Sancho rode on his ass like a patriarch, with his alforjas and bota, and

longing to see himself soon governor of the island his master had

promised him. Don Quixote decided upon taking the same route and road he

had taken on his first journey, that over the Campo de Montiel, which he

travelled with less discomfort than on the last occasion, for, as it was

early morning and the rays of the sun fell on them obliquely, the heat

did not distress them.

And now said Sancho Panza to his master, "Your worship will take care,

Senor Knight-errant, not to forget about the island you have promised me,

for be it ever so big I'll be equal to governing it."

To which Don Quixote replied, "Thou must know, friend Sancho Panza, that

it was a practice very much in vogue with the knights-errant of old to

make their squires governors of the islands or kingdoms they won, and I

am determined that there shall be no failure on my part in so liberal a

custom; on the contrary, I mean to improve upon it, for they sometimes,

and perhaps most frequently, waited until their squires were old, and

then when they had had enough of service and hard days and worse nights,

they gave them some title or other, of count, or at the most marquis, of

some valley or province more or less; but if thou livest and I live, it

may well be that before six days are over, I may have won some kingdom

that has others dependent upon it, which will be just the thing to enable

thee to be crowned king of one of them. Nor needst thou count this

wonderful, for things and chances fall to the lot of such knights in ways

so unexampled and unexpected that I might easily give thee even more than

I promise thee."

"In that case," said Sancho Panza, "if I should become a king by one of

those miracles your worship speaks of, even Juana Gutierrez, my old

woman, would come to be queen and my children infantes."

"Well, who doubts it?" said Don Quixote.

"I doubt it," replied Sancho Panza, "because for my part I am persuaded

that though God should shower down kingdoms upon earth, not one of them

would fit the head of Mari Gutierrez. Let me tell you, senor, she is not

worth two maravedis for a queen; countess will fit her better, and that

only with God's help."

"Leave it to God, Sancho," returned Don Quixote, "for he will give her

what suits her best; but do not undervalue thyself so much as to come to

be content with anything less than being governor of a province."




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