humble and submissive voice: 'Lady, _I am the giant Caraculiambro,
vanquished in single combat by the knight Don Quixote de La Mancha,
whose praise no tongue can tell, and I have been commanded by him to
present myself to your grace, that you may dispose of me as your
Highness pleases_.'"

Our good knight was highly pleased with his own eloquence, and still
more so when he had made choice of his lady. In a neighboring village
there was a young girl, employed on a farm, with whom he had at one time
been in love, though he had never brought himself to declare his
passion. Her name was Aldonza Lorenzo, and her he resolved to constitute
the queen of his heart, having conferred on her the sounding title of
Dulcinea del Toboso, or "The Sweet Lady of Toboso," the village where
she was born.

III. THE QUEST BEGINS

"The world is waiting for me," murmured our enthusiast, leaping from his
bed at the first peep of dawn and arming himself from head to foot. Then
treading softly, so as not to alarm the household, he went to the
stable, saddled Rozinante, and leading him out through a back gate of
the yard, mounted and rode forth into the plain, hugely delighted to
find himself fairly started on his great enterprise.

But hardly had he reached the open country when the terrible thought
occurred to him that he had not been dubbed a knight and by the laws of
chivalry was not entitled to engage in combat with any one who bore that
rank, and further, even if he were already a knight, he was obliged as a
novice to wear plain armor, without device of any kind. So much was he
perturbed by these reflections that he was within an ace of giving up
his whole design, and would have done so but for a happy inspiration,
which saved mankind from so dire a calamity. Many of the heroes of his
books of chivalry had got themselves dubbed knight by the first person
whom they met, and remembering this, he resolved to follow their
example. And as to his armor, he would rub and polish it until it was
whiter than ermine.

His scruples thus removed, he continued his journey, leaving his good
steed to choose what direction he pleased, as was the fashion with
knights-errant when they set out on their adventures. Thus pacing along
and dreaming of mighty deeds, he gave vent to his feelings in the
following rhapsody: "What a theme for the eloquence of some great master
of style--the feats of high emprise wrought by the valiant arm of Don
Quixote de La Man