nd those in the procession, he paid off the officers, who
considered it unwise to accompany the party any further. The canon
begged the curate to keep him informed of any change in Don Quixote's
behavior, as he was most interested in his case. Then Don Quixote was
heaved into the cart where a stack of hay served as a softer
resting-place this time; and after six days of travel, the oxen and
the cart and the whole procession entered the La Mancha village. When
they passed the square, it being Sunday, the people crowded around
them, and all were amazed at what they saw.

Soon Don Quixote's niece and his housekeeper got word of his
homecoming. When they saw him, and observed his pallor and leanness,
they began to weep and beat their breasts, and curse all books of
chivalry.

Then Sancho Panza's wife learned the news, and as soon as she saw her
husband the first thing she asked him was whether the donkey was well. To
this greeting he replied that the donkey was better than he himself. And
then she pestered him with questions as to what he had brought back with
him for her and the children; to which he impatiently remarked that she
would have to wait until he got his island or empire, when she would be
called Her Ladyship. Of course, it was not to be expected that Teresa
Panza should understand this; and she did not. Sancho attempted to give
her an insight into the intricacies of knight-errantry by telling her of
some of his remarkable experiences, such as the blanketing, which stood
out in his mind's eye as the culmination of suffering in his career as a
squire.

While this was going on in the Panza household, Don Quixote had been
undressed and put to bed by his niece and the housekeeper. The curate
had told them what troubles and tribulations he had been forced to
undergo in order to restore him to his community and his loved ones.
So they decided, with fear in their hearts, to be ever watchful, lest
he escape and depart on another rampage. And again and again they
would curse the books that they had burned too late.

VOLUME II

CHAPTER I

OF THE INTERVIEW THE CURATE AND THE BARBER HAD WITH
DON QUIXOTE ABOUT HIS MALADY

Don Quixote had been at home almost a month. During that time neither
the curate nor the barber had been to see him for fear that the sight
of them would remind him of his days of knight-errantry and make him
long for another campaign. They did visit the niece and housekeeper,
howeve