r persons in disguise
are now in your town, sent thither by the enemy, who, fearful of your
great talents, have a design upon your life. Keep a strict watch, be
careful who are admitted to you, and eat nothing sent you as a present.
I will not fail to send you assistance if you are in want of it.
Whatever may be attempted, I have full reliance on your activity and
judgment.

"Your friend,

"THE DUKE.

"From this place, the 16th of August, at four in the morning."

Sancho was astonished at this information, and the others appeared to be
no less so. At length, turning to the steward, "I will tell you," said
he, "the first thing to be done, which is to clap Doctor Rezio into a
dungeon; for if anybody has a design to kill me, it is he, and that by
the most lingering and the worst of all deaths,--starvation."

"Be that as it may," said the steward, "it is my opinion your honor
would do well to eat none of the meat here upon the table, for it was
presented by some nuns, and it is a saying, 'The devil lurks behind the
cross.'"

"You are in the right," quoth Sancho, "and for the present give me only
a piece of bread and some four pounds of grapes,--there can be no poison
in them,--for, in truth, I cannot live without food, and if we must keep
in readiness for these battles that threaten us, it is fit that we
should be well fed, for the stomach upholds the heart and the heart the
man. Do you, Mr. Secretary, answer the letter of my lord duke, and tell
him his commands shall be obeyed throughout most faithfully; and present
my dutiful respects to my lady duchess, and beg her not to forget to
send a special messenger with my letter and bundle to my wife Teresa
Panza, which I shall take as a particular favor, and will be her humble
servant to the utmost of my power. And, by the way, you may put in my
hearty service to my master, Don Quixote de la Mancha, that he may see
that I am neither forgetful nor ungrateful; and as to the rest, I leave
it to you, as a good secretary and a true Biscayan, to add whatever you
please, or that may turn to the best account. Now away with this cloth,
and bring me something that may be eaten, and then let these spies,
murderers, and enchanters see how they meddle with me or my island."

A page now entered, saying, "Here is a countryman who would speak with
your lordship on business, as he says, of great importance."

"It is very strange," quoth Saneho, "that these men of business should
be so