don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第221节

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him；　and　he　on　his　part　secretly　repelled　them；　but　finding　himself
hard　pressed　by　their　blandishments　he　lifted　up　his　voice　and
exclaimed；　〃Fugite；　partes　adversae！　Leave　me　in　peace；　unwelcome
overtures；　avaunt；　with　your　desires；　ladies；　for　she　who　is　queen
of　mine；　the　peerless　Dulcinea　del　Toboso；　suffers　none　but　hers　to
lead　me　captive　and　subdue　me；〃　and　so　saying　he　sat　down　on　the　floor
in　the　middle　of　the　room；　tired　out　and　broken　down　by　all　this
exertion　in　the　dance。
　　Don　Antonio　directed　him　to　be　taken　up　bodily　and　carried　to　bed；
and　the　first　that　laid　hold　of　him　was　Sancho；　saying　as　he　did　so；
〃In　an　evil　hour　you　took　to　dancing；　master　mine；　do　you　fancy　all
mighty　men　of　valour　are　dancers；　and　all　knights…errant　given　to
capering？　If　you　do；　I　can　tell　you　you　are　mistaken；　there's　many　a
man　would　rather　undertake　to　kill　a　giant　than　cut　a　caper。　If　it　had
been　the　shoe…fling　you　were　at　I　could　take　your　place；　for　I　can
do　the　shoe…fling　like　a　gerfalcon；　but　I'm　no　good　at　dancing。〃
　　With　these　and　other　observations　Sancho　set　the　whole　ball…room
laughing；　and　then　put　his　master　to　bed；　covering　him　up　well　so　that
he　might　sweat　out　any　chill　caught　after　his　dancing。
　　The　next　day　Don　Antonio　thought　he　might　as　well　make　trial　of
the　enchanted　head；　and　with　Don　Quixote；　Sancho；　and　two　others；
friends　of　his；　besides　the　two　ladies　that　had　tired　out　Don
Quixote　at　the　ball；　who　had　remained　for　the　night　with　Don　Antonio's
wife；　he　locked　himself　up　in　the　chamber　where　the　head　was。　He
explained　to　them　the　property　it　possessed　and　entrusted　the　secret
to　them；　telling　them　that　now　for　the　first　time　he　was　going　to
try　the　virtue　of　the　enchanted　head；　but　except　Don　Antonio's　two
friends　no　one　else　was　privy　to　the　mystery　of　the　enchantment；　and
if　Don　Antonio　had　not　first　revealed　it　to　them　they　would　have
been　inevitably　reduced　to　the　same　state　of　amazement　as　the　rest；　so
artfully　and　skilfully　was　it　contrived。
　　The　first　to　approach　the　ear　of　the　head　was　Don　Antonio　himself；
and　in　a　low　voice　but　not　so　low　as　not　to　be　audible　to　all；　he　said
to　it；　〃Head；　tell　me　by　the　virtue　that　lies　in　thee　what　am　I　at
this　moment　thinking　of？〃
　　The　head；　without　any　movement　of　the　lips；　answered　in　a　clear
and　distinct　voice；　so　as　to　be　heard　by　all；　〃I　cannot　judge　of
thoughts。〃
　　All　were　thunderstruck　at　this；　and　all　the　more　so　as　they　saw　that
there　was　nobody　anywhere　near　the　table　or　in　the　whole　room　that
could　have　answered。　〃How　many　of　us　are　here？〃　asked　Don　Antonio　once
more；　and　it　was　answered　him　in　the　same　way　softly；　〃Thou　and　thy
wife；　with　two　friends　of　thine　and　two　of　hers；　and　a　famous　knight
called　Don　Quixote　of　La　Mancha；　and　a　squire　of　his；　Sancho　Panza
by　name。〃
　　Now　there　was　fresh　astonishment；　now　everyone's　hair　was　standing
on　end　with　awe；　and　Don　Antonio　retiring　from　the　head　exclaimed；
〃This　suffices　to　show　me　that　I　have　not　been　deceived　by　him　who
sold　thee　to　me；　O　sage　head；　talking　head；　answering　head；
wonderful　head！　Let　some　one　else　go　and　put　what　question　he　likes　to
it。〃
　　And　as　women　are　commonly　impulsive　and　inquisitive；　the　first　to
come　forward　was　one　of　the　two　friends　of　Don　Antonio's　wife；　and　her
question　was；　〃Tell　me；　Head；　what　shall　I　do　to　be　very　beautiful？〃
and　the　answer　she　got　was；　〃Be　very　modest。〃
　　〃I　question　thee　no　further；〃　said　the　fair　querist。
　　Her　companion　then　came　up　and　said；　〃I　should　like　to　know；　Head；
whether　my　husband　loves　me　or　not；〃　the　answer　given　to　her　was；
〃Think　how　he　uses　thee；　and　thou　mayest　guess；〃　and　the　married
lady　went　off　saying；　〃That　answer　did　not　need　a　question；　for　of
course　the　treatment　one　receives　shows　the　disposition　of　him　from
whom　it　is　received。〃
　　Then　one　of　Don　Antonio's　two　friends　advanced　and　asked　it；　〃Who　am
I？〃　〃Thou　knowest；〃　was　the　answer。　〃That　is　not　what　I　ask　thee；〃
said　the　gentleman；　〃but　to　tell　me　if　thou　knowest　me。〃　〃Yes；　I
know　thee；　thou　art　Don　Pedro　Noriz；〃　was　the　reply。
　　〃I　do　not　seek　to　know　more；〃　said　the　gentleman；　〃for　this　is
enough　to　convince　me；　O　Head；　that　thou　knowest　everything；〃　and　as
he　retired　the　other　friend　came　forward　and　asked　it；　〃Tell　me；　Head；
what　are　the　wishes　of　my　eldest　son？〃
　　〃I　have　said　already；〃　was　the　answer；　〃that　I　cannot　judge　of
wishes；　however；　I　can　tell　thee　the　wish　of　thy　son　is　to　bury　thee。〃
　　〃That's　'what　I　see　with　my　eyes　I　point　out　with　my　finger；'〃
said　the　gentleman；　〃so　I　ask　no　more。〃
　　Don　Antonio's　wife　came　up　and　said；　〃I　know　not　what　to　ask　thee；
Head；　I　would　only　seek　to　know　of　thee　if　I　shall　have　many　years
of　enjoyment　of　my　good　husband；〃　and　the　answer　she　received　was；
〃Thou　shalt；　for　his　vigour　and　his　temperate　habits　promise　many
years　of　life；　which　by　their　intemperance　others　so　often　cut　short。〃
　　Then　Don　Quixote　came　forward　and　said；　〃Tell　me；　thou　that
answerest；　was　that　which　I　describe　as　having　happened　to　me　in　the
cave　of　Montesinos　the　truth　or　a　dream？　Will　Sancho's　whipping　be
accomplished　without　fail？　Will　the　disenchantment　of　Dulcinea　be
brought　about？〃
　　〃As　to　the　question　of　the　cave；〃　was　the　reply；　〃there　is　much　to
be　said；　there　is　something　of　both　in　it。　Sancho's　whipping　will
proceed　leisurely。　The　disenchantment　of　Dulcinea　will　attain　its
due　consummation。〃
　　〃I　seek　to　know　no　more；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃let　me　but　see　Dulcinea
disenchanted；　and　I　will　consider　that　all　the　good　fortune　I　could
wish　for　has　come　upon　me　all　at　once。〃
　　The　last　questioner　was　Sancho；　and　his　questions　were；　〃Head；　shall
I　by　any　chance　have　another　government？　Shall　I　ever　escape　from
the　hard　life　of　a　squire？　Shall　I　get　back　to　see　my　wife　and
children？〃　To　which　the　answer　came；　〃Thou　shalt　govern　in　thy
house；　and　if　thou　returnest　to　it　thou　shalt　see　thy　wife　and
children；　and　on　ceasing　to　serve　thou　shalt　cease　to　be　a　squire。〃
　　〃Good；　by　God！〃　said　Sancho　Panza；　〃I　could　have　told　myself　that；
the　prophet　Perogrullo　could　have　said　no　more。〃
　　〃What　answer　wouldst　thou　have；　beast？〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃is　it　not
enough　that　the　replies　this　head　has　given　suit　the　questions　put
to　it？〃
　　〃Yes；　it　is　enough；〃　said　Sancho；　〃but　I　should　have　liked　it　to
have　made　itself　plainer　and　told　me　more。〃
　　The　questions　and　answers　came　to　an　end　here；　but　not　the　wonder
with　which　all　were　filled；　except　Don　Antonio's　two　friends　who
were　in　the　secret。　This　Cide　Hamete　Benengeli　thought　fit　to　reveal
at　once；　not　to　keep　the　world　in　suspense；　fancying　that　the　head　had
some　strange　magical　mystery　in　it。　He　says；　therefore；　that　on　the
model　of　another　head；　the　work　of　an　image　maker；　which　he　had　seen
at　Madrid；　Don　Antonio　made　this　one　at　home　for　his　own　amusement　and
to　astonish　ignorant　people；　and　its　mechanism　was　as　follows。　The
table　was　of　wood　painted　and　varnished　to　imitate　jasper；　and　the
pedestal　on　which　it　stood　was　of　the　same　material；　with　four　eagles'
claws　projecting　from　it　to　support　the　weight　more　steadily。　The
head；　which　resembled　a　bust　or　figure　of　a　Roman　emperor；　and　was
coloured　like　bronze；　was　hollow　throughout；　as　was　the　table；　into
which　it　was　fitted　so　exactly　that　no　trace　of　the　joining　was
visible。　The　pedestal　of　the　table　was　also　hollow　and　communicated
with　the　throat　and　neck　of　the　head；　and　the　whole　was　in
communication　with　another　room　underneath　the　chamber　in　which　the
head　stood。　Through　the　entire　cavity　in　the　pedestal；　table；　throat
and　neck　of　the　bust　or　figure；　there　passed　a　tube　of　tin　carefully
adjusted　and　concealed　from　sight。　In　the　room　below　corresponding
to　the　one　above　was　placed　the　person　who　was　to　answer；　with　his
mouth　to　the　tube；　and　the　voice；　as　in　an　ear…trumpet；　passed　from
above　downwards；　and　from　below　upwards；　the　words　coming　clearly
and　distinctly；　it　was　impossible；　thus；　to　detect　the　trick。　A　nephew
of　Don　Antonio's；　a　smart　sharp…witted　student；　was　the　answerer；
and　as　he　had　been　told　beforehand　by　his　uncle　who　the　persons　were
that　would　come　with　him　that　day　into　the　chamber　where　the　head　was；
it　was　an　easy　matter　for　him　to　answer　the　first　question　at　once　and
correctly；　the　others　he　answered　by　guess…work；　and；　being　clever；
cleverly。　Cide　Hamete　adds　that　this　marvellous　contrivance　stood
for　some　ten　or　twelve　days；　but　that；　as　it　became　noised　abroad
through　the　city　that　he　had　in　his　house　an　enchanted　head　that
answered　all　who　asked　questions　of　it；　Don　Antonio；　fearing　it
might　come　to　the　ears　of　the　watchful　sentinels　of　our　faith；
explained　the　matter　to　the　inquisitors；　who　commanded　him　to　break　it
up　and　have　done　with　it；　lest　the　ignorant　vulgar　should　be
scandalised。　By　Don　Quixote；　however；　and　by　Sancho　the　head　was　still
held　to　be　an　enchanted　one；　and　capable　of　answering　questions；
though　more　to　Don　Quixote's　satisfaction　than　Sancho's。
　　The　gentlemen　of　the　city；　to　gratify　Don　Antonio　and　also　to　do　the
honours　to　Don　Quixote；　and　give　him　an　opportunity　of　displaying
his　folly；　made　arrangements　for　a　tilting　at　the　ring　in　six　days
from　that　t