don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第24节

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is　looked　for　another　thing　is　found；　however；　if　my　master　Don
Quixote　gets　well　of　this　wound；　or　fall；　and　I　am　left　none　the　worse
of　it；　I　would　not　change　my　hopes　for　the　best　title　in　Spain。〃
　　To　all　this　conversation　Don　Quixote　was　listening　very　attentively；
and　sitting　up　in　bed　as　well　as　he　could；　and　taking　the　hostess　by
the　hand　he　said　to　her；　〃Believe　me；　fair　lady；　you　may　call　yourself
fortunate　in　having　in　this　castle　of　yours　sheltered　my　person；　which
is　such　that　if　I　do　not　myself　praise　it；　it　is　because　of　what　is
commonly　said；　that　self…praise　debaseth；　but　my　squire　will　inform
you　who　I　am。　I　only　tell　you　that　I　shall　preserve　for　ever　inscribed
on　my　memory　the　service　you　have　rendered　me　in　order　to　tender　you
my　gratitude　while　life　shall　last　me；　and　would　to　Heaven　love　held
me　not　so　enthralled　and　subject　to　its　laws　and　to　the　eyes　of　that
fair　ingrate　whom　I　name　between　my　teeth；　but　that　those　of　this
lovely　damsel　might　be　the　masters　of　my　liberty。〃
　　The　hostess；　her　daughter；　and　the　worthy　Maritornes　listened　in
bewilderment　to　the　words　of　the　knight…errant；　for　they　understood
about　as　much　of　them　as　if　he　had　been　talking　Greek；　though　they
could　perceive　they　were　all　meant　for　expressions　of　good…will　and
blandishments；　and　not　being　accustomed　to　this　kind　of　language；　they
stared　at　him　and　wondered　to　themselves；　for　he　seemed　to　them　a
man　of　a　different　sort　from　those　they　were　used　to；　and　thanking　him
in　pothouse　phrase　for　his　civility　they　left　him；　while　the
Asturian　gave　her　attention　to　Sancho；　who　needed　it　no　less　than
his　master。
　　The　carrier　had　made　an　arrangement　with　her　for　recreation　that
night；　and　she　had　given　him　her　word　that　when　the　guests　were
quiet　and　the　family　asleep　she　would　come　in　search　of　him　and　meet
his　wishes　unreservedly。　And　it　is　said　of　this　good　lass　that　she
never　made　promises　of　the　kind　without　fulfilling　them；　even　though
she　made　them　in　a　forest　and　without　any　witness　present；　for　she
plumed　herself　greatly　on　being　a　lady　and　held　it　no　disgrace　to　be
in　such　an　employment　as　servant　in　an　inn；　because；　she　said；
misfortunes　and　ill…luck　had　brought　her　to　that　position。　The　hard；
narrow；　wretched；　rickety　bed　of　Don　Quixote　stood　first　in　the　middle
of　this　star…lit　stable；　and　close　beside　it　Sancho　made　his；　which
merely　consisted　of　a　rush　mat　and　a　blanket　that　looked　as　if　it
was　of　threadbare　canvas　rather　than　of　wool。　Next　to　these　two　beds
was　that　of　the　carrier；　made　up；　as　has　been　said；　of　the
pack…saddles　and　all　the　trappings　of　the　two　best　mules　he　had；
though　there　were　twelve　of　them；　sleek；　plump；　and　in　prime
condition；　for　he　was　one　of　the　rich　carriers　of　Arevalo；　according
to　the　author　of　this　history；　who　particularly　mentions　this
carrier　because　he　knew　him　very　well；　and　they　even　say　was　in　some
degree　a　relation　of　his；　besides　which　Cide　Hamete　Benengeli　was　a
historian　of　great　research　and　accuracy　in　all　things；　as　is　very
evident　since　he　would　not　pass　over　in　silence　those　that　have　been
already　mentioned；　however　trifling　and　insignificant　they　might　be；
an　example　that　might　be　followed　by　those　grave　historians　who　relate
transactions　so　curtly　and　briefly　that　we　hardly　get　a　taste　of　them；
all　the　substance　of　the　work　being　left　in　the　inkstand　from
carelessness；　perverseness；　or　ignorance。　A　thousand　blessings　on
the　author　of　〃Tablante　de　Ricamonte〃　and　that　of　the　other　book　in
which　the　deeds　of　the　Conde　Tomillas　are　recounted；　with　what
minuteness　they　describe　everything！
　　To　proceed；　then：　after　having　paid　a　visit　to　his　team　and　given
them　their　second　feed；　the　carrier　stretched　himself　on　his
pack…saddles　and　lay　waiting　for　his　conscientious　Maritornes。
Sancho　was　by　this　time　plastered　and　had　lain　down；　and　though　he
strove　to　sleep　the　pain　of　his　ribs　would　not　let　him；　while　Don
Quixote　with　the　pain　of　his　had　his　eyes　as　wide　open　as　a　hare's。
The　inn　was　all　in　silence；　and　in　the　whole　of　it　there　was　no
light　except　that　given　by　a　lantern　that　hung　burning　in　the　middle
of　the　gateway。　This　strange　stillness；　and　the　thoughts；　always
present　to　our　knight's　mind；　of　the　incidents　described　at　every　turn
in　the　books　that　were　the　cause　of　his　misfortune；　conjured　up　to　his
imagination　as　extraordinary　a　delusion　as　can　well　be　conceived；
which　was　that　he　fancied　himself　to　have　reached　a　famous　castle
（for；　as　has　been　said；　all　the　inns　he　lodged　in　were　castles　to
his　eyes）；　and　that　the　daughter　of　the　innkeeper　was　daughter　of
the　lord　of　the　castle；　and　that　she；　won　by　his　high…bred　bearing；
had　fallen　in　love　with　him；　and　had　promised　to　come　to　his　bed　for　a
while　that　night　without　the　knowledge　of　her　parents；　and　holding　all
this　fantasy　that　he　had　constructed　as　solid　fact；　he　began　to　feel
uneasy　and　to　consider　the　perilous　risk　which　his　virtue　was　about　to
encounter；　and　he　resolved　in　his　heart　to　commit　no　treason　to　his
lady　Dulcinea　del　Toboso；　even　though　the　queen　Guinevere　herself
and　the　dame　Quintanona　should　present　themselves　before　him。
　　While　he　was　taken　up　with　these　vagaries；　then；　the　time　and　the
hour…　an　unlucky　one　for　him…　arrived　for　the　Asturian　to　come；　who　in
her　smock；　with　bare　feet　and　her　hair　gathered　into　a　fustian　coif；
with　noiseless　and　cautious　steps　entered　the　chamber　where　the
three　were　quartered；　in　quest　of　the　carrier；　but　scarcely　had　she
gained　the　door　when　Don　Quixote　perceived　her；　and　sitting　up　in
his　bed　in　spite　of　his　plasters　and　the　pain　of　his　ribs；　he
stretched　out　his　arms　to　receive　his　beauteous　damsel。　The
Asturian；　who　went　all　doubled　up　and　in　silence　with　her　hands　before
her　feeling　for　her　lover；　encountered　the　arms　of　Don　Quixote；　who
grasped　her　tightly　by　the　wrist；　and　drawing　her　towards　him；　while
she　dared　not　utter　a　word；　made　her　sit　down　on　the　bed。　He　then　felt
her　smock；　and　although　it　was　of　sackcloth　it　appeared　to　him　to　be
of　the　finest　and　softest　silk：　on　her　wrists　she　wore　some　glass
beads；　but　to　him　they　had　the　sheen　of　precious　Orient　pearls：　her
hair；　which　in　some　measure　resembled　a　horse's　mane；　he　rated　as
threads　of　the　brightest　gold　of　Araby；　whose　refulgence　dimmed　the
sun　himself：　her　breath；　which　no　doubt　smelt　of　yesterday's　stale
salad；　seemed　to　him　to　diffuse　a　sweet　aromatic　fragrance　from　her
mouth；　and；　in　short；　he　drew　her　portrait　in　his　imagination　with　the
same　features　and　in　the　same　style　as　that　which　he　had　seen　in　his
books　of　the　other　princesses　who；　smitten　by　love；　came　with　all
the　adornments　that　are　here　set　down；　to　see　the　sorely　wounded
knight；　and　so　great　was　the　poor　gentleman's　blindness　that　neither
touch；　nor　smell；　nor　anything　else　about　the　good　lass　that　would
have　made　any　but　a　carrier　vomit；　were　enough　to　undeceive　him；　on
the　contrary；　he　was　persuaded　he　had　the　goddess　of　beauty　in　his
arms；　and　holding　her　firmly　in　his　grasp　he　went　on　to　say　in　low；
tender　voice：
　　〃Would　that　found　myself；　lovely　and　exalted　lady；　in　a　position
to　repay　such　a　favour　as　that　which　you；　by　the　sight　of　your　great
beauty；　have　granted　me；　but　fortune；　which　is　never　weary　of
persecuting　the　good；　has　chosen　to　place　me　upon　this　bed；　where　I
lie　so　bruised　and　broken　that　though　my　inclination　would　gladly
comply　with　yours　it　is　impossible；　besides；　to　this　impossibility
another　yet　greater　is　to　be　added；　which　is　the　faith　that　I　have
pledged　to　the　peerless　Dulcinea　del　Toboso；　sole　lady　of　my　most
secret　thoughts；　and　were　it　not　that　this　stood　in　the　way　I　should
not　be　so　insensible　a　knight　as　to　miss　the　happy　opportunity　which
your　great　goodness　has　offered　me。〃
　　Maritornes　was　fretting　and　sweating　at　finding　herself　held　so　fast
by　Don　Quixote；　and　not　understanding　or　heeding　the　words　he
addressed　to　her；　she　strove　without　speaking　to　free　herself。　The
worthy　carrier；　whose　unholy　thoughts　kept　him　awake；　was　aware　of　his
doxy　the　moment　she　entered　the　door；　and　was　listening　attentively　to
all　Don　Quixote　said；　and　jealous　that　the　Asturian　should　have　broken
her　word　with　him　for　another；　drew　nearer　to　Don　Quixote's　bed　and
stood　still　to　see　what　would　come　of　this　talk　which　he　could　not
understand；　but　when　he　perceived　the　wench　struggling　to　get　free　and
Don　Quixote　striving　to　hold　her；　not　relishing　the　joke　he　raised　his
arm　and　delivered　such　a　terrible　cuff　on　the　lank　jaws　of　the　amorous
knight　that　be　bathed　all　his　mouth　in　blood；　and　not　content　with
this　he　mounted　on　his　ribs　and　with　his　feet　tramped　all　over　them　at
a　pace　rather　smarter　than　a　trot。　The　bed　which　was　somewhat　crazy
and　not　very　firm　on　its　feet；　unable　to　support　the　additional　weight
of　the　carrier；　came　to　the　ground；　and　at　the　mighty　crash　of　this
the　innkeeper　awoke　and　at　once　concluded　that　it　must　be　some　brawl
of　Maritornes'；　because　after　calling　loudly　to　her　he　got　no
answer。　With　this　suspicion　he　got　up；　and　lighting　a　lamp　hastened　to
the　quarter　where　he　had　heard　the　disturbance。　The　wench；　seeing　that
her　master　was　coming　and　knowing　that　his