e had possessed
all the money in Spain. In his attic he found an old suit of armor that
had belonged to his great-grandfather and had been lying there for ages,
rotting with rust and mildew in company with old chests, bedding and
other family treasures. He brought it out and scoured it as best he could
and at last made it shine with considerable brightness. But the helmet
was only partially complete, for it lacked a beaver and a visor to
protect his face, so Senor Quesada constructed these from pasteboard and
painted them to resemble the armor as closely as possible. He tried their
strength with his rusty sword, and on the first stroke cut them entirely
away; so he rebuilt them and forbore to try them again, hoping they would
be strong enough, but fearing to make a test that might undo once more
all the troublesome work that he had spent upon them.

His armor now complete, he looked in his stables for a horse to carry
him, and found there his old hack, whose every bone was visible and
who was more used to carrying sacks of potatoes and onions to market
than to bearing the weight of a knight or a man at arms. This horse
must have been at least twenty years old into the bargain, but to
Quixada's brain it appeared a mettlesome charger and he was quite sure
that his new steed would prove equal to any fatigue or danger that
might come its way in the course of his adventures. And remembering
that all the horses of famous warriors had possessed high-sounding
names he called his horse Rocinante and adopted for himself the title
of Don Quixote of La Mancha, under which name he will be known through
the rest of the present history.

Another thing, however, remained wanting--a lady-love for whose sake
he might do battle and whose affections might inspire him to endure
all sorts of dangers and hardships. So Don Quixote straightway
searched through his recollection to find one that might answer, and
hit at last upon a peasant girl named Aldonza Lorenzo, with whom it is
supposed he had been in love when he was a young man. And though
Aldonza Lorenzo was more used to winnowing wheat and caring for the
live-stock than to fine phrases and courtly manners, and though she
was no better than any of the other peasant girls who lived in her
locality, Don Quixote believed that she was a lady of high lineage and
noble birth and christened her in his mind Dulcinea del Toboso. And he
was ready to fight with any man in Spain who would not acknow