don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第76节

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might　become　perhaps　more　widely　known；　but　before　I　do　so；　in　my
death　I　mean　to　inflict　death；　and　take　with　me　one　that　will　fully
satisfy　my　longing　for　the　revenge　I　hope　for　and　have；　for　I　shall
see；　wheresoever　it　may　be　that　I　go；　the　penalty　awarded　by
inflexible；　unswerving　justice　on　him　who　has　placed　me　in　a
position　so　desperate。〃
　　As　she　uttered　these　words；　with　incredible　energy　and　swiftness　she
flew　upon　Lothario　with　the　naked　dagger；　so　manifestly　bent　on
burying　it　in　his　breast　that　he　was　almost　uncertain　whether　these
demonstrations　were　real　or　feigned；　for　he　was　obliged　to　have
recourse　to　all　his　skill　and　strength　to　prevent　her　from　striking
him；　and　with　such　reality　did　she　act　this　strange　farce　and
mystification　that；　to　give　it　a　colour　of　truth；　she　determined　to
stain　it　with　her　own　blood；　for　perceiving；　or　pretending；　that　she
could　not　wound　Lothario；　she　said；　〃Fate；　it　seems；　will　not　grant　my
just　desire　complete　satisfaction；　but　it　will　not　be　able　to　keep
me　from　satisfying　it　partially　at　least；〃　and　making　an　effort　to
free　the　hand　with　the　dagger　which　Lothario　held　in　his　grasp；　she
released　it；　and　directing　the　point　to　a　place　where　it　could　not
inflict　a　deep　wound；　she　plunged　it　into　her　left　side　high　up
close　to　the　shoulder；　and　then　allowed　herself　to　fall　to　the
ground　as　if　in　a　faint。
　　Leonela　and　Lothario　stood　amazed　and　astounded　at　the
catastrophe；　and　seeing　Camilla　stretched　on　the　ground　and　bathed
in　her　blood　they　were　still　uncertain　as　to　the　true　nature　of　the
act。　Lothario；　terrified　and　breathless；　ran　in　haste　to　pluck　out　the
dagger；　but　when　he　saw　how　slight　the　wound　was　he　was　relieved　of
his　fears　and　once　more　admired　the　subtlety；　coolness；　and　ready
wit　of　the　fair　Camilla；　and　the　better　to　support　the　part　he　had
to　play　he　began　to　utter　profuse　and　doleful　lamentations　over　her
body　as　if　she　were　dead；　invoking　maledictions　not　only　on　himself
but　also　on　him　who　had　been　the　means　of　placing　him　in　such　a
position：　and　knowing　that　his　friend　Anselmo　heard　him　he　spoke　in
such　a　way　as　to　make　a　listener　feel　much　more　pity　for　him　than
for　Camilla；　even　though　he　supposed　her　dead。　Leonela　took　her　up
in　her　arms　and　laid　her　on　the　bed；　entreating　Lothario　to　go　in
quest　of　some　one　to　attend　to　her　wound　in　secret；　and　at　the　same
time　asking　his　advice　and　opinion　as　to　what　they　should　say　to
Anselmo　about　his　lady's　wound　if　he　should　chance　to　return　before　it
was　healed。　He　replied　they　might　say　what　they　liked；　for　he　was
not　in　a　state　to　give　advice　that　would　be　of　any　use；　all　he　could
tell　her　was　to　try　and　stanch　the　blood；　as　he　was　going　where　he
should　never　more　be　seen；　and　with　every　appearance　of　deep　grief　and
sorrow　he　left　the　house；　but　when　he　found　himself　alone；　and　where
there　was　nobody　to　see　him；　he　crossed　himself　unceasingly；　lost　in
wonder　at　the　adroitness　of　Camilla　and　the　consistent　acting　of
Leonela。　He　reflected　how　convinced　Anselmo　would　be　that　he　had　a
second　Portia　for　a　wife；　and　he　looked　forward　anxiously　to　meeting
him　in　order　to　rejoice　together　over　falsehood　and　truth　the　most
craftily　veiled　that　could　be　imagined。
　　Leonela；　as　he　told　her；　stanched　her　lady's　blood；　which　was　no
more　than　sufficed　to　support　her　deception；　and　washing　the　wound
with　a　little　wine　she　bound　it　up　to　the　best　of　her　skill；　talking
all　the　time　she　was　tending　her　in　a　strain　that；　even　if　nothing
else　had　been　said　before；　would　have　been　enough　to　assure　Anselmo
that　he　had　in　Camilla　a　model　of　purity。　To　Leonela's　words　Camilla
added　her　own；　calling　herself　cowardly　and　wanting　in　spirit；　since
she　had　not　enough　at　the　time　she　had　most　need　of　it　to　rid
herself　of　the　life　she　so　much　loathed。　She　asked　her　attendant's
advice　as　to　whether　or　not　she　ought　to　inform　her　beloved　husband　of
all　that　had　happened；　but　the　other　bade　her　say　nothing　about　it；　as
she　would　lay　upon　him　the　obligation　of　taking　vengeance　on　Lothario；
which　he　could　not　do　but　at　great　risk　to　himself；　and　it　was　the
duty　of　a　true　wife　not　to　give　her　husband　provocation　to　quarrel；
but；　on　the　contrary；　to　remove　it　as　far　as　possible　from　him。
　　Camilla　replied　that　she　believed　she　was　right　and　that　she　would
follow　her　advice；　but　at　any　rate　it　would　be　well　to　consider　how
she　was　to　explain　the　wound　to　Anselmo；　for　he　could　not　help
seeing　it；　to　which　Leonela　answered　that　she　did　not　know　how　to　tell
a　lie　even　in　jest。
　　〃How　then　can　I　know；　my　dear？〃　said　Camilla；　〃for　I　should　not　dare
to　forge　or　keep　up　a　falsehood　if　my　life　depended　on　it。　If　we　can
think　of　no　escape　from　this　difficulty；　it　will　be　better　to　tell　him
the　plain　truth　than　that　he　should　find　us　out　in　an　untrue　story。〃
　　〃Be　not　uneasy；　senora；〃　said　Leonela；　〃between　this　and　to…morrow　I
will　think　of　what　we　must　say　to　him；　and　perhaps　the　wound　being
where　it　is　it　can　be　hidden　from　his　sight；　and　Heaven　will　be
pleased　to　aid　us　in　a　purpose　so　good　and　honourable。　Compose
yourself；　senora；　and　endeavour　to　calm　your　excitement　lest　my　lord
find　you　agitated；　and　leave　the　rest　to　my　care　and　God's；　who　always
supports　good　intentions。〃
　　Anselmo　had　with　the　deepest　attention　listened　to　and　seen　played
out　the　tragedy　of　the　death　of　his　honour；　which　the　performers　acted
with　such　wonderfully　effective　truth　that　it　seemed　as　if　they　had
become　the　realities　of　the　parts　they　played。　He　longed　for　night　and
an　opportunity　of　escaping　from　the　house　to　go　and　see　his　good
friend　Lothario；　and　with　him　give　vent　to　his　joy　over　the　precious
pearl　he　had　gained　in　having　established　his　wife's　purity。　Both
mistress　and　maid　took　care　to　give　him　time　and　opportunity　to　get
away；　and　taking　advantage　of　it　he　made　his　escape；　and　at　once
went　in　quest　of　Lothario；　and　it　would　be　impossible　to　describe
how　he　embraced　him　when　he　found　him；　and　the　things　he　said　to　him
in　the　joy　of　his　heart；　and　the　praises　he　bestowed　upon　Camilla；　all
which　Lothario　listened　to　without　being　able　to　show　any　pleasure；
for　he　could　not　forget　how　deceived　his　friend　was；　and　how
dishonourably　he　had　wronged　him；　and　though　Anselmo　could　see　that
Lothario　was　not　glad；　still　he　imagined　it　was　only　because　he　had
left　Camilla　wounded　and　had　been　himself　the　cause　of　it；　and　so
among　other　things　he　told　him　not　to　be　distressed　about　Camilla's
accident；　for；　as　they　had　agreed　to　hide　it　from　him；　the　wound　was
evidently　trifling；　and　that　being　so；　he　had　no　cause　for　fear；　but
should　henceforward　be　of　good　cheer　and　rejoice　with　him；　seeing　that
by　his　means　and　adroitness　he　found　himself　raised　to　the　greatest
height　of　happiness　that　he　could　have　ventured　to　hope　for；　and
desired　no　better　pastime　than　making　verses　in　praise　of　Camilla　that
would　preserve　her　name　for　all　time　to　come。　Lothario　commended　his
purpose；　and　promised　on　his　own　part　to　aid　him　in　raising　a　monument
so　glorious。
　　And　so　Anselmo　was　left　the　most　charmingly　hoodwinked　man　there
could　be　in　the　world。　He　himself；　persuaded　he　was　conducting　the
instrument　of　his　glory；　led　home　by　the　hand　him　who　had　been　the
utter　destruction　of　his　good　name；　whom　Camilla　received　with　averted
countenance；　though　with　smiles　in　her　heart。　The　deception　was
carried　on　for　some　time；　until　at　the　end　of　a　few　months　Fortune
turned　her　wheel　and　the　guilt　which　had　been　until　then　so
skilfully　concealed　was　published　abroad；　and　Anselmo　paid　with　his
life　the　penalty　of　his　ill…advised　curiosity。

　　CHAPTER　XXXV
　　WHICH　TREATS　OF　THE　HEROIC　AND　PRODIGIOUS　BATTLE　DON　QUIXOTE　HAD
WITH　CERTAIN　SKINS　OF　RED　WINE；　AND　BRINGS　THE　NOVEL　OF　〃THE
ILL…ADVISED　CURIOSITY〃　TO　A　CLOSE

　　THERE　remained　but　little　more　of　the　novel　to　be　read；　when
Sancho　Panza　burst　forth　in　wild　excitement　from　the　garret　where
Don　Quixote　was　lying；　shouting；　〃Run；　sirs！　quick；　and　help　my
master；　who　is　in　the　thick　of　the　toughest　and　stiffest　battle　I　ever
laid　eyes　on。　By　the　living　God　he　has　given　the　giant；　the　enemy　of
my　lady　the　Princess　Micomicona；　such　a　slash　that　he　has　sliced　his
head　clean　off　as　if　it　were　a　turnip。〃
　　〃What　are　you　talking　about；　brother？〃　said　the　curate；　pausing　as
he　was　about　to　read　the　remainder　of　the　novel。　〃Are　you　in　your
senses；　Sancho？　How　the　devil　can　it　be　as　you　say；　when　the　giant
is　two　thousand　leagues　away？〃
　　Here　they　heard　a　loud　noise　in　the　chamber；　and　Don　Quixote
shouting　out；　〃Stand；　thief；　brigand；　villain；　now　I　have　got　thee；
and　thy　scimitar　shall　not　avail　thee！〃　And　then　it　seemed　as　though
he　were　slashing　vigorously　at　the　wall。
　　〃Don't　stop　to　listen；〃　said　Sancho；　〃but　go　in　and　part　them　or
help　my　master：　though　there　is　no　need　of　that　now；　for　no　doubt
the　giant　is　dead　by　this　time　and　giving　account　to　God　of　his　past
wicked　life；　for　I　saw　the　blood　flowing　on　the　ground；　and　the　head
cut　off　and　fallen　on　one　side；　and　it　is　as　big　as　a　large
wine…skin。〃
　　〃May　I　die；〃　said　the　landlord　at　this；　〃if　Don　Quixote　or　Don　Devil
has　not　been　slashing　some　of　the　skins　of　red　wine　t