daughter, and the Asturian girl, all curious,
questioned Sancho about his master.

Sancho told, in as thrilling words as he could command, of their
marvelous adventures; to all of which they listened with astonishment.
The Asturian servant nearly stared her one eye out of her head. She
asked Sancho Panza, trembling with excitement, what a knight errant
was. To this Sancho replied that a knight was an adventurer, who one
day might be the poorest and meanest of men, and the next day emperor,
with crowns and kingdoms in abundance to give away to his squire and
underlings. Here the women expressed surprise that he himself,
judging by appearance, did not possess even so much as a small strip
of land. He then confided to them that he and his master had been
going but a short time; that as yet it was much too soon; that the
adventures they had met with so far were but a beginning and not
worthy of mention.

Don Quixote, who had been listening to everything his squire said, now
sat up in bed and informed them of the great honor he had conferred
upon them by being in their house; he told them of his indescribable
gratitude to them; and of his love for his Dulcinea del Toboso of La
Mancha.

The women, not being accustomed to such language, which seemed to them
more difficult to understand than Greek, stared at him in bewilderment;
then, thanking him for his courtesy, they left him while the Asturian
plastered Sancho, who seemed to be in need of treatment as sadly as his
master.

CHAPTER XVII

IN WHICH ARE CONTAINED THE INNUMERABLE TROUBLES WHICH THE
BRAVE DON QUIXOTE AND HIS GOOD SQUIRE SANCHO PANZA ENDURED
AT THE INN, WHICH TO HIS MISFORTUNE HE TOOK TO BE A CASTLE

The following morning Sancho, feeling his pains even more, reminded
his master of the famous balsam he was to make. Don Quixote himself
was anxious for it too, so he sent Sancho to an imagined fortress for
some oil, wine, rosemary and salt. He mixed these ingredients in a
pot, and boiled them. Then he poured the mixture into a tin flask,
crossed himself and repeated innumerable paternosters and ave-marias.
When he had nearly exhausted himself doing that, he swallowed a good
portion of the liquid; and immediately he began to vomit and perspire,
while his face and body contracted in the most horrible spasms. He
asked to be put to bed at once, and they let him sleep for three
hours. When he woke he felt so relieved that he really thought he had
hit upon