don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第151节

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that　thou　confess　and　declare　that　without　any　constraint　upon　thy
will　thou　givest　it　to　me　as　to　thy　lawful　husband；　for　it　is　not　meet
that　thou　shouldst　trifle　with　me　at　such　a　moment　as　this；　or　have
recourse　to　falsehoods　with　one　who　has　dealt　so　truly　by　thee。〃
　　While　uttering　these　words　he　showed　such　weakness　that　the
bystanders　expected　each　return　of　faintness　would　take　his　life
with　it。　Then　Quiteria；　overcome　with　modesty　and　shame；　holding　in
her　right　hand　the　hand　of　Basilio；　said；　〃No　force　would　bend　my
will；　as　freely；　therefore；　as　it　is　possible　for　me　to　do　so；　I
give　thee　the　hand　of　a　lawful　wife；　and　take　thine　if　thou　givest
it　to　me　of　thine　own　free　will；　untroubled　and　unaffected　by　the
calamity　thy　hasty　act　has　brought　upon　thee。〃
　　〃Yes；　I　give　it；〃　said　Basilio；　〃not　agitated　or　distracted；　but
with　unclouded　reason　that　heaven　is　pleased　to　grant　me；　thus　do　I
give　myself　to　be　thy　husband。〃
　　〃And　I　give　myself　to　be　thy　wife；〃　said　Quiteria；　〃whether　thou
livest　many　years；　or　they　carry　thee　from　my　arms　to　the　grave。〃
　　〃For　one　so　badly　wounded；〃　observed　Sancho　at　this　point；　〃this
young　man　has　a　great　deal　to　say；　they　should　make　him　leave　off
billing　and　cooing；　and　attend　to　his　soul；　for　to　my　thinking　he
has　it　more　on　his　tongue　than　at　his　teeth。〃
　　Basilio　and　Quiteria　having　thus　joined　hands；　the　priest；　deeply
moved　and　with　tears　in　his　eyes；　pronounced　the　blessing　upon　them；
and　implored　heaven　to　grant　an　easy　passage　to　the　soul　of　the
newly　wedded　man；　who；　the　instant　he　received　the　blessing；　started
nimbly　to　his　feet　and　with　unparalleled　effrontery　pulled　out　the
rapier　that　had　been　sheathed　in　his　body。　All　the　bystanders　were
astounded；　and　some；　more　simple　than　inquiring；　began　shouting；　〃A
miracle；　a　miracle！〃　But　Basilio　replied；　〃No　miracle；　no　miracle；
only　a　trick；　a　trick！〃　The　priest；　perplexed　and　amazed；　made　haste
to　examine　the　wound　with　both　hands；　and　found　that　the　blade　had
passed；　not　through　Basilio's　flesh　and　ribs；　but　through　a　hollow
iron　tube　full　of　blood；　which　he　had　adroitly　fixed　at　the　place；　the
blood；　as　was　afterwards　ascertained；　having　been　so　prepared　as　not
to　congeal。　In　short；　the　priest　and　Camacho　and　most　of　those　present
saw　they　were　tricked　and　made　fools　of。　The　bride　showed　no　signs
of　displeasure　at　the　deception；　on　the　contrary；　hearing　them　say
that　the　marriage；　being　fraudulent；　would　not　be　valid；　she　said　that
she　confirmed　it　afresh；　whence　they　all　concluded　that　the　affair　had
been　planned　by　agreement　and　understanding　between　the　pair；
whereat　Camacho　and　his　supporters　were　so　mortified　that　they
proceeded　to　revenge　themselves　by　violence；　and　a　great　number　of
them　drawing　their　swords　attacked　Basilio；　in　whose　protection　as
many　more　swords　were　in　an　instant　unsheathed；　while　Don　Quixote
taking　the　lead　on　horseback；　with　his　lance　over　his　arm　and　well
covered　with　his　shield；　made　all　give　way　before　him。　Sancho；　who
never　found　any　pleasure　or　enjoyment　in　such　doings；　retreated　to　the
wine…jars　from　which　he　had　taken　his　delectable　skimmings；
considering　that；　as　a　holy　place；　that　spot　would　be　respected。
　　〃Hold；　sirs；　hold！〃　cried　Don　Quixote　in　a　loud　voice；　〃we　have　no
right　to　take　vengeance　for　wrongs　that　love　may　do　to　us：　remember
love　and　war　are　the　same　thing；　and　as　in　war　it　is　allowable　and
common　to　make　use　of　wiles　and　stratagems　to　overcome　the　enemy；　so
in　the　contests　and　rivalries　of　love　the　tricks　and　devices
employed　to　attain　the　desired　end　are　justifiable；　provided　they　be
not　to　the　discredit　or　dishonour　of　the　loved　object。　Quiteria
belonged　to　Basilio　and　Basilio　to　Quiteria　by　the　just　and　beneficent
disposal　of　heaven。　Camacho　is　rich；　and　can　purchase　his　pleasure
when；　where；　and　as　it　pleases　him。　Basilio　has　but　this　ewe…lamb；　and
no　one；　however　powerful　he　may　be；　shall　take　her　from　him；　these　two
whom　God　hath　joined　man　cannot　separate；　and　he　who　attempts　it
must　first　pass　the　point　of　this　lance；〃　and　so　saying　he
brandished　it　so　stoutly　and　dexterously　that　he　overawed　all　who
did　not　know　him。
　　But　so　deep　an　impression　had　the　rejection　of　Quiteria　made　on
Camacho's　mind　that　it　banished　her　at　once　from　his　thoughts；　and
so　the　counsels　of　the　priest；　who　was　a　wise　and　kindly　disposed　man；
prevailed　with　him；　and　by　their　means　he　and　his　partisans　were
pacified　and　tranquillised；　and　to　prove　it　put　up　their　swords　again；
inveighing　against　the　pliancy　of　Quiteria　rather　than　the
craftiness　of　Basilio；　Camacho　maintaining　that；　if　Quiteria　as　a
maiden　had　such　a　love　for　Basilio；　she　would　have　loved　him　too　as
a　married　woman；　and　that　he　ought　to　thank　heaven　more　for　having
taken　her　than　for　having　given　her。
　　Camacho　and　those　of　his　following；　therefore；　being　consoled　and
pacified；　those　on　Basilio's　side　were　appeased；　and　the　rich　Camacho；
to　show　that　he　felt　no　resentment　for　the　trick；　and　did　not　care
about　it；　desired　the　festival　to　go　on　just　as　if　he　were　married
in　reality。　Neither　Basilio；　however；　nor　his　bride；　nor　their
followers　would　take　any　part　in　it；　and　they　withdrew　to　Basilio's
village；　for　the　poor；　if　they　are　persons　of　virtue　and　good　sense；
have　those　who　follow；　honour；　and　uphold　them；　just　as　the　rich
have　those　who　flatter　and　dance　attendance　on　them。　With　them　they
carried　Don　Quixote；　regarding　him　as　a　man　of　worth　and　a　stout
one。　Sancho　alone　had　a　cloud　on　his　soul；　for　he　found　himself
debarred　from　waiting　for　Camacho's　splendid　feast　and　festival；　which
lasted　until　night；　and　thus　dragged　away；　he　moodily　followed　his
master；　who　accompanied　Basilio's　party；　and　left　behind　him　the
flesh…pots　of　Egypt；　though　in　his　heart　he　took　them　with　him；　and
their　now　nearly　finished　skimmings　that　he　carried　in　the　bucket
conjured　up　visions　before　his　eyes　of　the　glory　and　abundance　of
the　good　cheer　he　was　losing。　And　so；　vexed　and　dejected　though　not
hungry；　without　dismounting　from　Dapple　he　followed　in　the　footsteps
of　Rocinante。

　　CHAPTER　XXII
　　WHERIN　IS　RELATED　THE　GRAND　ADVENTURE　OF　THE　CAVE　OF　MONTESINOS　IN
THE　HEART　OF　LA　MANCHA；　WHICH　THE　VALIANT　DON　QUIXOTE　BROUGHT　TO　A
HAPPY　TERMINATION

　　MANY　and　great　were　the　attentions　shown　to　Don　Quixote　by　the　newly
married　couple；　who　felt　themselves　under　an　obligation　to　him　for
coming　forward　in　defence　of　their　cause；　and　they　exalted　his
wisdom　to　the　same　level　with　his　courage；　rating　him　as　a　Cid　in
arms；　and　a　Cicero　in　eloquence。　Worthy　Sancho　enjoyed　himself　for
three　days　at　the　expense　of　the　pair；　from　whom　they　learned　that　the
sham　wound　was　not　a　scheme　arranged　with　the　fair　Quiteria；　but　a
device　of　Basilio's；　who　counted　on　exactly　the　result　they　had
seen；　he　confessed；　it　is　true；　that　he　had　confided　his　idea　to
some　of　his　friends；　so　that　at　the　proper　time　they　might　aid　him
in　his　purpose　and　insure　the　success　of　the　deception。
　　〃That；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃is　not　and　ought　not　to　be　called
deception　which　aims　at　virtuous　ends；〃　and　the　marriage　of　lovers
he　maintained　to　be　a　most　excellent　end；　reminding　them；　however；
that　love　has　no　greater　enemy　than　hunger　and　constant　want；　for　love
is　all　gaiety；　enjoyment；　and　happiness；　especially　when　the　lover
is　in　the　possession　of　the　object　of　his　love；　and　poverty　and　want
are　the　declared　enemies　of　all　these；　which　he　said　to　urge　Senor
Basilio　to　abandon　the　practice　of　those　accomplishments　he　was
skilled　in；　for　though　they　brought　him　fame；　they　brought　him　no
money；　and　apply　himself　to　the　acquisition　of　wealth　by　legitimate
industry；　which　will　never　fail　those　who　are　prudent　and　persevering。
The　poor　man　who　is　a　man　of　honour　（if　indeed　a　poor　man　can　be　a　man
of　honour）　has　a　jewel　when　he　has　a　fair　wife；　and　if　she　is　taken
from　him；　his　honour　is　taken　from　him　and　slain。　The　fair　woman　who
is　a　woman　of　honour；　and　whose　husband　is　poor；　deserves　to　be
crowned　with　the　laurels　and　crowns　of　victory　and　triumph。　Beauty
by　itself　attracts　the　desires　of　all　who　behold　it；　and　the　royal
eagles　and　birds　of　towering　flight　stoop　on　it　as　on　a　dainty　lure；
but　if　beauty　be　accompanied　by　want　and　penury；　then　the　ravens　and
the　kites　and　other　birds　of　prey　assail　it；　and　she　who　stands　firm
against　such　attacks　well　deserves　to　be　called　the　crown　of　her
husband。　〃Remember；　O　prudent　Basilio；〃　added　Don　Quixote；　〃it　was　the
opinion　of　a　certain　sage；　I　know　not　whom；　that　there　was　not　more
than　one　good　woman　in　the　whole　world；　and　his　advice　was　that　each
one　should　think　and　believe　that　this　one　good　woman　was　his　own
wife；　and　in　this　way　he　would　live　happy。　I　myself　am　not　married；
nor；　so　far；　has　it　ever　entered　my　thoughts　to　be　so；　nevertheless
I　would　venture　to　give　advice　to　anyone　who　might　ask　it；　as　to　the
mode　in　which　he　should　seek　a　wife　such　as　he　would　be　content　to
marry。　The　first　thing　I　would　recommend　him；　would　be　to　look　to　good
name　rather　than　to　wealth；　for　a　good　woman　does　not　win　a　good
name　merely　by　being　good；　but　by　letting　it　he　seen　that　she　is　so；
and　open　looseness　and