don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第183节

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your　islanders　with　the　same　eagerness　they　have　always　had　to　receive
you　as　their　governor；　and　my　good…will　will　remain　the　same；　doubt
not　the　truth　of　this；　Senor　Sancho；　for　that　would　be　grievously
wronging　my　disposition　to　serve　you。〃
　　〃Say　no　more；　senor；〃　said　Sancho；　〃I　am　a　poor　squire　and　not　equal
to　carrying　so　much　courtesy；　let　my　master　mount；　bandage　my　eyes　and
commit　me　to　God's　care；　and　tell　me　if　I　may　commend　myself　to　our
Lord　or　call　upon　the　angels　to　protect　me　when　we　go　towering　up
there。〃
　　To　this　the　Trifaldi　made　answer；　〃Sancho；　you　may　freely　commend
yourself　to　God　or　whom　you　will；　for　Malambruno　though　an　enchanter
is　a　Christian；　and　works　his　enchantments　with　great
circumspection；　taking　very　good　care　not　to　fall　out　with　anyone。〃
　　〃Well　then；〃　said　Sancho；　〃God　and　the　most　holy　Trinity　of　Gaeta
give　me　help！〃
　　〃Since　the　memorable　adventure　of　the　fulling　mills；〃　said　Don
Quixote；　〃I　have　never　seen　Sancho　in　such　a　fright　as　now；　were　I
as　superstitious　as　others　his　abject　fear　would　cause　me　some
little　trepidation　of　spirit。　But　come　here；　Sancho；　for　with　the
leave　of　these　gentles　I　would　say　a　word　or　two　to　thee　in
private；〃　and　drawing　Sancho　aside　among　the　trees　of　the　garden　and
seizing　both　his　hands　he　said；　〃Thou　seest；　brother　Sancho；　the
long　journey　we　have　before　us；　and　God　knows　when　we　shall　return；　or
what　leisure　or　opportunities　this　business　will　allow　us；　I　wish　thee
therefore　to　retire　now　to　thy　chamber；　as　though　thou　wert　going　to
fetch　something　required　for　the　road；　and　in　a　trice　give　thyself
if　it　be　only　five　hundred　lashes　on　account　of　the　three　thousand
three　hundred　to　which　thou　art　bound；　it　will　be　all　to　the　good；　and
to　make　a　beginning　with　a　thing　is　to　have　it　half　finished。〃
　　〃By　God；〃　said　Sancho；　〃but　your　worship　must　be　out　of　your　senses！
This　is　like　the　common　saying；　'You　see　me　with　child；　and　you　want
me　a　virgin。'　Just　as　I'm　about　to　go　sitting　on　a　bare　board；　your
worship　would　have　me　score　my　backside！　Indeed；　your　worship　is　not
reasonable。　Let　us　be　off　to　shave　these　duennas；　and　on　our　return
I　promise　on　my　word　to　make　such　haste　to　wipe　off　all　that's　due
as　will　satisfy　your　worship；　I　can't　say　more。〃
　　〃Well；　I　will　comfort　myself　with　that　promise；　my　good　Sancho；〃
replied　Don　Quixote；　〃and　I　believe　thou　wilt　keep　it；　for　indeed
though　stupid　thou　art　veracious。〃
　　〃I'm　not　voracious；〃　said　Sancho；　〃only　peckish；　but　even　if　I　was　a
little；　still　I'd　keep　my　word。〃
　　With　this　they　went　back　to　mount　Clavileno；　and　as　they　were
about　to　do　so　Don　Quixote　said；　〃Cover　thine　eyes；　Sancho；　and　mount；
for　one　who　sends　for　us　from　lands　so　far　distant　cannot　mean　to
deceive　us　for　the　sake　of　the　paltry　glory　to　be　derived　from
deceiving　persons　who　trust　in　him；　though　all　should　turn　out　the
contrary　of　what　I　hope；　no　malice　will　be　able　to　dim　the　glory　of
having　undertaken　this　exploit。〃
　　〃Let　us　be　off；　senor；〃　said　Sancho；　〃for　I　have　taken　the　beards
and　tears　of　these　ladies　deeply　to　heart；　and　I　shan't　eat　a　bit　to
relish　it　until　I　have　seen　them　restored　to　their　former
smoothness。　Mount；　your　worship；　and　blindfold　yourself；　for　if　I　am
to　go　on　the　croup；　it　is　plain　the　rider　in　the　saddle　must　mount
first。〃
　　〃That　is　true；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　and；　taking　a　handkerchief　out
of　his　pocket；　he　begged　the　Distressed　One　to　bandage　his　eyes　very
carefully；　but　after　having　them　bandaged　he　uncovered　them　again；
saying；　〃If　my　memory　does　not　deceive　me；　I　have　read　in　Virgil　of
the　Palladium　of　Troy；　a　wooden　horse　the　Greeks　offered　to　the
goddess　Pallas；　which　was　big　with　armed　knights；　who　were
afterwards　the　destruction　of　Troy；　so　it　would　he　as　well　to　see；
first　of　all；　what　Clavileno　has　in　his　stomach。〃
　　〃There　is　no　occasion；〃　said　the　Distressed　One；　〃I　will　be　bail　for
him；　and　I　know　that　Malambruno　has　nothing　tricky　or　treacherous
about　him；　you　may　mount　without　any　fear；　Senor　Don　Quixote；　on　my
head　be　it　if　any　harm　befalls　you。〃
　　Don　Quixote　thought　that　to　say　anything　further　with　regard　to
his　safety　would　be　putting　his　courage　in　an　unfavourable　light；
and　so；　without　more　words；　he　mounted　Clavileno；　and　tried　the　peg；
which　turned　easily；　and　as　he　had　no　stirrups　and　his　legs　hung　down；
he　looked　like　nothing　so　much　as　a　figure　in　some　Roman　triumph
painted　or　embroidered　on　a　Flemish　tapestry。
　　Much　against　the　grain；　and　very　slowly；　Sancho　proceeded　to
mount；　and；　after　settling　himself　as　well　as　he　could　on　the　croup；
found　it　rather　hard；　and　not　at　all　soft；　and　asked　the　duke　if　it
would　be　possible　to　oblige　him　with　a　pad　of　some　kind；　or　a　cushion；
even　if　it　were　off　the　couch　of　his　lady　the　duchess；　or　the　bed　of
one　of　the　pages；　as　the　haunches　of　that　horse　were　more　like
marble　than　wood。　On　this　the　Trifaldi　observed　that　Clavileno　would
not　bear　any　kind　of　harness　or　trappings；　and　that　his　best　plan
would　be　to　sit　sideways　like　a　woman；　as　in　that　way　he　would　not
feel　the　hardness　so　much。
　　Sancho　did　so；　and；　bidding　them　farewell；　allowed　his　eyes　to　he
bandaged；　but　immediately　afterwards　uncovered　them　again；　and　looking
tenderly　and　tearfully　on　those　in　the　garden；　bade　them　help　him　in
his　present　strait　with　plenty　of　Paternosters　and　Ave　Marias；　that
God　might　provide　some　one　to　say　as　many　for　them；　whenever　they
found　themselves　in　a　similar　emergency。
　　At　this　Don　Quixote　exclaimed；　〃Art　thou　on　the　gallows；　thief；　or
at　thy　last　moment；　to　use　pitiful　entreaties　of　that　sort？
Cowardly；　spiritless　creature；　art　thou　not　in　the　very　place　the　fair
Magalona　occupied；　and　from　which　she　descended；　not　into　the　grave；
but　to　become　Queen　of　France；　unless　the　histories　lie？　And　I　who
am　here　beside　thee；　may　I　not　put　myself　on　a　par　with　the　valiant
Pierres；　who　pressed　this　very　spot　that　I　now　press？　Cover　thine
eyes；　cover　thine　eyes；　abject　animal；　and　let　not　thy　fear　escape　thy
lips；　at　least　in　my　presence。〃
　　〃Blindfold　me；〃　said　Sancho；　〃as　you　won't　let　me　commend　myself
or　be　commended　to　God；　is　it　any　wonder　if　I　am　afraid　there　is　a
region　of　devils　about　here　that　will　carry　us　off　to　Peralvillo？〃
　　They　were　then　blindfolded；　and　Don　Quixote；　finding　himself　settled
to　his　satisfaction；　felt　for　the　peg；　and　the　instant　he　placed　his
fingers　on　it；　all　the　duennas　and　all　who　stood　by　lifted　up　their
voices　exclaiming；　〃God　guide　thee；　valiant　knight！　God　be　with
thee；　intrepid　squire！　Now；　now　ye　go　cleaving　the　air　more　swiftly
than　an　arrow！　Now　ye　begin　to　amaze　and　astonish　all　who　are　gazing
at　you　from　the　earth！　Take　care　not　to　wobble　about；　valiant
Sancho！　Mind　thou　fall　not；　for　thy　fall　will　be　worse　than　that
rash　youth's　who　tried　to　steer　the　chariot　of　his　father　the　Sun！〃
　　As　Sancho　heard　the　voices；　clinging　tightly　to　his　master　and
winding　his　arms　round　him；　he　said；　〃Senor；　how　do　they　make　out　we
are　going　up　so　high；　if　their　voices　reach　us　here　and　they　seem　to
be　speaking　quite　close　to　us？〃
　　〃Don't　mind　that；　Sancho；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃for　as　affairs　of　this
sort；　and　flights　like　this　are　out　of　the　common　course　of　things；
you　can　see　and　hear　as　much　as　you　like　a　thousand　leagues　off；　but
don't　squeeze　me　so　tight　or　thou　wilt　upset　me；　and　really　I　know　not
what　thou　hast　to　be　uneasy　or　frightened　at；　for　I　can　safely　swear　I
never　mounted　a　smoother…going　steed　all　the　days　of　my　life；　one
would　fancy　we　never　stirred　from　one　place。　Banish　fear；　my　friend；
for　indeed　everything　is　going　as　it　ought；　and　we　have　the　wind
astern。〃
　　〃That's　true；〃　said　Sancho；　〃for　such　a　strong　wind　comes　against　me
on　this　side；　that　it　seems　as　if　people　were　blowing　on　me　with　a
thousand　pair　of　bellows；〃　which　was　the　case；　they　were　puffing　at
him　with　a　great　pair　of　bellows；　for　the　whole　adventure　was　so
well　planned　by　the　duke；　the　duchess；　and　their　majordomo；　that
nothing　was　omitted　to　make　it　perfectly　successful。
　　Don　Quixote　now；　feeling　the　blast；　said；　〃Beyond　a　doubt；　Sancho；
we　must　have　already　reached　the　second　region　of　the　air；　where　the
hail　and　snow　are　generated；　the　thunder；　the　lightning；　and　the
thunderbolts　are　engendered　in　the　third　region；　and　if　we　go　on
ascending　at　this　rate；　we　shall　shortly　plunge　into　the　region　of
fire；　and　I　know　not　how　to　regulate　this　peg；　so　as　not　to　mount　up
where　we　shall　be　burned。〃
　　And　now　they　began　to　warm　their　faces；　from　a　distance；　with　tow
that　could　be　easily　set　on　fire　and　extinguished　again；　fixed　on
the　end　of　a　cane。　On　feeling　the　heat　Sancho　said；　〃May　I　die　if　we
are　not　already　in　that　fire　place；　or　very　near　it；　for　a　good　part
of　my　beard　has　been　singed；　and　I　have　a　mind；　senor；　to　uncover
and　see　whereabouts　we　are。〃
　　〃Do　nothing　of　the　kind；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃remember　the　true　story
of　the　licentiate　Torralva　that　the　devils　carried　flying　through
the　air　riding　on　a　stick　with　his　eyes　shut；　who　in　twelve　hours
reached　Rome　and　dismounted　at　Torre　di　Nona；　which　is　a　street　of　the
city；　and　saw　the　whole　sack　and　storming　and　the　death　of　Bourbon；
and　was　ba