don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第207节

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are　we　weep　for　Spain；　for　after　all　we　were　born　there　and　it　is
our　natural　fatherland。　Nowhere　do　we　find　the　reception　our　unhappy
condition　needs；　and　in　Barbary　and　all　the　parts　of　Africa　where　we
counted　upon　being　received；　succoured；　and　welcomed；　it　is　there　they
insult　and　ill…treat　us　most。　We　knew　not　our　good　fortune　until　we
lost　it；　and　such　is　the　longing　we　almost　all　of　us　have　to　return　to
Spain；　that　most　of　those　who　like　myself　know　the　language；　and　there
are　many　who　do；　come　back　to　it　and　leave　their　wives　and　children
forsaken　yonder；　so　great　is　their　love　for　it；　and　now　I　know　by
experience　the　meaning　of　the　saying；　sweet　is　the　love　of　one's
country。
　　〃I　left　our　village；　as　I　said；　and　went　to　France；　but　though
they　gave　us　a　kind　reception　there　I　was　anxious　to　see　all　I
could。　I　crossed　into　Italy；　and　reached　Germany；　and　there　it
seemed　to　me　we　might　live　with　more　freedom；　as　the　inhabitants　do
not　pay　any　attention　to　trifling　points；　everyone　lives　as　he
likes；　for　in　most　parts　they　enjoy　liberty　of　conscience。　I　took　a
house　in　a　town　near　Augsburg；　and　then　joined　these　pilgrims；　who　are
in　the　habit　of　coming　to　Spain　in　great　numbers　every　year　to　visit
the　shrines　there；　which　they　look　upon　as　their　Indies　and　a　sure　and
certain　source　of　gain。　They　travel　nearly　all　over　it；　and　there　is
no　town　out　of　which　they　do　not　go　full　up　of　meat　and　drink；　as
the　saying　is；　and　with　a　real；　at　least；　in　money；　and　they　come
off　at　the　end　of　their　travels　with　more　than　a　hundred　crowns　saved；
which；　changed　into　gold；　they　smuggle　out　of　the　kingdom　either　in
the　hollow　of　their　staves　or　in　the　patches　of　their　pilgrim's　cloaks
or　by　some　device　of　their　own；　and　carry　to　their　own　country　in
spite　of　the　guards　at　the　posts　and　passes　where　they　are　searched。
Now　my　purpose　is；　Sancho；　to　carry　away　the　treasure　that　I　left
buried；　which；　as　it　is　outside　the　town；　I　shall　be　able　to　do
without　risk；　and　to　write；　or　cross　over　from　Valencia；　to　my
daughter　and　wife；　who　I　know　are　at　Algiers；　and　find　some　means　of
bringing　them　to　some　French　port　and　thence　to　Germany；　there　to
await　what　it　may　be　God's　will　to　do　with　us；　for；　after　all；　Sancho；
I　know　well　that　Ricota　my　daughter　and　Francisca　Ricota　my　wife　are
Catholic　Christians；　and　though　I　am　not　so　much　so；　still　I　am　more
of　a　Christian　than　a　Moor；　and　it　is　always　my　prayer　to　God　that
he　will　open　the　eyes　of　my　understanding　and　show　me　how　I　am　to
serve　him；　but　what　amazes　me　and　I　cannot　understand　is　why　my　wife
and　daughter　should　have　gone　to　Barbary　rather　than　to　France；
where　they　could　live　as　Christians。〃
　　To　this　Sancho　replied；　〃Remember；　Ricote；　that　may　not　have　been
open　to　them；　for　Juan　Tiopieyo　thy　wife's　brother　took　them；　and
being　a　true　Moor　he　went　where　he　could　go　most　easily；　and　another
thing　I　can　tell　thee；　it　is　my　belief　thou　art　going　in　vain　to
look　for　what　thou　hast　left　buried；　for　we　heard　they　took　from　thy
brother…in…law　and　thy　wife　a　great　quantity　of　pearls　and　money　in
gold　which　they　brought　to　be　passed。〃
　　〃That　may　be；〃　said　Ricote；　〃but　I　know　they　did　not　touch　my　hoard；
for　I　did　not　tell　them　where　it　was；　for　fear　of　accidents；　and　so；
if　thou　wilt　come　with　me；　Sancho；　and　help　me　to　take　it　away　and
conceal　it；　I　will　give　thee　two　hundred　crowns　wherewith　thou
mayest　relieve　thy　necessities；　and；　as　thou　knowest；　I　know　they
are　many。〃
　　〃I　would　do　it；〃　said　Sancho；　〃but　I　am　not　at　all　covetous；　for　I
gave　up　an　office　this　morning　in　which；　if　I　was；　I　might　have　made
the　walls　of　my　house　of　gold　and　dined　off　silver　plates　before　six
months　were　over；　and　so　for　this　reason；　and　because　I　feel　I　would
be　guilty　of　treason　to　my　king　if　I　helped　his　enemies；　I　would　not
go　with　thee　if　instead　of　promising　me　two　hundred　crowns　thou　wert
to　give　me　four　hundred　here　in　hand。〃
　　〃And　what　office　is　this　thou　hast　given　up；　Sancho？〃　asked　Ricote。
　　〃I　have　given　up　being　governor　of　an　island；〃　said　Sancho；　〃and
such　a　one；　faith；　as　you　won't　find　the　like　of　easily。〃
　　〃And　where　is　this　island？〃　said　Ricote。
　　〃Where？〃　said　Sancho；　〃two　leagues　from　here；　and　it　is　called　the
island　of　Barataria。〃
　　〃Nonsense！　Sancho；〃　said　Ricote；　〃islands　are　away　out　in　the　sea；
there　are　no　islands　on　the　mainland。〃
　　〃What？　No　islands！〃　said　Sancho；　〃I　tell　thee；　friend　Ricote；　I　left
it　this　morning；　and　yesterday　I　was　governing　there　as　I　pleased　like
a　sagittarius；　but　for　all　that　I　gave　it　up；　for　it　seemed　to　me　a
dangerous　office；　a　governor's。〃
　　〃And　what　hast　thou　gained　by　the　government？〃　asked　Ricote。
　　〃I　have　gained；〃　said　Sancho；　〃the　knowledge　that　I　am　no　good　for
governing；　unless　it　is　a　drove　of　cattle；　and　that　the　riches　that
are　to　be　got　by　these　governments　are　got　at　the　cost　of　one's　rest
and　sleep；　ay　and　even　one's　food；　for　in　islands　the　governors　must
eat　little；　especially　if　they　have　doctors　to　look　after　their
health。〃
　　〃I　don't　understand　thee；　Sancho；〃　said　Ricote；　〃but　it　seems　to
me　all　nonsense　thou　art　talking。　Who　would　give　thee　islands　to
govern？　Is　there　any　scarcity　in　the　world　of　cleverer　men　than　thou
art　for　governors？　Hold　thy　peace；　Sancho；　and　come　back　to　thy
senses；　and　consider　whether　thou　wilt　come　with　me　as　I　said　to
help　me　to　take　away　treasure　I　left　buried　（for　indeed　it　may　be
called　a　treasure；　it　is　so　large）；　and　I　will　give　thee　wherewithal
to　keep　thee；　as　I　told　thee。〃
　　〃And　I　have　told　thee　already；　Ricote；　that　I　will　not；〃　said
Sancho；　〃let　it　content　thee　that　by　me　thou　shalt　not　be　betrayed；
and　go　thy　way　in　God's　name　and　let　me　go　mine；　for　I　know　that
well…gotten　gain　may　be　lost；　but　ill…gotten　gain　is　lost；　itself
and　its　owner　likewise。〃
　　〃I　will　not　press　thee；　Sancho；〃　said　Ricote；　〃but　tell　me；　wert
thou　in　our　village　when　my　wife　and　daughter　and　brother…in…law
left　it？〃
　　〃I　was　so；〃　said　Sancho；　〃and　I　can　tell　thee　thy　daughter　left　it
looking　so　lovely　that　all　the　village　turned　out　to　see　her；　and
everybody　said　she　was　the　fairest　creature　in　the　world。　She　wept
as　she　went；　and　embraced　all　her　friends　and　acquaintances　and
those　who　came　out　to　see　her；　and　she　begged　them　all　to　commend
her　to　God　and　Our　Lady　his　mother；　and　this　in　such　a　touching　way
that　it　made　me　weep　myself；　though　I'm　not　much　given　to　tears
commonly；　and；　faith；　many　a　one　would　have　liked　to　hide　her；　or　go
out　and　carry　her　off　on　the　road；　but　the　fear　of　going　against　the
king's　command　kept　them　back。　The　one　who　showed　himself　most　moved
was　Don　Pedro　Gregorio；　the　rich　young　heir　thou　knowest　of；　and
they　say　he　was　deep　in　love　with　her；　and　since　she　left　he　has　not
been　seen　in　our　village　again；　and　we　all　suspect　he　has　gone　after
her　to　steal　her　away；　but　so　far　nothing　has　been　heard　of　it。〃
　　〃I　always　had　a　suspicion　that　gentleman　had　a　passion　for　my
daughter；〃　said　Ricote；　〃but　as　I　felt　sure　of　my　Ricota's　virtue　it
gave　me　no　uneasiness　to　know　that　he　loved　her；　for　thou　must　have
heard　it　said；　Sancho；　that　the　Morisco　women　seldom　or　never　engage
in　amours　with　the　old　Christians；　and　my　daughter；　who　I　fancy
thought　more　of　being　a　Christian　than　of　lovemaking；　would　not
trouble　herself　about　the　attentions　of　this　heir。〃
　　〃God　grant　it；〃　said　Sancho；　〃for　it　would　be　a　bad　business　for
both　of　them；　but　now　let　me　be　off；　friend　Ricote；　for　I　want　to
reach　where　my　master　Don　Quixote　is　to…night。〃
　　〃God　be　with　thee；　brother　Sancho；〃　said　Ricote；　〃my　comrades　are
beginning　to　stir；　and　it　is　time；　too；　for　us　to　continue　our
journey；〃　and　then　they　both　embraced；　and　Sancho　mounted　Dapple；
and　Ricote　leant　upon　his　staff；　and　so　they　parted。
　　

CHAPTER　LV
　　OF　WHAT　BEFELL　SANCHO　ON　THE　ROAD；　AND　OTHER　THINGS　THAT　CANNOT　BE
SURPASSED

　　THE　length　of　time　he　delayed　with　Ricote　prevented　Sancho　from
reaching　the　duke's　castle　that　day；　though　he　was　within　half　a
league　of　it　when　night；　somewhat　dark　and　cloudy；　overtook　him。　This；
however；　as　it　was　summer　time；　did　not　give　him　much　uneasiness；
and　he　turned　aside　out　of　the　road　intending　to　wait　for　morning；　but
his　ill　luck　and　hard　fate　so　willed　it　that　as　he　was　searching　about
for　a　place　to　make　himself　as　comfortable　as　possible；　he　and
Dapple　fell　into　a　deep　dark　hole　that　lay　among　some　very　old
buildings。　As　he　fell　he　commended　himself　with　all　his　heart　to
God；　fancying　he　was　not　going　to　stop　until　he　reached　the　depths
of　the　bottomless　pit；　but　it　did　not　turn　out　so；　for　at　little
more　than　thrice　a　man's　height　Dapple　touched　bottom；　and　he　found
himself　sitting　on　him　without　having　received　any　hurt　or　damage
whatever。　He　felt　himself　all　over　and　held　his　breath　to　try
whether　he　was　quite　sound　or　had　a　hole　made　in　him　anywhere；　and
finding　himself　all　right　and　whole　and　in　perfect　health　he　was
profuse　in　his　thanks　to　God　our　Lord　for　the　mercy　that　had　been
shown　him；　for　he　made　sure　he　had　been　broken　into　a　thousand　pieces。
He　also　felt　along　the　sides　of　the　pit　with　his　hands　to　see　if　it
were　possible　to　get　out　of　it　without　help