don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第130节

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the　Sierra　Morena　on　behalf　of　Dulcinea；　so　he　hastened　their
departure；　which　they　took　at　once；　and　two　miles　out　of　the　village
they　found　a　forest　or　thicket　wherein　Don　Quixote　ensconced
himself；　while　Sancho　returned　to　the　city　to　speak　to　Dulcinea；　in
which　embassy　things　befell　him　which　demand　fresh　attention　and　a　new
chapter。


　　CHAPTER　X
　　WHEREIN　IS　RELATED　THE　CRAFTY　DEVICE　SANCHO　ADOPTED　TO　ENCHANT　THE
LADY　DULCINEA；　AND　OTHER　INCIDENTS　AS　LUDICROUS　AS　THEY　ARE　TRUE

　　WHEN　the　author　of　this　great　history　comes　to　relate　what　is　set
down　in　this　chapter　he　says　he　would　have　preferred　to　pass　it　over
in　silence；　fearing　it　would　not　he　believed；　because　here　Don
Quixote's　madness　reaches　the　confines　of　the　greatest　that　can　be
conceived；　and　even　goes　a　couple　of　bowshots　beyond　the　greatest。　But
after　all；　though　still　under　the　same　fear　and　apprehension；　he　has
recorded　it　without　adding　to　the　story　or　leaving　out　a　particle　of
the　truth；　and　entirely　disregarding　the　charges　of　falsehood　that
might　be　brought　against　him；　and　he　was　right；　for　the　truth　may
run　fine　but　will　not　break；　and　always　rises　above　falsehood　as　oil
above　water；　and　so；　going　on　with　his　story；　he　says　that　as　soon
as　Don　Quixote　had　ensconced　himself　in　the　forest；　oak　grove；　or　wood
near　El　Toboso；　he　bade　Sancho　return　to　the　city；　and　not　come　into
his　presence　again　without　having　first　spoken　on　his　behalf　to　his
lady；　and　begged　of　her　that　it　might　be　her　good　pleasure　to　permit
herself　to　be　seen　by　her　enslaved　knight；　and　deign　to　bestow　her
blessing　upon　him；　so　that　he　might　thereby　hope　for　a　happy　issue
in　all　his　encounters　and　difficult　enterprises。　Sancho　undertook　to
execute　the　task　according　to　the　instructions；　and　to　bring　back　an
answer　as　good　as　the　one　he　brought　back　before。
　　〃Go；　my　son；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃and　be　not　dazed　when　thou
findest　thyself　exposed　to　the　light　of　that　sun　of　beauty　thou　art
going　to　seek。　Happy　thou；　above　all　the　squires　in　the　world！　Bear　in
mind；　and　let　it　not　escape　thy　memory；　how　she　receives　thee；　if
she　changes　colour　while　thou　art　giving　her　my　message；　if　she　is
agitated　and　disturbed　at　hearing　my　name；　if　she　cannot　rest　upon　her
cushion；　shouldst　thou　haply　find　her　seated　in　the　sumptuous　state
chamber　proper　to　her　rank；　and　should　she　be　standing；　observe　if　she
poises　herself　now　on　one　foot；　now　on　the　other；　if　she　repeats　two
or　three　times　the　reply　she　gives　thee；　if　she　passes　from　gentleness
to　austerity；　from　asperity　to　tenderness；　if　she　raises　her　hand　to
smooth　her　hair　though　it　be　not　disarranged。　In　short；　my　son；
observe　all　her　actions　and　motions；　for　if　thou　wilt　report　them　to
me　as　they　were；　I　will　gather　what　she　hides　in　the　recesses　of　her
heart　as　regards　my　love；　for　I　would　have　thee　know；　Sancho；　if
thou　knowest　it　not；　that　with　lovers　the　outward　actions　and
motions　they　give　way　to　when　their　loves　are　in　question　are　the
faithful　messengers　that　carry　the　news　of　what　is　going　on　in　the
depths　of　their　hearts。　Go；　my　friend；　may　better　fortune　than　mine
attend　thee；　and　bring　thee　a　happier　issue　than　that　which　I　await　in
dread　in　this　dreary　solitude。〃
　　〃I　will　go　and　return　quickly；〃　said　Sancho；　〃cheer　up　that　little
heart　of　yours；　master　mine；　for　at　the　present　moment　you　seem　to
have　got　one　no　bigger　than　a　hazel　nut；　remember　what　they　say；
that　a　stout　heart　breaks　bad　luck；　and　that　where　there　are　no
fletches　there　are　no　pegs；　and　moreover　they　say；　the　hare　jumps　up
where　it's　not　looked　for。　I　say　this　because；　if　we　could　not　find　my
lady's　palaces　or　castles　to…night；　now　that　it　is　daylight　I　count
upon　finding　them　when　I　least　expect　it；　and　once　found；　leave　it
to　me　to　manage　her。〃
　　〃Verily；　Sancho；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃thou　dost　always　bring　in　thy
proverbs　happily；　whatever　we　deal　with；　may　God　give　me　better　luck
in　what　I　am　anxious　about。〃
　　With　this；　Sancho　wheeled　about　and　gave　Dapple　the　stick；　and　Don
Quixote　remained　behind；　seated　on　his　horse；　resting　in　his
stirrups　and　leaning　on　the　end　of　his　lance；　filled　with　sad　and
troubled　forebodings；　and　there　we　will　leave　him；　and　accompany
Sancho；　who　went　off　no　less　serious　and　troubled　than　he　left　his
master；　so　much　so；　that　as　soon　as　he　had　got　out　of　the　thicket；　and
looking　round　saw　that　Don　Quixote　was　not　within　sight；　he　dismounted
from　his　ass；　and　seating　himself　at　the　foot　of　a　tree　began　to
commune　with　himself；　saying；　〃Now；　brother　Sancho；　let　us　know
where　your　worship　is　going。　Are　you　going　to　look　for　some　ass　that
has　been　lost？　Not　at　all。　Then　what　are　you　going　to　look　for？　I　am
going　to　look　for　a　princess；　that's　all；　and　in　her　for　the　sun　of
beauty　and　the　whole　heaven　at　once。　And　where　do　you　expect　to　find
all　this；　Sancho？　Where？　Why；　in　the　great　city　of　El　Toboso。　Well；
and　for　whom　are　you　going　to　look　for　her？　For　the　famous　knight
Don　Quixote　of　La　Mancha；　who　rights　wrongs；　gives　food　to　those　who
thirst　and　drink　to　the　hungry。　That's　all　very　well；　but　do　you
know　her　house；　Sancho？　My　master　says　it　will　be　some　royal　palace　or
grand　castle。　And　have　you　ever　seen　her　by　any　chance？　Neither　I
nor　my　master　ever　saw　her。　And　does　it　strike　you　that　it　would　be
just　and　right　if　the　El　Toboso　people；　finding　out　that　you　were　here
with　the　intention　of　going　to　tamper　with　their　princesses　and
trouble　their　ladies；　were　to　come　and　cudgel　your　ribs；　and　not　leave
a　whole　bone　in　you？　They　would；　indeed；　have　very　good　reason；　if
they　did　not　see　that　I　am　under　orders；　and　that　'you　are　a
messenger；　my　friend；　no　blame　belongs　to　you。'　Don't　you　trust　to
that；　Sancho；　for　the　Manchegan　folk　are　as　hot…tempered　as　they　are
honest；　and　won't　put　up　with　liberties　from　anybody。　By　the　Lord；
if　they　get　scent　of　you；　it　will　be　worse　for　you；　I　promise　you。
Be　off；　you　scoundrel！　Let　the　bolt　fall。　Why　should　I　go　looking
for　three　feet　on　a　cat；　to　please　another　man；　and　what　is　more；　when
looking　for　Dulcinea　will　be　looking　for　Marica　in　Ravena；　or　the
bachelor　in　Salamanca？　The　devil；　the　devil　and　nobody　else；　has　mixed
me　up　in　this　business！〃
　　Such　was　the　soliloquy　Sancho　held　with　himself；　and　all　the
conclusion　he　could　come　to　was　to　say　to　himself　again；　〃Well；
there's　remedy　for　everything　except　death；　under　whose　yoke　we　have
all　to　pass；　whether　we　like　it　or　not；　when　life's　finished。　I　have
seen　by　a　thousand　signs　that　this　master　of　mine　is　a　madman　fit　to
be　tied；　and　for　that　matter；　I　too；　am　not　behind　him；　for　I'm　a
greater　fool　than　he　is　when　I　follow　him　and　serve　him；　if　there's
any　truth　in　the　proverb　that　says；　'Tell　me　what　company　thou
keepest；　and　I'll　tell　thee　what　thou　art；'　or　in　that　other；　'Not
with　whom　thou　art　bred；　but　with　whom　thou　art　fed。'　Well　then；　if　he
be　mad；　as　he　is；　and　with　a　madness　that　mostly　takes　one　thing　for
another；　and　white　for　black；　and　black　for　white；　as　was　seen　when　he
said　the　windmills　were　giants；　and　the　monks'　mules　dromedaries；
flocks　of　sheep　armies　of　enemies；　and　much　more　to　the　same　tune；
it　will　not　be　very　hard　to　make　him　believe　that　some　country　girl；
the　first　I　come　across　here；　is　the　lady　Dulcinea；　and　if　he　does　not
believe　it；　I'll　swear　it；　and　if　he　should　swear；　I'll　swear　again；
and　if　he　persists　I'll　persist　still　more；　so　as；　come　what　may；　to
have　my　quoit　always　over　the　peg。　Maybe；　by　holding　out　in　this
way；　I　may　put　a　stop　to　his　sending　me　on　messages　of　this　kind
another　time；　or　maybe　he　will　think；　as　I　suspect　he　will；　that　one
of　those　wicked　enchanters；　who　he　says　have　a　spite　against　him；
has　changed　her　form　for　the　sake　of　doing　him　an　ill　turn　and
injuring　him。〃
　　With　this　reflection　Sancho　made　his　mind　easy；　counting　the
business　as　good　as　settled；　and　stayed　there　till　the　afternoon　so　as
to　make　Don　Quixote　think　he　had　time　enough　to　go　to　El　Toboso　and
return；　and　things　turned　out　so　luckily　for　him　that　as　he　got　up
to　mount　Dapple；　he　spied；　coming　from　El　Toboso　towards　the　spot
where　he　stood；　three　peasant　girls　on　three　colts；　or　fillies…　for
the　author　does　not　make　the　point　clear；　though　it　is　more　likely
they　were　she…asses；　the　usual　mount　with　village　girls；　but　as　it
is　of　no　great　consequence；　we　need　not　stop　to　prove　it。
　　To　be　brief；　the　instant　Sancho　saw　the　peasant　girls；　he　returned
full　speed　to　seek　his　master；　and　found　him　sighing　and　uttering　a
thousand　passionate　lamentations。　When　Don　Quixote　saw　him　he
exclaimed；　〃What　news；　Sancho；　my　friend？　Am　I　to　mark　this　day　with　a
white　stone　or　a　black？〃
　　〃Your　worship；〃　replied　Sancho；　〃had　better　mark　it　with　ruddle；
like　the　inscriptions　on　the　walls　of　class　rooms；　that　those　who
see　it　may　see　it　plain。〃
　　〃Then　thou　bringest　good　news；〃　said　Don　Quixote。
　　〃So　good；〃　replied　Sancho；　〃that　your　worship　bas　only　to　spur
Rocinante　and　get　out　into　the　open　field　to　see　the　lady　Dulcinea　del
Toboso；　who；　with　two　others；　damsels　of　hers；　is　coming　to　see　your
worship。〃
　　〃Holy　God！　what　art　thou　saying；　Sancho；　my　friend？〃　exclaimed　Don
Quixote。　〃Take　care　thou