don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第126节

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　　〃Well　then；〃　returned　the　bachelor；　〃don't　be　uneasy；　but　go　home　in
peace；　get　me　ready　something　hot　for　breakfast；　and　while　you　are
on　the　way　say　the　prayer　of　Santa　Apollonia；　that　is　if　you　know
it；　for　I　will　come　presently　and　you　will　see　miracles。〃
　　〃Woe　is　me；〃　cried　the　housekeeper；　〃is　it　the　prayer　of　Santa
Apollonia　you　would　have　me　say？　That　would　do　if　it　was　the　toothache
my　master　had；　but　it　is　in　the　brains；　what　he　has　got。〃
　　〃I　know　what　I　am　saying；　mistress　housekeeper；　go；　and　don't　set
yourself　to　argue　with　me；　for　you　know　I　am　a　bachelor　of
Salamanca；　and　one　can't　be　more　of　a　bachelor　than　that；〃　replied
Carrasco；　and　with　this　the　housekeeper　retired；　and　the　bachelor　went
to　look　for　the　curate；　and　arrange　with　him　what　will　be　told　in
its　proper　place。
　　While　Don　Quixote　and　Sancho　were　shut　up　together；　they　had　a
discussion　which　the　history　records　with　great　precision　and
scrupulous　exactness。　Sancho　said　to　his　master；　〃Senor；　I　have　educed
my　wife　to　let　me　go　with　your　worship　wherever　you　choose　to　take
me。〃
　　〃Induced；　you　should　say；　Sancho；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃not　educed。〃
　　〃Once　or　twice；　as　well　as　I　remember；〃　replied　Sancho；　〃I　have
begged　of　your　worship　not　to　mend　my　words；　if　so　be　as　you
understand　what　I　mean　by　them；　and　if　you　don't　understand　them　to
say　'Sancho；'　or　'devil；'　'I　don't　understand　thee；　and　if　I　don't
make　my　meaning　plain；　then　you　may　correct　me；　for　I　am　so　focile…〃
　　〃I　don't　understand　thee；　Sancho；〃　said　Don　Quixote　at　once；　〃for
I　know　not　what　'I　am　so　focile'　means。〃
　　〃'So　focile'　means　I　am　so　much　that　way；〃　replied　Sancho。
　　〃I　understand　thee　still　less　now；〃　said　Don　Quixote。
　　〃Well；　if　you　can't　understand　me；〃　said　Sancho；　〃I　don't　know　how
to　put　it；　I　know　no　more；　God　help　me。〃
　　〃Oh；　now　I　have　hit　it；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃thou　wouldst　say　thou
art　so　docile；　tractable；　and　gentle　that　thou　wilt　take　what　I　say　to
thee；　and　submit　to　what　I　teach　thee。〃
　　〃I　would　bet；〃　said　Sancho；　〃that　from　the　very　first　you　understood
me；　and　knew　what　I　meant；　but　you　wanted　to　put　me　out　that　you　might
hear　me　make　another　couple　of　dozen　blunders。〃
　　〃May　be　so；〃　replied　Don　Quixote；　〃but　to　come　to　the　point；　what
does　Teresa　say？〃
　　〃Teresa　says；〃　replied　Sancho；　〃that　I　should　make　sure　with　your
worship；　and　'let　papers　speak　and　beards　be　still；'　for　'he　who　binds
does　not　wrangle；'　since　one　'take'　is　better　than　two　'I'll　give
thee's；'　and　I　say　a　woman's　advice　is　no　great　thing；　and　he　who
won't　take　it　is　a　fool。〃
　　〃And　so　say　I；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃continue；　Sancho　my　friend；　go
on；　you　talk　pearls　to…day。〃
　　〃The　fact　is；〃　continued　Sancho；　〃that；　as　your　worship　knows　better
than　I　do；　we　are　all　of　us　liable　to　death；　and　to…day　we　are；　and
to…morrow　we　are　not；　and　the　lamb　goes　as　soon　as　the　sheep；　and
nobody　can　promise　himself　more　hours　of　life　in　this　world　than　God
may　be　pleased　to　give　him；　for　death　is　deaf；　and　when　it　comes　to
knock　at　our　life's　door；　it　is　always　urgent；　and　neither　prayers；
nor　struggles；　nor　sceptres；　nor　mitres；　can　keep　it　back；　as　common
talk　and　report　say；　and　as　they　tell　us　from　the　pulpits　every　day。〃
　　〃All　that　is　very　true；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃but　I　cannot　make　out
what　thou　art　driving　at。〃
　　〃What　I　am　driving　at；〃　said　Sancho；　〃is　that　your　worship　settle
some　fixed　wages　for　me；　to　be　paid　monthly　while　I　am　in　your
service；　and　that　the　same　he　paid　me　out　of　your　estate；　for　I
don't　care　to　stand　on　rewards　which　either　come　late；　or　ill；　or
never　at　all；　God　help　me　with　my　own。　In　short；　I　would　like　to
know　what　I　am　to　get；　be　it　much　or　little；　for　the　hen　will　lay　on
one　egg；　and　many　littles　make　a　much；　and　so　long　as　one　gains
something　there　is　nothing　lost。　To　he　sure；　if　it　should　happen　（what
I　neither　believe　nor　expect）　that　your　worship　were　to　give　me　that
island　you　have　promised　me；　I　am　not　so　ungrateful　nor　so　grasping
but　that　I　would　be　willing　to　have　the　revenue　of　such　island
valued　and　stopped　out　of　my　wages　in　due　promotion。〃
　　〃Sancho；　my　friend；〃　replied　Don　Quixote；　〃sometimes　proportion
may　be　as　good　as　promotion。〃
　　〃I　see；〃　said　Sancho；　〃I'll　bet　I　ought　to　have　said　proportion；　and
not　promotion；　but　it　is　no　matter；　as　your　worship　has　understood
me。〃
　　〃And　so　well　understood；〃　returned　Don　Quixote；　〃that　I　have　seen
into　the　depths　of　thy　thoughts；　and　know　the　mark　thou　art　shooting
at　with　the　countless　shafts　of　thy　proverbs。　Look　here；　Sancho；　I
would　readily　fix　thy　wages　if　I　had　ever　found　any　instance　in　the
histories　of　the　knights…errant　to　show　or　indicate；　by　the
slightest　hint；　what　their　squires　used　to　get　monthly　or　yearly；
but　I　have　read　all　or　the　best　part　of　their　histories；　and　I
cannot　remember　reading　of　any　knight…errant　having　assigned　fixed
wages　to　his　squire；　I　only　know　that　they　all　served　on　reward；　and
that　when　they　least　expected　it；　if　good　luck　attended　their　masters；
they　found　themselves　recompensed　with　an　island　or　something
equivalent　to　it；　or　at　the　least　they　were　left　with　a　title　and
lordship。　If　with　these　hopes　and　additional　inducements　you；
Sancho；　please　to　return　to　my　service；　well　and　good；　but　to
suppose　that　I　am　going　to　disturb　or　unhinge　the　ancient　usage　of
knight…errantry；　is　all　nonsense。　And　so；　my　Sancho；　get　you　back　to
your　house　and　explain　my　intentions　to　your　Teresa；　and　if　she
likes　and　you　like　to　be　on　reward　with　me；　bene　quidem；　if　not；　we
remain　friends；　for　if　the　pigeon…house　does　not　lack　food；　it　will
not　lack　pigeons；　and　bear　in　mind；　my　son；　that　a　good　hope　is　better
than　a　bad　holding；　and　a　good　grievance　better　than　a　bad
compensation。　I　speak　in　this　way；　Sancho；　to　show　you　that　I　can
shower　down　proverbs　just　as　well　as　yourself；　and　in　short；　I　mean　to
say；　and　I　do　say；　that　if　you　don't　like　to　come　on　reward　with　me；
and　run　the　same　chance　that　I　run；　God　be　with　you　and　make　a　saint
of　you；　for　I　shall　find　plenty　of　squires　more　obedient　and
painstaking；　and　not　so　thickheaded　or　talkative　as　you　are。〃
　　When　Sancho　heard　his　master's　firm；　resolute　language；　a　cloud　came
over　the　sky　with　him　and　the　wings　of　his　heart　drooped；　for　he　had
made　sure　that　his　master　would　not　go　without　him　for　all　the
wealth　of　the　world；　and　as　he　stood　there　dumbfoundered　and　moody；
Samson　Carrasco　came　in　with　the　housekeeper　and　niece；　who　were
anxious　to　hear　by　what　arguments　he　was　about　to　dissuade　their
master　from　going　to　seek　adventures。　The　arch　wag　Samson　came
forward；　and　embracing　him　as　he　had　done　before；　said　with　a　loud
voice；　〃O　flower　of　knight…errantry！　O　shining　light　of　arms！　O　honour
and　mirror　of　the　Spanish　nation！　may　God　Almighty　in　his　infinite
power　grant　that　any　person　or　persons；　who　would　impede　or　hinder　thy
third　sally；　may　find　no　way　out　of　the　labyrinth　of　their　schemes；
nor　ever　accomplish　what　they　most　desire！〃　And　then；　turning　to　the
housekeeper；　he　said；　〃Mistress　housekeeper　may　just　as　well　give　over
saying　the　prayer　of　Santa　Apollonia；　for　I　know　it　is　the　positive
determination　of　the　spheres　that　Senor　Don　Quixote　shall　proceed　to
put　into　execution　his　new　and　lofty　designs；　and　I　should　lay　a　heavy
burden　on　my　conscience　did　I　not　urge　and　persuade　this　knight　not　to
keep　the　might　of　his　strong　arm　and　the　virtue　of　his　valiant
spirit　any　longer　curbed　and　checked；　for　by　his　inactivity　he　is
defrauding　the　world　of　the　redress　of　wrongs；　of　the　protection　of
orphans；　of　the　honour　of　virgins；　of　the　aid　of　widows；　and　of　the
support　of　wives；　and　other　matters　of　this　kind　appertaining；
belonging；　proper　and　peculiar　to　the　order　of　knight…errantry。　On；
then；　my　lord　Don　Quixote；　beautiful　and　brave；　let　your　worship　and
highness　set　out　to…day　rather　than　to…morrow；　and　if　anything　be
needed　for　the　execution　of　your　purpose；　here　am　I　ready　in　person
and　purse　to　supply　the　want；　and　were　it　requisite　to　attend　your
magnificence　as　squire；　I　should　esteem　it　the　happiest　good　fortune。〃
　　At　this；　Don　Quixote；　turning　to　Sancho；　said；　〃Did　I　not　tell　thee；
Sancho；　there　would　be　squires　enough　and　to　spare　for　me？　See　now　who
offers　to　become　one；　no　less　than　the　illustrious　bachelor　Samson
Carrasco；　the　perpetual　joy　and　delight　of　the　courts　of　the
Salamancan　schools；　sound　in　body；　discreet；　patient　under　heat　or
cold；　hunger　or　thirst；　with　all　the　qualifications　requisite　to
make　a　knight…errant's　squire！　But　heaven　forbid　that；　to　gratify　my
own　inclination；　I　should　shake　or　shatter　this　pillar　of　letters
and　vessel　of　the　sciences；　and　cut　down　this　towering　palm　of　the
fair　and　liberal　arts。　Let　this　new　Samson　remain　in　his　own
country；　and；　bringing　honour　to　it；　bring　honour　at　the　same　time
on　the　grey　heads　of　his　venerable　parents；　for　I　will　be　content　with
any　squire　that　comes　to　hand；　as　Sancho　does　not　deign　to　accompany
me。〃
　　〃I　do　deign；〃　said　Sancho；　deeply　moved　and　with　tears　in　his
eyes；　〃it　shall　not　be　said　of　me；　master　mine；〃　he　continued；　〃'the
bread　eaten　and　the　company　dispersed。'　Nay；　I　come　of　no　ungrateful
stock；　for　all　th