“Hush, friend Sancho,” said Don Quixote; “since this lady duenna comes in quest of me from such a distant land she cannot be one of those the apothecary meant; moreover this is a countess, and when countesses serve as duennas it is in the service of queens and empresses, for in their own houses they are mistresses paramount and have other duennas to wait on them.”

To this Doña Rodriguez, who was present, made answer, “My lady the duchess has duennas in her service that might be countesses if it was the will of fortune; ‘but laws go as kings like;’ 758 let nobody speak ill of duennas, above all of ancient maiden ones; for though I am not one myself, I know and am aware of the advantage a maiden duenna has over one that is a widow; but ‘he who clipped us has kept the scissors.’ ” 759

“For all that,” said Sancho, “there’s so much to be clipped about duennas, so my barber said, that ‘it will be better not to stir the rice even though it sticks.’ ” 760