_Which narrates the success of the page that carried Sancho's letter
to his wife._
The duchess, having a great desire to continue the merriment which Don
Quixote's extravagances afforded them, the page that acted the part of
Dulcinea in the wood was despatched away to Teresa Panza with a letter
from her husband (for Sancho, having his head full of his government,
had quite forgotten to do it); and at the same time the duchess sent
another from herself, with a large costly string of coral as a
present.
Now the page was a sharp and ingenious lad; and being very desirous to
please his lord and lady, made the best of his way to Sancho's
village. When he came near the place, he saw a company of females
washing at a brook, and asked them whether they could inform him if
there lived not in that town a woman whose name was Teresa Panza, wife
to one Sancho Panza, squire to a knight called Don Quixote de la
Mancha? He had no sooner asked the question, than a young girl that
was washing among the rest stood up: "Teresa Panza is my mother,"
quoth she; "that gaffer Sancho is my own father, and that same knight
our master." "Well, then, damsel," said the page, "pray go along with
me, and bring me to your mother; for I have a letter and a token here
for her from your father." "That I will, with all my heart, sir," said
the girl, who seemed to be about fourteen years of age; and with that,
leaving the clothes she was washing to one of her companions, without
staying to dress her head or put on her shoes, away she sprung before
the page's horse, barelegged, and with her hair about her ears. "Come
along, if it please you," quoth she; "our house is hard by; it is but
just as you come into the town; and my mother is at home, but brimful
of sorrow, poor soul; for she has not heard from my father, I do not
know how long." "Well," said the page, "I bring her tidings that will
cheer her heart, I warrant her." At last, what with leaping, running,
and jumping, the girl being come to the house, "Mother, mother," cried
she, as loud as she could, before she went in, "come out, mother--come
out; here is a gentleman has brought letters from my father!" At that
summons, out came the mother, spinning a lock of coarse flax, with a
russet petticoat about her, a waistcoat of the same, and her smock
hanging loose about it. Take her otherwise, she was none of the
oldest, but looked somewhat turned of forty--strong-built, sinewy,
hale, vigorous, and in good case. "What is the matter, girl?" quoth
she, seeing her daughter with the page; "what gentleman is that?" "A
servant of your ladyship's, my Lady Teresa Panza," answered the page;
and at the same time alighting, and throwing himself at her feet, "My
noble Lady Donna Teresa," said he, "permit me the honour to kiss your
ladyship's hand, as you are the wife of my Lord Don Sancho Panza,
governor of the island of Barataria." "Alack-a-day!" quoth Teresa,
"what do you do? I am none of your court-dames; but a poor, silly,
country body, a ploughman's daughter,--the wife, indeed, of a
squire-errant, but no governor." "Your ladyship," replied the page,
"is the most worthy wife of a thrice-worthy governor; and for proof of
what I say, be pleased to receive this letter and this present." With
that, he took out of his pocket a string of coral beads, set in gold,
and putting it about her neck, "This letter," said he, "is from his
honour the governor; and another that I have for you, together with
these beads, are from her grace the lady duchess, who sends me now to
your ladyship."
Teresa stood amazed, and her daughter was transported. "Now," quoth
the young baggage, "if our master, Don Quixote, be not at the bottom
of this. He has given my father that same government or earldom he has
promised him so many times." "You say right," answered the page; "it
is for the Lord Don Quixote's sake that the Lord Sancho is now
governor of the island of Barataria." "Good sir," quoth Teresa, "read
it me, if it like your worship; for though I can spin, I cannot read a
jot." "Nor I neither," cried Sanchica; "but do but stay a little, and
I will go fetch one that shall, either the bachelor Sampson Carrasco,
or our parson himself, who will come with all their hearts to hear the
news of my father." "You may spare yourself the trouble," said the
page; "for though I cannot spin, yet I can read; and I will read it to
you." With that he read the letter, which is now omitted, because it
has been inserted before. That done, he pulled out another from the
duchess, which runs as follows:
"FRIEND TERESA,
"Your husband Sancho's good parts, his wit and honesty, obliged me to
desire the duke, my husband, to bestow on him the government of one of
his islands. I am informed he is as sharp as a hawk in his office, for
which I am very glad, as well as my lord duke, and return Heaven many
thanks that I have not been deceived in making choice of him for that
preferment; for you must know, Signora Teresa, it is a difficult thing
to meet with a good governor in this world.
"I have sent you, my dear friend, a string of coral beads, set in
gold; I could wish they were oriental pearls for your sake; but a
small token may not hinder a great one. The time will come when we
shall be better acquainted; and when we have conversed together, who
knows what may come to pass?
"I understand you have fine large acorns in your town; pray send me a
dozen or two of them; I shall set a greater value upon them as coming
from your hands. And pray let me have a good long letter, to let me
know how you do; and if you have occasion for any thing, it is but ask
and have.
"Your loving friend,
"THE DUCHESS.
"From this castle."
"Ah!" quoth Teresa, when she had heard the letter, "what a good lady
is this! not a bit of pride in her! Let me be buried with such ladies,
and not with such proud madams as we have in our town; who, because
they are gentlefolks, forsooth, think the wind must not blow on them,
but come flaunting to church as stately as if they were queens. It
seems they think it scorn to look upon a poor countrywoman. But, la
you! here is a good lady, who, though she be a duchess, calls me her
friend, and uses me as if I were as high as herself. Well, may I see
her as high as the highest steeple in the whole country! As for the
acorns she writes for, I will send her good ladyship a whole peck, and
such swinging acorns, that every body shall come to admire them far
and near. And now, Sanchica, see that the gentleman be made welcome,
and want for nothing. Take care of his horse. Run to the stable; get
some eggs; cut some bacon: he shall fare like a prince. The rare news
he has brought me, and his good looks, deserve no less. Meanwhile, I
must run and tell my neighbours the news. Our good curate, too, shall
know it, and Mr. Nicholas the barber; for they have all along been thy
father's friends." "Ay, do, mother," said the daughter; "but, hark
you, you must give me half the beads; for, I daresay, the great lady
knows better things than to give them all to you." "It is all thy own,
child," cried the mother; "but let me wear it a few days about my
neck, for thou canst not think how it rejoices the very heart of me."
"You will rejoice more presently," said the page, "when you see what I
have got in my portmanteau; a fine suit of green cloth, which the
governor wore but one day a-hunting, and has here sent to my Lady
Sanchica."
Presently, away ran Teresa, with the beads about her neck, and the
letters in her hand, all the while playing with her fingers on the
papers, as if they had been a timbrel; and meeting, by chance, the
curate and the bachelor Carrasco, she fell a-dancing and frisking
about. "Faith and troth," cried she, "we are all made now. We have got
a little thing called a 'government.' And now, let the proudest of
them all toss up her nose at me, and I will give her as good as she
brings. I will make her know her distance." "How now, Teresa?" said
the curate; "what mad fit is this? what papers are these in your
hand?" "No mad fit at all," answered Teresa; "but these are letters
from duchesses and governors, and these beads about my neck are right
coral, the Ave-marias I mean, and the Paternosters are of beaten gold;
and I am a governor's lady, I assure you." "Verily," said the curate,
"there is no understanding you, Teresa; we do not know what you mean."
"There is what will clear the riddle," quoth Teresa; and with that she
gave them the letters. Thereupon, the curate having read them aloud,
that Sampson Carrasco might also be informed, they both stood and
looked on one another, and were more at a loss than before. The
bachelor asked her who brought the letter? Teresa told them it was a
sweet, handsome, young man, as fine as anything; and that he had
brought her another present worth twice as much. The curate took the
string of beads from her neck, and finding that it was a thing of
value, he could not conceive the meaning of all this. "I cannot tell,"
cried he, "what to think of this business. I am convinced these beads
are right coral and gold; but again, here is a duchess sends to beg a
dozen or two of acorns." "Crack that nut if you can," said Sampson
Carrasco. "But come, let us go to see the messenger, and probably he
will clear our doubts."
Thereupon, going with Teresa, they found the page sifting a little
corn for his horse, and Sanchica cutting a rasher of bacon, to be
fried with eggs, for his dinner. They both liked the page's mien and
his garb; and after the usual compliments, Sampson desired him to tell
them some news of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza; for though they had
read a letter from the latter to his wife, and another from the
duchess, they were no better than riddles to them; nor could they
imagine how Sancho should come by a government, especially of an
island, well knowing that all the islands in the Mediterranean, or the
greatest part of them, were the king's.
"Gentlemen," answered the page, "it is a certain truth, that Signor
Sancho Panza is a governor, but whether it be of an island or not, I
do not pretend to determine; but this I can assure you, that he
commands in a town that has above a thousand inhabitants. And as for
my lady duchess's sending to a countrywoman for a few acorns, that is
no such wonder, for she is so free from pride, that I have known her
send to borrow a comb of one of her neighbours. You must know, our
ladies of Arragon, though they are as noble as those of Castile, do
not stand so much upon formalities and punctilios, neither do they
take so much state upon them, but treat people with more familiarity."
The curate and the bachelor plainly perceived that the page spoke
jestingly; but yet the costly string of beads, and the hunting suit,
which by this time Teresa had let them see, confounded them again.
"Then, sir, you assure us still," said Carrasco, "that Sancho is
really a governor, and that a duchess sends these presents and letters
upon his account; for though we see the things, and read the letters,
we can scarce prevail with ourselves to believe it, but are apt to run
into our friend Don Quixote's opinion, and look on all this as the
effect of some enchantment; so that I could find in my heart to feel
and try whether you are merely a visionary messenger or a real
creature of flesh and blood."
"For my part, gentlemen," answered the page, "all I can tell you is,
that I am really the messenger I appear to be; that the Lord Sancho
Panza is actually a governor; and that the duke and the duchess, to
whom I belong, are able to give, and have given him that government;
where, I am credibly informed, he behaves himself most worthily. Now
if there be any enchantment in the matter, I leave you to examine
that; for I know no more of the business." "That may be," said the
bachelor, "but yet _dubitat Augustinus_." "You may doubt if you
please," replied the page, "but I have told you the truth, which will
always prevail over falsehood, and rise uppermost, as oil does above
water. But if you will _operibus credere, et non verbis_, let one of
you go along with me, and you shall see with your eyes, what you will
not believe by the help of your ears." "I will go with all my heart,"
quoth Sanchica; "take me up behind ye, sir; I have a great mind to see
my father." "The daughters of governors," said the page, "must not
travel thus unattended, but in coaches or litters, and with a handsome
train of servants." "Oh," quoth Sanchica, "I can go a journey as well
on an ass as in one of your coaches. I am none of your tender
squeamish things, not I." "Peace, chicken," quoth the mother, "thou
dost not know what thou sayest; the gentleman is in the right: times
are altered. When it was plain Sancho, it was plain Sanchica; but now
he is a governor, thou art a lady: I cannot well tell whether I am
right or no." "My Lady Teresa says more than she is aware of," said
the page. "But now," continued he, "give me a mouthful to eat as soon
as you can, for I must go back this afternoon." "Be pleased then,
sir," said the curate, "to go with me, and partake of a slender meal
at my house, for my neighbour Teresa is more willing than able to
entertain so good a guest." The page excused himself a while, but at
last complied, being persuaded it would be much for the better; and
the curate, on his side, was glad of his company, to have an
opportunity to inform himself at large about Don Quixote and his
proceedings. The bachelor proffered Teresa to write her answers to her
letters; but as she looked upon him to be somewhat waggish, she would
not permit him to be of her counsel; so she gave a roll and a couple
of eggs to a young acolyte of the church who could write, and he
wrote two letters for her,--one to her husband, and the other to the
duchess, all of her own inditing; and perhaps not the worst in this
famous history, as hereafter may be seen.