don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第100节

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she　may　have　learned　from　having　sometimes　seen　from　a　distance　that
my　eyes　were　filled　with　tears。　You　know　already；　senor；　the　wealth
and　noble　birth　of　my　parents；　and　that　I　am　their　sole　heir；　if
this　be　a　sufficient　inducement　for　you　to　venture　to　make　me
completely　happy；　accept　me　at　once　as　your　son；　for　if　my　father；
influenced　by　other　objects　of　his　own；　should　disapprove　of　this
happiness　I　have　sought　for　myself；　time　has　more　power　to　alter　and
change　things；　than　human　will。〃
　　With　this　the　love…smitten　youth　was　silent；　while　the　Judge；
after　hearing　him；　was　astonished；　perplexed；　and　surprised；　as　well
at　the　manner　and　intelligence　with　which　Don　Luis　had　confessed　the
secret　of　his　heart；　as　at　the　position　in　which　he　found　himself；　not
knowing　what　course　to　take　in　a　matter　so　sudden　and　unexpected。
All　the　answer；　therefore；　he　gave　him　was　to　bid　him　to　make　his　mind
easy　for　the　present；　and　arrange　with　his　servants　not　to　take　him
back　that　day；　so　that　there　might　be　time　to　consider　what　was　best
for　all　parties。　Don　Luis　kissed　his　hands　by　force；　nay；　bathed
them　with　his　tears；　in　a　way　that　would　have　touched　a　heart　of
marble；　not　to　say　that　of　the　Judge；　who；　as　a　shrewd　man；　had
already　perceived　how　advantageous　the　marriage　would　be　to　his
daughter；　though；　were　it　possible；　he　would　have　preferred　that　it
should　be　brought　about　with　the　consent　of　the　father　of　Don　Luis；
who　he　knew　looked　for　a　title　for　his　son。
　　The　guests　had　by　this　time　made　peace　with　the　landlord；　for；　by
persuasion　and　Don　Quixote's　fair　words　more　than　by　threats；　they　had
paid　him　what　he　demanded；　and　the　servants　of　Don　Luis　were　waiting
for　the　end　of　the　conversation　with　the　Judge　and　their　master's
decision；　when　the　devil；　who　never　sleeps；　contrived　that　the　barber；
from　whom　Don　Quixote　had　taken　Mambrino's　helmet；　and　Sancho　Panza
the　trappings　of　his　ass　in　exchange　for　those　of　his　own；　should　at
this　instant　enter　the　inn；　which　said　barber；　as　he　led　his　ass　to
the　stable；　observed　Sancho　Panza　engaged　in　repairing　something　or
other　belonging　to　the　pack…saddle；　and　the　moment　he　saw　it　he　knew
it；　and　made　bold　to　attack　Sancho；　exclaiming；　〃Ho；　sir　thief；　I　have
caught　you！　hand　over　my　basin　and　my　pack…saddle；　and　all　my
trappings　that　you　robbed　me　of。〃
　　Sancho；　finding　himself　so　unexpectedly　assailed；　and　hearing　the
abuse　poured　upon　him；　seized　the　pack…saddle　with　one　hand；　and
with　the　other　gave　the　barber　a　cuff　that　bathed　his　teeth　in
blood。　The　barber；　however；　was　not　so　ready　to　relinquish　the　prize
he　had　made　in　the　pack…saddle；　on　the　contrary；　he　raised　such　an
outcry　that　everyone　in　the　inn　came　running　to　know　what　the　noise
and　quarrel　meant。　〃Here；　in　the　name　of　the　king　and　justice！〃　he
cried；　〃this　thief　and　highwayman　wants　to　kill　me　for　trying　to
recover　my　property。〃
　　〃You　lie；〃　said　Sancho；　〃I　am　no　highwayman；　it　was　in　fair　war　my
master　Don　Quixote　won　these　spoils。〃
　　Don　Quixote　was　standing　by　at　the　time；　highly　pleased　to　see　his
squire's　stoutness；　both　offensive　and　defensive；　and　from　that　time
forth　he　reckoned　him　a　man　of　mettle；　and　in　his　heart　resolved　to
dub　him　a　knight　on　the　first　opportunity　that　presented　itself；
feeling　sure　that　the　order　of　chivalry　would　be　fittingly　bestowed
upon　him。
　　In　the　course　of　the　altercation；　among　other　things　the　barber
said；　〃Gentlemen；　this　pack…saddle　is　mine　as　surely　as　I　owe　God　a
death；　and　I　know　it　as　well　as　if　I　had　given　birth　to　it；　and　here
is　my　ass　in　the　stable　who　will　not　let　me　lie；　only　try　it；　and　if
it　does　not　fit　him　like　a　glove；　call　me　a　rascal；　and　what　is
more；　the　same　day　I　was　robbed　of　this；　they　robbed　me　likewise　of
a　new　brass　basin；　never　yet　handselled；　that　would　fetch　a　crown
any　day。〃
　　At　this　Don　Quixote　could　not　keep　himself　from　answering；　and
interposing　between　the　two；　and　separating　them；　he　placed　the
pack…saddle　on　the　ground；　to　lie　there　in　sight　until　the　truth　was
established；　and　said；　〃Your　worships　may　perceive　clearly　and　plainly
the　error　under　which　this　worthy　squire　lies　when　he　calls　a　basin
which　was；　is；　and　shall　be　the　helmet　of　Mambrino　which　I　won　from
him　in　air　war；　and　made　myself　master　of　by　legitimate　and　lawful
possession。　With　the　pack…saddle　I　do　not　concern　myself；　but　I　may
tell　you　on　that　head　that　my　squire　Sancho　asked　my　permission　to
strip　off　the　caparison　of　this　vanquished　poltroon's　steed；　and
with　it　adorn　his　own；　I　allowed　him；　and　he　took　it；　and　as　to　its
having　been　changed　from　a　caparison　into　a　pack…saddle；　I　can　give　no
explanation　except　the　usual　one；　that　such　transformations　will
take　place　in　adventures　of　chivalry。　To　confirm　all　which；　run；
Sancho　my　son；　and　fetch　hither　the　helmet　which　this　good　fellow
calls　a　basin。〃
　　〃Egad；　master；〃　said　Sancho；　〃if　we　have　no　other　proof　of　our
case　than　what　your　worship　puts　forward；　Mambrino's　helmet　is　just　as
much　a　basin　as　this　good　fellow's　caparison　is　a　pack…saddle。〃
　　〃Do　as　I　bid　thee；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃it　cannot　be　that
everything　in　this　castle　goes　by　enchantment。〃
　　Sancho　hastened　to　where　the　basin　was；　and　brought　it　back　with
him；　and　when　Don　Quixote　saw　it；　he　took　hold　of　it　and　said：
　　〃Your　worships　may　see　with　what　a　face　this　squire　can　assert
that　this　is　a　basin　and　not　the　helmet　I　told　you　of；　and　I　swear
by　the　order　of　chivalry　I　profess；　that　this　helmet　is　the
identical　one　I　took　from　him；　without　anything　added　to　or　taken　from
it。〃
　　〃There　is　no　doubt　of　that；〃　said　Sancho；　〃for　from　the　time　my
master　won　it　until　now　he　has　only　fought　one　battle　in　it；　when　he
let　loose　those　unlucky　men　in　chains；　and　if　had　not　been　for　this
basin…helmet　he　would　not　have　come　off　over　well　that　time；　for　there
was　plenty　of　stone…throwing　in　that　affair。〃

　　CHAPTER　XLV
　　IN　WHICH　THE　DOUBTFUL　QUESTION　OF　MAMBRINO'S　HELMET　AND　THE
PACK…SADDLE　IS　FINALLY　SETTLED；　WITH　OTHER　ADVENTURES　THAT　OCCURRED　IN
TRUTH　AND　EARNEST

　　WHAT　do　you　think　now；　gentlemen；〃　said　the　barber；　〃of　what　these
gentles　say；　when　they　want　to　make　out　that　this　is　a　helmet？〃
　　〃And　whoever　says　the　contrary；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃I　will　let　him
know　he　lies　if　he　is　a　knight；　and　if　he　is　a　squire　that　he　lies
again　a　thousand　times。〃
　　Our　own　barber；　who　was　present　at　all　this；　and　understood　Don
Quixote's　humour　so　thoroughly；　took　it　into　his　head　to　back　up　his
delusion　and　carry　on　the　joke　for　the　general　amusement；　so
addressing　the　other　barber　he　said：
　　〃Senor　barber；　or　whatever　you　are；　you　must　know　that　I　belong　to
your　profession　too；　and　have　had　a　licence　to　practise　for　more
than　twenty　years；　and　I　know　the　implements　of　the　barber　craft；
every　one　of　them；　perfectly　well；　and　I　was　likewise　a　soldier　for
some　time　in　the　days　of　my　youth；　and　I　know　also　what　a　helmet　is；
and　a　morion；　and　a　headpiece　with　a　visor；　and　other　things
pertaining　to　soldiering；　I　meant　to　say　to　soldiers'　arms；　and　I　say…
saving　better　opinions　and　always　with　submission　to　sounder　judgments
…that　this　piece　we　have　now　before　us；　which　this　worthy　gentleman
has　in　his　hands；　not　only　is　no　barber's　basin；　but　is　as　far　from
being　one　as　white　is　from　black；　and　truth　from　falsehood；　I　say；
moreover；　that　this；　although　it　is　a　helmet；　is　not　a　complete
helmet。〃
　　〃Certainly　not；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃for　half　of　it　is　wanting；
that　is　to　say　the　beaver。〃
　　〃It　is　quite　true；〃　said　the　curate；　who　saw　the　object　of　his
friend　the　barber；　and　Cardenio；　Don　Fernando　and　his　companions
agreed　with　him；　and　even　the　Judge；　if　his　thoughts　had　not　been　so
full　of　Don　Luis's　affair；　would　have　helped　to　carry　on　the　joke；　but
he　was　so　taken　up　with　the　serious　matters　he　had　on　his　mind　that　he
paid　little　or　no　attention　to　these　facetious　proceedings。
　　〃God　bless　me！〃　exclaimed　their　butt　the　barber　at　this；　〃is　it
possible　that　such　an　honourable　company　can　say　that　this　is　not　a
basin　but　a　helmet？　Why；　this　is　a　thing　that　would　astonish　a　whole
university；　however　wise　it　might　be！　That　will　do；　if　this　basin　is　a
helmet；　why；　then　the　pack…saddle　must　be　a　horse's　caparison；　as　this
gentleman　has　said。〃
　　〃To　me　it　looks　like　a　pack…saddle；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃but　I　have
already　said　that　with　that　question　I　do　not　concern　myself。〃
　　〃As　to　whether　it　be　pack…saddle　or　caparison；〃　said　the　curate；　〃it
is　only　for　Senor　Don　Quixote　to　say；　for　in　these　matters　of　chivalry
all　these　gentlemen　and　I　bow　to　his　authority。〃
　　〃By　God；　gentlemen；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃so　many　strange　things
have　happened　to　me　in　this　castle　on　the　two　occasions　on　which　I
have　sojourned　in　it；　that　I　will　not　venture　to　assert　anything
positively　in　reply　to　any　question　touching　anything　it　contains；　for
it　is　my　belief　that　everything　that　goes　on　within　it　goes　by
enchantment。　The　first　time；　an　enchanted　Moor　that　there　is　in　it
gave　me　sore　trouble；　nor　did　Sancho　fare　well　among　certain　followers
of　his；　and　last　night　I　was　kept　hanging　by　this　arm　for　nearly　two
hours；　without　knowing　how　or　why　I　came　by　such　a　mishap。　S