don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第101节

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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。　So　that
now；　for　me　to　come　forward　to　give　an　opinion　in　such　a　puzzling
matter；　would　be　to　risk　a　rash　decision。　As　regards　the　assertion
that　this　is　a　basin　and　not　a　helmet　I　have　already　given　an
answer；　but　as　to　the　question　whether　this　is　a　pack…saddle　or　a
caparison　I　will　not　venture　to　give　a　positive　opinion；　but　will
leave　it　to　your　worships'　better　judgment。　Perhaps　as　you　are　not
dubbed　knights　like　myself；　the　enchantments　of　this　place　have
nothing　to　do　with　you；　and　your　faculties　are　unfettered；　and　you　can
see　things　in　this　castle　as　they　really　and　truly　are；　and　not　as
they　appear　to　me。〃
　　〃There　can　be　no　question；〃　said　Don　Fernando　on　this；　〃but　that
Senor　Don　Quixote　has　spoken　very　wisely；　and　that　with　us　rests　the
decision　of　this　matter；　and　that　we　may　have　surer　ground　to　go　on；　I
will　take　the　votes　of　the　gentlemen　in　secret；　and　declare　the　result
clearly　and　fully。〃
　　To　those　who　were　in　the　secret　of　Don　Quixote's　humour　all　this
afforded　great　amusement；　but　to　those　who　knew　nothing　about　it；　it
seemed　the　greatest　nonsense　in　the　world；　in　particular　to　the　four
servants　of　Don　Luis；　as　well　as　to　Don　Luis　himself；　and　to　three
other　travellers　who　had　by　chance　come　to　the　inn；　and　had　the
appearance　of　officers　of　the　Holy　Brotherhood；　as　indeed　they　were；
but　the　one　who　above　all　was　at　his　wits'　end；　was　the　barber
basin；　there　before　his　very　eyes；　had　been　turned　into　Mambrino's
helmet；　and　whose　pack…saddle　he　had　no　doubt　whatever　was　about　to
become　a　rich　caparison　for　a　horse。　All　laughed　to　see　Don　Fernando
going　from　one　to　another　collecting　the　votes；　and　whispering　to　them
to　give　him　their　private　opinion　whether　the　treasure　over　which
there　had　been　so　much　fighting　was　a　pack…saddle　or　a　caparison；
but　after　he　had　taken　the　votes　of　those　who　knew　Don　Quixote；　he
said　aloud；　〃The　fact　is；　my　good　fellow；　that　I　am　tired　collecting
such　a　number　of　opinions；　for　I　find　that　there　is　not　one　of　whom
I　ask　what　I　desire　to　know；　who　does　not　tell　me　that　it　is　absurd　to
say　that　this　is　the　pack…saddle　of　an　ass；　and　not　the　caparison　of　a
horse；　nay；　of　a　thoroughbred　horse；　so　you　must　submit；　for；　in　spite
of　you　and　your　ass；　this　is　a　caparison　and　no　pack…saddle；　and　you
have　stated　and　proved　your　case　very　badly。〃
　　〃May　I　never　share　heaven；〃　said　the　poor　barber；　〃if　your
worships　are　not　all　mistaken；　and　may　my　soul　appear　before　God　as
that　appears　to　me　a　pack…saddle　and　not　a　caparison；　but；　'laws　go；'…
I　say　no　more；　and　indeed　I　am　not　drunk；　for　I　am　fasting；　except
it　be　from　sin。〃
　　The　simple　talk　of　the　barber　did　not　afford　less　amusement　than　the
absurdities　of　Don　Quixote；　who　now　observed：
　　〃There　is　no　more　to　be　done　now　than　for　each　to　take　what
belongs　to　him；　and　to　whom　God　has　given　it；　may　St。　Peter　add　his
blessing。〃
　　But　said　one　of　the　four　servants；　〃Unless；　indeed；　this　is　a
deliberate　joke；　I　cannot　bring　myself　to　believe　that　men　so
intelligent　as　those　present　are；　or　seem　to　be；　can　venture　to
declare　and　assert　that　this　is　not　a　basin；　and　that　not　a
pack…saddle；　but　as　I　perceive　that　they　do　assert　and　declare　it；　I
can　only　come　to　the　conclusion　that　there　is　some　mystery　in　this
persistence　in　what　is　so　opposed　to　the　evidence　of　experience　and
truth　itself；　for　I　swear　by〃…　and　here　he　rapped　out　a　round　oath…
〃all　the　people　in　the　world　will　not　make　me　believe　that　this　is　not
a　barber's　basin　and　that　a　jackass's　pack…saddle。〃
　　〃It　might　easily　be　a　she…ass's；〃　observed　the　curate。
　　〃It　is　all　the　same；〃　said　the　servant；　〃that　is　not　the　point；
but　whether　it　is　or　is　not　a　pack…saddle；　as　your　worships　say。〃
　　On　hearing　this　one　of　the　newly　arrived　officers　of　the
Brotherhood；　who　had　been　listening　to　the　dispute　and　controversy；
unable　to　restrain　his　anger　and　impatience；　exclaimed；　〃It　is　a
pack…saddle　as　sure　as　my　father　is　my　father；　and　whoever　has　said　or
will　say　anything　else　must　be　drunk。〃
　　〃You　lie　like　a　rascally　clown；〃　returned　Don　Quixote；　and　lifting
his　pike；　which　he　had　never　let　out　of　his　hand；　he　delivered　such
a　blow　at　his　head　that；　had　not　the　officer　dodged　it；　it　would
have　stretched　him　at　full　length。　The　pike　was　shivered　in　pieces
against　the　ground；　and　the　rest　of　the　officers；　seeing　their　comrade
assaulted；　raised　a　shout；　calling　for　help　for　the　Holy
Brotherhood。　The　landlord；　who　was　of　the　fraternity；　ran　at　once　to
fetch　his　staff　of　office　and　his　sword；　and　ranged　himself　on　the
side　of　his　comrades；　the　servants　of　Don　Luis　clustered　round　him；
lest　he　should　escape　from　them　in　the　confusion；　the　barber；　seeing
the　house　turned　upside　down；　once　more　laid　hold　of　his　pack…saddle
and　Sancho　did　the　same；　Don　Quixote　drew　his　sword　and　charged　the
officers；　Don　Luis　cried　out　to　his　servants　to　leave　him　alone　and　go
and　help　Don　Quixote；　and　Cardenio　and　Don　Fernando；　who　were
supporting　him；　the　curate　was　shouting　at　the　top　of　his　voice；　the
landlady　was　screaming；　her　daughter　was　wailing；　Maritornes　was
weeping；　Dorothea　was　aghast；　Luscinda　terror…stricken；　and　Dona　Clara
in　a　faint。　The　barber　cudgelled　Sancho；　and　Sancho　pommelled　the
barber；　Don　Luis　gave　one　of　his　servants；　who　ventured　to　catch　him
by　the　arm　to　keep　him　from　escaping；　a　cuff　that　bathed　his　teeth
in　blood；　the　Judge　took　his　part；　Don　Fernando　had　got　one　of　the
officers　down　and　was　belabouring　him　heartily；　the　landlord　raised
his　voice　again　calling　for　help　for　the　Holy　Brotherhood；　so　that　the
whole　inn　was　nothing　but　cries；　shouts；　shrieks；　confusion；　terror；
dismay；　mishaps；　sword…cuts；　fisticuffs；　cudgellings；　kicks；　and
bloodshed；　and　in　the　midst　of　all　this　chaos；　complication；　and
general　entanglement；　Don　Quixote　took　it　into　his　head　that　he　had
been　plunged　into　the　thick　of　the　discord　of　Agramante's　camp；　and；
in　a　voice　that　shook　the　inn　like　thunder；　he　cried　out：
　　〃Hold　all；　let　all　sheathe　their　swords；　let　all　be　calm　and
attend　to　me　as　they　value　their　lives！〃
　　All　paused　at　his　mighty　voice；　and　he　went　on　to　say；　〃Did　I　not
tell　you；　sirs；　that　this　castle　was　enchanted；　and　that　a　legion　or
so　of　devils　dwelt　in　it？　In　proof　whereof　I　call　upon　you　to　behold
with　your　own　eyes　how　the　discord　of　Agramante's　camp　has　come
hither；　and　been　transferred　into　the　midst　of　us。　See　how　they　fight；
there　for　the　sword；　here　for　the　horse；　on　that　side　for　the　eagle；
on　this　for　the　helmet；　we　are　all　fighting；　and　all　at　cross
purposes。　Come　then；　you；　Senor　Judge；　and　you；　senor　curate；　let
the　one　represent　King　Agramante　and　the　other　King　Sobrino；　and
make　peace　among　us；　for　by　God　Almighty　it　is　a　sorry　business　that
so　many　persons　of　quality　as　we　are　should　slay　one　another　for
such　trifling　cause。〃
　The　officers；　who　did　not　understand　Don　Quixote's　mode　of
speaking；　and　found　themselves　roughly　handled　by　Don　Fernando；
Cardenio；　and　their　companions；　were　not　to　be　appeased；　the　barber
was；　however；　for　both　his　beard　and　his　pack…saddle　were　the　worse
for　the　struggle；　Sancho　like　a　good　servant　obeyed　the　slightest　word
of　his　master；　while　the　four　servants　of　Don　Luis　kept　quiet　when
they　saw　how　little　they　gained　by　not　being　so。　The　landlord　alone
insisted　upon　it　that　they　must　punish　the　insolence　of　this　madman；
who　at　every　turn　raised　a　disturbance　in　the　inn；　but　at　length　the
uproar　was　stilled　for　the　present；　the　pack…saddle　remained　a
caparison　till　the　day　of　judgment；　and　the　basin　a　helmet　and　the　inn
a　castle　in　Don　Quixote's　imagination。
　　All　having　been　now　pacified　and　made　friends　by　the　persuasion　of
the　Judge　and　the　curate；　the　servants　of　Don　Luis　began　again　to　urge
him　to　return　with　them　at　once；　and　while　he　was　discussing　the
matter　with　them；　the　Judge　took　counsel　with　Don　Fernando；
Cardenio；　and　the　curate　as　to　what　he　ought　to　do　in　the　case；
telling　them　how　it　stood；　and　what　Don　Luis　had　said　to　him。　It　was
agreed　at　length　that　Don　Fernando　should　tell　the　servants　of　Don
Luis　who　he　was；　and　that　it　was　his　desire　that　Don　Luis　should
accompany　him　to　Andalusia；　where　he　would　receive　from　the　marquis
his　brother　the　welcome　his　quality　entitled　him　to；　for；　otherwise；
it　was　easy　to　see　from　the　determination　of　Don　Luis　that　he　would
not　return　to　his　father　at　present；　though　they　tore　him　to　pieces。
On　learning　the　rank　of　Don　Fernando　and　the　resolution　of　Don　Luis
the　four　then　settled　it　between　themselves　that　three　of　them
should　return　to　tell　his　father　how　matters　stood；　and　that　the　other
should　remain　to　wait　upon　Don　Luis；　and　not　leave　him　until　they　came
back　for　him；　or　his　father's　orders　were　known。　Thus　by　the　authority
of　Agramante　and　the　wisdom　of　King　Sobrino　all　this　complication　of
disputes　was　arranged；　but　the　enemy　of　concord　and　hater　of　peace；
feeling　himself　slighted　and　made　a　fool　of；　and　seeing　how　little
he　had　gained　after　having　involved　them　all　in　such　an　elaborate
entanglement；　resolved　to　try　his