I tell them that their boasted preferences only prove their blindness and bad taste; that I am more fortunate than they; all the women of my acquaintance are good and perfect, and my greatest desire in life is to be worthy of their friendship.  I am called Don Quixote because I love glory and all those who have the ambition to seek it; because in my eyes there is nothing true but the hopeful future, as we are deceived at every step we take in the present.  Because I understand inexplicable disinterestedness, generous folly; because I can understand how one can live for an idea and die for a word; I can sympathize with all who struggle and suffer for a cherished belief; because I have the courage to turn my back upon those whom I despise and am eccentric enough to always speak the truth; I assert that nobody is worth the hypocrisy of a falsehood; because I am an incorrigible, systematic, insatiable dupe; I prefer going astray, making a mistake by doing a good deed, rather than being always distrustful and suspicious; while I see evil I believe in good; doubtless the evil predominates and daily increases, but then it is cultivated, and if the same cultivation were bestowed upon the good perfection would be attained.  Finally, madame, and this is my supreme folly, I believe in happiness and seek it with credulous hope; I believe that the purest joys are those which are most dearly bought; but I am ready for any sacrifice, and would willingly give my life for an hour of this sublime joy that I have so long dreamed of and still hope to possess....  Now you know why I am called Don Quixote.  To be a knight-errant in the present day is rather difficult; a certain amount of courage is necessary to dare to say to unbelievers:  I believe; to egotists, I love; to materialists, I dream; it requires more than courage, it requires audacity and insolence.  Yes, one must commence by appearing aggressive in order to have the right to appear generous.  If I were merely loyal and charitable, my opinions would not be supported; instead of being called Don Quixote, I would be called Grandison ... and I would be a ruined man!  Thus I hasten to polish my armor and attack the insolent with insolence, the scoffers with scoffing; I defend my enthusiasm with irony; like the eagle, I let my claws grow in order to defend my wings.” ...  Here he stopped....  “Heavens!” he exclaimed, “how could I compare myself to an eagle; I beg your pardon, madame, for this presumptuous comparison....  You see to what flights your indulgence leads me” ... and he laughed at his own enthusiasm, ... but I did not laugh, my feelings were too deeply stirred.