worst of deaths, hunger-starving." "However," said the carver, "I am of opinion your honour ought not to eat any of the things that stand here before you; for they were sent in by some of the convents, and it is a common saying, 'The devil lurks behind the cross.'" "Which nobody can deny," quoth Sancho; "and therefore let me have, for the present, but a luncheon of bread, and some four pounds of raisins; there can be no poison in that; for, in short, I cannot live without eating; and, if we must be in readiness against these battles, we had need be well victualled. Meanwhile, secretary, do you send my lord duke an answer, and tell him his order shall be fulfilled in every part. Remember me kindly to my lady, and beg of her not to forget to send one on purpose with my letter and bundle to Teresa Panza, my wife; which I shall take as a special favour, and I will be mindful to serve her to the best of my power. And, when your hand is in, you may crowd in my service to my master Don Quixote de la Mancha, that he may see I am neither forgetful nor ungrateful. The rest I leave to you; put in what you will, and do your part like a good secretary and a staunch Biscayner. Now, take away here, and bring me something to eat; and then you shall see I am able to deal with all the spies, wizards, and cut-throat dogs, that dare to meddle with me and my island."
At that time a page entering the room, "My lord," said he, "there is a countryman without desires to speak with your lordship about business of great consequence." "It is a strange thing," cried Sancho, "that one must be still plagued with these men of business! Is it possible they should be such sots as not to understand this is not a time for business? Do they fancy that we governors and distributors of justice are made of iron and marble, and have no need of rest and refreshment like other creatures of flesh and blood? If my government does but last, as I shrewdly guess it will not, I will get some of these men of business laid by the heels. Well, for once, let the fellow come in; but first take heed he be not one of the spies or ruffian rogues that would murder me." "As for that," said the page, "I dare say he had no hand in the plot; poor soul, he looks as if he could not help it; there is no more harm in him, seemingly, than in a piece of good bread." "There is no need to fear," said the steward, "since we are all here by you." "But, hark you," quoth Sancho, "now Doctor Rezio is gone, might not I eat something that has some substance in it, though it were but a crust and an onion?" "At night," answered the carver, "your honour shall have no cause to complain; supper shall make amends for the want of your dinner."
Now the countryman came in, and, by his looks, seemed to be a good, harmless soul. "Which is my lord governor?" quoth he. "Who but he that sits in the chair?" answered the secretary. "I humble myself to his worship's presence," quoth the fellow; and with that, falling on his knees, begged to kiss his hand, which Sancho refused, but bid him rise, and tell him what he had to say. The countryman then got up: "My lord," said he, "I am a husbandman of Miguel Turra, a town some two leagues from Ciudad-Real." "Here is another Tirteafuera," quoth Sancho; "well, go on, friend, I know the place full well; it is not far from our town." "If it please you," said the countryman, "my business is this: I was married, by Heaven's mercy, in the face of our holy mother the church, and I have two boys that take their learning at the college; the youngest studies to become a bachelor, and the eldest to be a master of arts. I am a widower, because my wife is dead; she died, if it please you, or, to speak more truly, she was killed, as one may say, by a doctor. Now, sir, I must tell you," continued the farmer, "that that son of mine, the bachelor of arts that is to be, fell in love with a maiden of our town, Clara Perlerino by name, the daughter of Andrew Perlerino, a mighty rich farmer; and Perlerino is not the right name neither; but, because the whole generation of them is troubled with the palsy, they used to be called, from the name of that complaint, Perlaticos, but now they go by that of Perlerino; and truly it fits the young woman rarely, for she is a precious pearl for beauty, especially if you stand on her right side and view her: she looks like a flower in the fields. On the left, indeed, she does not look altogether so well; for there she wants an eye, which she lost by the small-pox, that has digged many pits somewhat deep all over her face; but those that wish her well, say that is nothing, and that those pits are so many graves to bury lovers' hearts in. I hope my lord governor will pardon me for dwelling thus on the picture, seeing it is merely out of my hearty love and affection for the girl." "Prithee, go on as long as thou wilt," said Sancho; "I am mightily taken with thy discourse; and, if I had but dined, I would not desire a better dessert." "Alas, sir, all I have said is nothing; could I set before your eyes her pretty carriage, and her shape, you would admire. But that is not to be done."
"So far so good," said Sancho; "but let us suppose you have drawn her from head to foot; what is it you would be at now? Come to the point, friend, without so many windings and turnings, and going round about the bush." "Sir," said the farmer, "I would desire your honour to do me the kindness to give me a letter of accommodation to the father of my daughter-in-law, beseeching him to be pleased to let the marriage be fulfilled, seeing we are not unlike neither in estate nor bodily concerns; for to tell you the truth, my lord governor, my son is bewitched; and having once had the ill-luck to fall into the fire, the skin of his face is shrivelled up like a piece of parchment, and his eyes are somewhat sore and full of rheum. But, when all is said, he has the temper of an angel; and were he not apt to thump and belabour himself now and then in his fits, you would take him to be a saint."
"Have you any thing else to ask, honest man?" said Sancho. "Only one thing more," quoth the farmer; "but I am somewhat afraid to speak it; yet I cannot find in my heart to let it rot within me; and, therefore, I must out with it. I would desire your worship to bestow on me some three hundred or six hundred ducats towards my bachelor's portion, only to help him to begin the world and furnish him a house; for, in short, they would live by themselves, without being subject to the impertinencies of a father-in-law." "Well," said Sancho, "see if you would have any thing else; if you would, do not let fear or bashfulness be your hindrance. Out with it, man." "No, truly," quoth the farmer; and he had scarcely spoken the words when the governor, starting up, and laying hold of the chair he sat on, "You brazen-faced impudent country booby!" cried he, "get out of my presence this moment, or I will crack your jolter-head with this chair! You vagabond, dost thou come at this time of day to ask me for six hundred ducats? Where should I have them, clod-pate? And if I had them, why should I give them thee? What care I for Miguel Turra, or all the generation of the Perlerinos? Avoid the room, I say, or I'll be as good as my word. It is not a day and a half that I have been governor, and thou wouldst have me possess six hundred ducats already!"
The steward made signs to the farmer to withdraw, and he went out accordingly hanging down his head, and to all appearance very much afraid lest the governor should make good his angry threats; for the cunning knave knew very well how to act his part. But let us leave Sancho in his angry mood; and let there be peace and quietness, while we return to Don Quixote, whom we left with his face covered over with plasters, the scratches which he had got having obliged him to no less than eight days' retirement; during which time there happened that which we promise to relate with the same punctuality and veracity with which all the particulars of this history are detailed.