good care be taken of his Dapple, for he was the light of his eyes.

"What is Dapple?" said the duchess.

"My ass," said Sancho, "which, not to mention him by that name,

I'm accustomed to call Dapple; I begged this lady duenna here to

take care of him when I came into the castle, and she got as angry

as if I had said she was ugly or old, though it ought to be more

natural and proper for duennas to feed asses than to ornament

chambers. God bless me! what a spite a gentleman of my village had