don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第41节

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　　　　　　　Or　else　it　is　my　doom　to　suffer　pains
　　　　　Beyond　the　measure　due　to　my　offence。
　　　　　But　if　Love　be　a　God；　it　follows　thence
　　　　　　　That　he　knows　all；　and　certain　it　remains
　　　　　　　No　God　loves　cruelty；　then　who　ordains
　　　　　This　penance　that　enthrals　while　it　torments？
　　　　　It　were　a　falsehood；　Chloe；　thee　to　name；
　　　　　　　Such　evil　with　such　goodness　cannot　live；
　　　　　And　against　Heaven　I　dare　not　charge　the　blame；
　　　　　　　I　only　know　it　is　my　fate　to　die。
　　　　　　　To　him　who　knows　not　whence　his　malady
　　　　　　　A　miracle　alone　a　cure　can　give。

　　〃There　is　nothing　to　be　learned　from　that　rhyme；〃　said　Sancho；
〃unless　by　that　clue　there's　in　it；　one　may　draw　out　the　ball　of　the
whole　matter。〃
　　〃What　clue　is　there？〃　said　Don　Quixote。
　　〃I　thought　your　worship　spoke　of　a　clue　in　it；〃　said　Sancho。
　　〃I　only　said　Chloe；〃　replied　Don　Quixote；　〃and　that　no　doubt；　is　the
name　of　the　lady　of　whom　the　author　of　the　sonnet　complains；　and；
faith；　he　must　be　a　tolerable　poet；　or　I　know　little　of　the　craft。〃
　　〃Then　your　worship　understands　rhyming　too？〃
　　〃And　better　than　thou　thinkest；〃　replied　Don　Quixote；　〃as　thou　shalt
see　when　thou　carriest　a　letter　written　in　verse　from　beginning　to　end
to　my　lady　Dulcinea　del　Toboso；　for　I　would　have　thee　know；　Sancho；
that　all　or　most　of　the　knights…errant　in　days　of　yore　were　great
troubadours　and　great　musicians；　for　both　of　these　accomplishments；　or
more　properly　speaking　gifts；　are　the　peculiar　property　of
lovers…errant：　true　it　is　that　the　verses　of　the　knights　of　old　have
more　spirit　than　neatness　in　them。〃
　　〃Read　more；　your　worship；〃　said　Sancho；　〃and　you　will　find　something
that　will　enlighten　us。〃
　　Don　Quixote　turned　the　page　and　said；　〃This　is　prose　and　seems　to　be
a　letter。〃
　　〃A　correspondence　letter；　senor？〃
　　〃From　the　beginning　it　seems　to　be　a　love　letter；〃　replied　Don
Quixote。
　　〃Then　let　your　worship　read　it　aloud；〃　said　Sancho；　〃for　I　am　very
fond　of　love　matters。〃
　　〃With　all　my　heart；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　and　reading　it　aloud　as
Sancho　had　requested　him；　he　found　it　ran　thus：

　　Thy　false　promise　and　my　sure　misforutne　carry　me　to　a　place
whence　the　news　of　my　death　will　reach　thy　ears　before　the　words　of　my
complaint。　Ungrateful　one；　thou　hast　rejected　me　for　one　more　wealthy；
but　not　more　worthy；　but　if　virtue　were　esteemed　wealth　I　should
neither　envy　the　fortunes　of　others　nor　weep　for　misfortunes　of　my
own。　What　thy　beauty　raised　up　thy　deeds　have　laid　low；　by　it　I
believed　thee　to　be　an　angel；　by　them　I　know　thou　art　a　woman。　Peace
be　with　thee　who　hast　sent　war　to　me；　and　Heaven　grant　that　the　deceit
of　thy　husband　be　ever　hidden　from　thee；　so　that　thou　repent　not　of
what　thou　hast　done；　and　I　reap　not　a　revenge　I　would　not　have。

　　When　he　had　finished　the　letter；　Don　Quixote　said；　〃There　is　less　to
be　gathered　from　this　than　from　the　verses；　except　that　he　who　wrote
it　is　some　rejected　lover；〃　and　turning　over　nearly　all　the　pages　of
the　book　he　found　more　verses　and　letters；　some　of　which　he　could
read；　while　others　he　could　not；　but　they　were　all　made　up　of
complaints；　laments；　misgivings；　desires　and　aversions；　favours　and
rejections；　some　rapturous；　some　doleful。　While　Don　Quixote　examined
the　book；　Sancho　examined　the　valise；　not　leaving　a　corner　in　the
whole　of　it　or　in　the　pad　that　he　did　not　search；　peer　into；　and
explore；　or　seam　that　he　did　not　rip；　or　tuft　of　wool　that　he　did
not　pick　to　pieces；　lest　anything　should　escape　for　want　of　care　and
pains；　so　keen　was　the　covetousness　excited　in　him　by　the　discovery　of
the　crowns；　which　amounted　to　near　a　hundred；　and　though　he　found　no
more　booty；　he　held　the　blanket　flights；　balsam　vomits；　stake
benedictions；　carriers'　fisticuffs；　missing　alforjas；　stolen　coat；　and
all　the　hunger；　thirst；　and　weariness　he　had　endured　in　the　service　of
his　good　master；　cheap　at　the　price；　as　he　considered　himself　more
than　fully　indemnified　for　all　by　the　payment　he　received　in　the
gift　of　the　treasure…trove。
　　The　Knight　of　the　Rueful　Countenance　was　still　very　anxious　to
find　out　who　the　owner　of　the　valise　could　be；　conjecturing　from　the
sonnet　and　letter；　from　the　money　in　gold；　and　from　the　fineness　of
the　shirts；　that　he　must　be　some　lover　of　distinction　whom　the　scorn
and　cruelty　of　his　lady　had　driven　to　some　desperate　course；　but　as　in
that　uninhabited　and　rugged　spot　there　was　no　one　to　be　seen　of　whom
he　could　inquire；　he　saw　nothing　else　for　it　but　to　push　on；　taking
whatever　road　Rocinante　chose…　which　was　where　he　could　make　his
way…　firmly　persuaded　that　among　these　wilds　he　could　not　fail　to　meet
some　rare　adventure。　As　he　went　along；　then；　occupied　with　these
thoughts；　he　perceived　on　the　summit　of　a　height　that　rose　before
their　eyes　a　man　who　went　springing　from　rock　to　rock　and　from　tussock
to　tussock　with　marvellous　agility。　As　well　as　he　could　make　out　he
was　unclad；　with　a　thick　black　beard；　long　tangled　hair；　and　bare　legs
and　feet；　his　thighs　were　covered　by　breeches　apparently　of　tawny
velvet　but　so　ragged　that　they　showed　his　skin　in　several　places。　He
was　bareheaded；　and　notwithstanding　the　swiftness　with　which　he　passed
as　has　been　described；　the　Knight　of　the　Rueful　Countenance　observed
and　noted　all　these　trifles；　and　though　he　made　the　attempt；　he　was
unable　to　follow　him；　for　it　was　not　granted　to　the　feebleness　of
Rocinante　to　make　way　over　such　rough　ground；　he　being；　moreover；
slow…paced　and　sluggish　by　nature。　Don　Quixote　at　once　came　to　the
conclusion　that　this　was　the　owner　of　the　saddle…pad　and　of　the
valise；　and　made　up　his　mind　to　go　in　search　of　him；　even　though　he
should　have　to　wander　a　year　in　those　mountains　before　he　found　him；
and　so　he　directed　Sancho　to　take　a　short　cut　over　one　side　of　the
mountain；　while　he　himself　went　by　the　other；　and　perhaps　by　this
means　they　might　light　upon　this　man　who　had　passed　so　quickly　out
of　their　sight。
　　〃I　could　not　do　that；〃　said　Sancho；　〃for　when　I　separate　from　your
worship　fear　at　once　lays　hold　of　me；　and　assails　me　with　all　sorts　of
panics　and　fancies；　and　let　what　I　now　say　be　a　notice　that　from
this　time　forth　I　am　not　going　to　stir　a　finger's　width　from　your
presence。〃
　　〃It　shall　be　so；〃　said　he　of　the　Rueful　Countenance；　〃and　I　am
very　glad　that　thou　art　willing　to　rely　on　my　courage；　which　will
never　fail　thee；　even　though　the　soul　in　thy　body　fail　thee；　so　come
on　now　behind　me　slowly　as　well　as　thou　canst；　and　make　lanterns　of
thine　eyes；　let　us　make　the　circuit　of　this　ridge；　perhaps　we　shall
light　upon　this　man　that　we　saw；　who　no　doubt　is　no　other　than　the
owner　of　what　we　found。〃
　　To　which　Sancho　made　answer；　〃Far　better　would　it　be　not　to　look　for
him；　for；　if　we　find　him；　and　he　happens　to　be　the　owner　of　the　money；
it　is　plain　I　must　restore　it；　it　would　be　better；　therefore；　that
without　taking　this　needless　trouble；　I　should　keep　possession　of　it
until　in　some　other　less　meddlesome　and　officious　way　the　real　owner
may　be　discovered；　and　perhaps　that　will　be　when　I　shall　have　spent
it；　and　then　the　king　will　hold　me　harmless。〃
　　〃Thou　art　wrong　there；　Sancho；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃for　now　that　we
have　a　suspicion　who　the　owner　is；　and　have　him　almost　before　us；　we
are　bound　to　seek　him　and　make　restitution；　and　if　we　do　not　see
him；　the　strong　suspicion　we　have　as　to　his　being　the　owner　makes　us
as　guilty　as　if　he　were　so；　and　so；　friend　Sancho；　let　not　our
search　for　him　give　thee　any　uneasiness；　for　if　we　find　him　it　will
relieve　mine。〃
　　And　so　saying　he　gave　Rocinante　the　spur；　and　Sancho　followed　him　on
foot　and　loaded；　and　after　having　partly　made　the　circuit　of　the
mountain　they　found　lying　in　a　ravine；　dead　and　half　devoured　by
dogs　and　pecked　by　jackdaws；　a　mule　saddled　and　bridled；　all　which
still　further　strengthened　their　suspicion　that　he　who　had　fled　was
the　owner　of　the　mule　and　the　saddle…pad。
　　As　they　stood　looking　at　it　they　heard　a　whistle　like　that　of　a
shepherd　watching　his　flock；　and　suddenly　on　their　left　there　appeared
a　great　number　of　goats　and　behind　them　on　the　summit　of　the
mountain　the　goatherd　in　charge　of　them；　a　man　advanced　in　years。
Don　Quixote　called　aloud　to　him　and　begged　him　to　come　down　to　where
they　stood。　He　shouted　in　return；　asking　what　had　brought　them　to　that
spot；　seldom　or　never　trodden　except　by　the　feet　of　goats；　or　of　the
wolves　and　other　wild　beasts　that　roamed　around。　Sancho　in　return　bade
him　come　down；　and　they　would　explain　all　to　him。
　　The　goatherd　descended；　and　reaching　the　place　where　Don　Quixote
stood；　he　said；　〃I　will　wager　you　are　looking　at　that　hack　mule　that
lies　dead　in　the　hollow　there；　and；　faith；　it　has　been　lying　there　now
these　six　months；　tell　me；　have　you　come　upon　its　master　about　here？〃
　　〃We　have　come　upon　nobody；〃　answered　Don　Quixote；　〃nor　on　anything
except　a　saddle…pad　and　a　little　valise　that　we　found　not　far　from
this。〃
　　〃I　found　it　too；〃　said　the　goatherd；　〃but　I　would　not　lift　it　nor　go
near　it　for　fear　of　some　ill…luck　or　being　charged　with　theft；　for　the
devil　is　crafty；　and　things　rise　up　under　one's　feet　to　make　one
fall　without　knowing　why　or　wherefore。〃
　　〃That's　exactly　what　I　say；〃　said