Don Quixote - Part I - Page 131/400

At these words Sancho turned his eyes asquint, and in a still louder

voice said, "Can it be your worship has forgotten that I am not a knight,

or do you want me to end by vomiting up what bowels I have left after

last night? Keep your liquor in the name of all the devils, and leave me

to myself!" and at one and the same instant he left off talking and began

drinking; but as at the first sup he perceived it was water he did not

care to go on with it, and begged Maritornes to fetch him some wine,

which she did with right good will, and paid for it with her own money;

for indeed they say of her that, though she was in that line of life,

there was some faint and distant resemblance to a Christian about her.

When Sancho had done drinking he dug his heels into his ass, and the gate

of the inn being thrown open he passed out very well pleased at having

paid nothing and carried his point, though it had been at the expense of

his usual sureties, his shoulders. It is true that the innkeeper detained

his alforjas in payment of what was owing to him, but Sancho took his

departure in such a flurry that he never missed them. The innkeeper, as

soon as he saw him off, wanted to bar the gate close, but the blanketers

would not agree to it, for they were fellows who would not have cared two

farthings for Don Quixote, even had he been really one of the

knights-errant of the Round Table.