her heart if we marry her; for I am mistaken if she has not as
much mind to a husband as you have to a government. And verily say I,
better a daughter but humbly married than highly kept."

"In good faith, dear wife," said Sancho, "if Heaven be so good to me
that I get anything like a government, I will match Mary Sancha so
highly that there will be no coming near her without calling her your
ladyship."

"Not so, Sancho," answered Teresa, "the best way is to marry her to her
equal; for if you lift her from clouted shoes to high heels, and
instead of her russet coat of fourteenpenny stuff, give her a
farthingale and petticoats of silk, and instead of plain Molly and thou
she be called madam and your ladyship, the girl will not know where she
is and will fall into a thousand mistakes at every step, showing her
homespun country stuff."

"Peace, fool!" quoth Sancho, "she has only to practise two or three
years and the gravity will set upon her as if it were made for her; and
if not, what matters it? Let her be a lady, and come of it what will."

"Measure yourself by your condition, Sancho," answered Teresa, "and do
not seek to raise yourself higher, but remember the proverb, 'Wipe your
neighbor's son's nose and take him into your house.' It would be a
pretty business, truly, to marry our Mary to some great count or knight,
who, when the fancy takes him, would look upon her as some strange
thing, and be calling her country-wench, clod-breaker's brat, and I know
not what else. No, not while I live, husband; I have not brought up my
child to be so used. Do you provide money, Sancho, and leave the
matching of her to my care; for there is Lope Tocho, John Tocho's son, a
lusty, hale young man, whom we know, and I am sure he has a sneaking
kindness for the girl. To him she will be very well married, considering
he is our equal, and will be always under our eye; and we shall be all
as one, parents and children, grandsons and sons-in-law, and so the
peace and blessing of Heaven will be among us all; and do not you be for
marrying her at your courts and great palaces, where they will neither
understand her nor she understand herself."

"Hark you, beast, and wife for Barabbas," replied Sancho, "why would you
now, without rhyme or reason, hinder me from marrying my daughter with
one who may bring me grandchildren that may be styled your lordships?
Look you, Teresa, I have always heard my betters say, 'He that will not
when he may