ernment that will lift us out of the mire, and
marry Mari-Sancha to whom I like; and you yourself will find yourself
called 'Dona Teresa Panza,' and sitting in church on a fine carpet and
cushions and draperies, in spite and in defiance of all the born
ladies of the town? No, stay as you are, growing neither greater nor
less, like a tapestry figure.--Let us say no more about it, for
Sanchica shall be a countess, say what you will."

"Are you sure of all you say, husband?" replied Teresa. "Well, for all
that, I am afraid this rank of countess for my daughter will be her
ruin. You do as you like, make a duchess or a princess of her, but I
can tell you it will not be with my will and consent. I was always a
lover of equality, brother, and I can't bear to see people give
themselves airs without any right. They called me Teresa at my
baptism,--a plain, simple name, without any additions or tags or
fringes of Dons or Donas; Cascajo was my father's name, and as I am
your wife, I am called Teresa Panza, though by right I ought to be
called Teresa Cascajo; but 'kings go where laws like,' and I am
content with this name without having the 'Don' put on top of it to
make it so heavy that I cannot carry it; and I don't want to make
people talk about me when they see me go dressed like a countess or
governor's wife; for they will say at once, 'See what airs the slut
gives herself! Only yesterday she was always spinning flax, and used
to go to mass with the tail of her petticoat over her head instead of
a mantle; and there she goes to-day in a hooped gown with her brooches
and airs, as if we didn't know her!' If God keeps me in my seven
senses, or five, or whatever number I have, I am not going to bring
myself to such a pass; go you, brother, and be a government or an
island man, and swagger as much as you like; for by the soul of my
mother, neither my daughter nor I are going to stir a step from our
village; a respectable woman should have a broken leg and keep at
home, and to be busy at something is a virtuous damsel's holiday; be
off to your adventures, along with your Don Quixote, and leave us to
our misadventures, for God will mend them for us according as we
deserve it. I don't know, I'm sure, who fixed the 'Don' to him, what
neither his father nor grandfather ever had."

"I declare, thou hast a devil of some sort in thy body!" said Sancho.
"God help thee, woman, what a lot of things thou hast strung together,
one after the ot