midnight
I have a clean beard , and I do n't require to be refreshed in that fashion , and whoever comes to wash me or touch a hair of my head , I mean to say my beard , with all due respect be it said , I 'll give him a punch that will leave my fist sunk in his skull ; for cirimonies and soapings of this sort are more like jokes than the polite attentions of one 's host . '' The duchess was ready to die with laughter when she saw Sancho 's rage and heard his words ; but it was no pleasure to Don Quixote to see him in such a sorry trim , with the dingy towel about him , and the hangers-on of the kitchen all round him ; so making a low bow to the duke and duchess , as if to ask their permission to speak , he addressed the rout in a dignified tone : `` Holloa , gentlemen ! you let that youth alone , and go back to where you came from , or anywhere else if you like ; my squire is as clean as any other person , and those troughs are as bad as narrow thin-necked jars to him ; take my advice and leave him alone , for neither he nor I understand joking . '' Sancho took the word out of his mouth and went on , `` Nay , let them come and try their jokes on the country bumpkin , for it 's about as likely I 'll stand them as that it 's now midnight ! Let them bring me a comb here , or what they please , and curry this beard of mine , and if they get anything out of it that offends against cleanliness , let them clip me to the skin . '' Upon this , the duchess , laughing all the while , said , `` Sancho Panza is right , and always will be in all he says ; he is clean , and , as he says himself , he does not require to be washed ; and if our ways do not please him , he is free to choose . Besides , you promoters of cleanliness have been excessively careless and thoughtless , I do n't know if I ought not to say audacious , to bring troughs and wooden utensils and kitchen dishclouts , instead of basins and jugs of pure gold and towels of holland , to such a person and such a beard ; but , after all , you are ill-conditioned and ill-bred , and spiteful as you are , you can not help showing the grudge you have against the squires of knights-errant . ''