don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第154节

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am　listening　to　you　with　the　greatest　pleasure　in　the　world。〃
　　〃And　with　no　less　do　I　tell　the　tale；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃and　so；　to
proceed…　the　venerable　Montesinos　led　me　into　the　palace　of　crystal；
where；　in　a　lower　chamber；　strangely　cool　and　entirely　of　alabaster；
was　an　elaborately　wrought　marble　tomb；　upon　which　I　beheld；　stretched
at　full　length；　a　knight；　not　of　bronze；　or　marble；　or　jasper；　as
are　seen　on　other　tombs；　but　of　actual　flesh　and　bone。　His　right
hand　（which　seemed　to　me　somewhat　hairy　and　sinewy；　a　sign　of　great
strength　in　its　owner）　lay　on　the　side　of　his　heart；　but　before　I
could　put　any　question　to　Montesinos；　he；　seeing　me　gazing　at　the　tomb
in　amazement；　said　to　me；　'This　is　my　friend　Durandarte；　flower　and
mirror　of　the　true　lovers　and　valiant　knights　of　his　time。　He　is
held　enchanted　here；　as　I　myself　and　many　others　are；　by　that　French
enchanter　Merlin；　who；　they　say；　was　the　devil's　son；　but　my　belief
is；　not　that　he　was　the　devil's　son；　but　that　he　knew；　as　the　saying
is；　a　point　more　than　the　devil。　How　or　why　he　enchanted　us；　no　one
knows；　but　time　will　tell；　and　I　suspect　that　time　is　not　far　off。
What　I　marvel　at　is；　that　I　know　it　to　be　as　sure　as　that　it　is　now
day；　that　Durandarte　ended　his　life　in　my　arms；　and　that；　after　his
death；　I　took　out　his　heart　with　my　own　hands；　and　indeed　it　must　have
weighed　more　than　two　pounds；　for；　according　to　naturalists；　he　who
has　a　large　heart　is　more　largely　endowed　with　valour　than　he　who
has　a　small　one。　Then；　as　this　is　the　case；　and　as　the　knight　did
really　die；　how　comes　it　that　he　now　moans　and　sighs　from　time　to
time；　as　if　he　were　still　alive？'
　　〃As　he　said　this；　the　wretched　Durandarte　cried　out　in　a　loud　voice：

　　　　　　　O　cousin　Montesinos！
　　　　　　　　　'T　was　my　last　request　of　thee；
　　　　　　　When　my　soul　hath　left　the　body；
　　　　　　　　　And　that　lying　dead　I　be；
　　　　　　　With　thy　poniard　or　thy　dagger
　　　　　　　　　Cut　the　heart　from　out　my　breast；
　　　　　　　And　bear　it　to　Belerma。
　　　　　　　　　This　was　my　last　request。

On　hearing　which；　the　venerable　Montesinos　fell　on　his　knees　before
the　unhappy　knight；　and　with　tearful　eyes　exclaimed；　'Long　since；
Senor　Durandarte；　my　beloved　cousin；　long　since　have　I　done　what　you
bade　me　on　that　sad　day　when　I　lost　you；　I　took　out　your　heart　as　well
as　I　could；　not　leaving　an　atom　of　it　in　your　breast；　I　wiped　it
with　a　lace　handkerchief；　and　I　took　the　road　to　France　with　it；
having　first　laid　you　in　the　bosom　of　the　earth　with　tears　enough　to
wash　and　cleanse　my　hands　of　the　blood　that　covered　them　after
wandering　among　your　bowels；　and　more　by　token；　O　cousin　of　my　soul；
at　the　first　village　I　came　to　after　leaving　Roncesvalles；　I　sprinkled
a　little　salt　upon　your　heart　to　keep　it　sweet；　and　bring　it；　if　not
fresh；　at　least　pickled；　into　the　presence　of　the　lady　Belerma；
whom；　together　with　you；　myself；　Guadiana　your　squire；　the　duenna
Ruidera　and　her　seven　daughters　and　two　nieces；　and　many　more　of
your　friends　and　acquaintances；　the　sage　Merlin　has　been　keeping
enchanted　here　these　many　years；　and　although　more　than　five　hundred
have　gone　by；　not　one　of　us　has　died；　Ruidera　and　her　daughters　and
nieces　alone　are　missing；　and　these；　because　of　the　tears　they　shed；
Merlin；　out　of　the　compassion　he　seems　to　have　felt　for　them；
changed　into　so　many　lakes；　which　to　this　day　in　the　world　of　the
living；　and　in　the　province　of　La　Mancha；　are　called　the　Lakes　of
Ruidera。　The　seven　daughters　belong　to　the　kings　of　Spain　and　the
two　nieces　to　the　knights　of　a　very　holy　order　called　the　Order　of　St。
John。　Guadiana　your　squire；　likewise　bewailing　your　fate；　was
changed　into　a　river　of　his　own　name；　but　when　he　came　to　the
surface　and　beheld　the　sun　of　another　heaven；　so　great　was　his　grief
at　finding　he　was　leaving　you；　that　he　plunged　into　the　bowels　of
the　earth；　however；　as　he　cannot　help　following　his　natural　course；　he
from　time　to　time　comes　forth　and　shows　himself　to　the　sun　and　the
world。　The　lakes　aforesaid　send　him　their　waters；　and　with　these；
and　others　that　come　to　him；　he　makes　a　grand　and　imposing　entrance
into　Portugal；　but　for　all　that；　go　where　he　may；　he　shows　his
melancholy　and　sadness；　and　takes　no　pride　in　breeding　dainty　choice
fish；　only　coarse　and　tasteless　sorts；　very　different　from　those　of
the　golden　Tagus。　All　this　that　I　tell　you　now；　O　cousin　mine；　I
have　told　you　many　times　before；　and　as　you　make　no　answer；　I　fear
that　either　you　believe　me　not；　or　do　not　hear　me；　whereat　I　feel
God　knows　what　grief。　I　have　now　news　to　give　you；　which；　if　it　serves
not　to　alleviate　your　sufferings；　will　not　in　any　wise　increase
them。　Know　that　you　have　here　before　you　（open　your　eyes　and　you
will　see）　that　great　knight　of　whom　the　sage　Merlin　has　prophesied
such　great　things；　that　Don　Quixote　of　La　Mancha　I　mean；　who　has
again；　and　to　better　purpose　than　in　past　times；　revived　in　these　days
knight…errantry；　long　since　forgotten；　and　by　whose　intervention　and
aid　it　may　be　we　shall　be　disenchanted；　for　great　deeds　are　reserved
for　great　men。'
　　〃'And　if　that　may　not　be；'　said　the　wretched　Durandarte　in　a　low　and
feeble　voice；　'if　that　may　not　be；　then；　my　cousin；　I　say　〃patience
and　shuffle；〃'　and　turning　over　on　his　side；　he　relapsed　into　his
former　silence　without　uttering　another　word。
　　〃And　now　there　was　heard　a　great　outcry　and　lamentation；　accompanied
by　deep　sighs　and　bitter　sobs。　I　looked　round；　and　through　the　crystal
wall　I　saw　passing　through　another　chamber　a　procession　of　two　lines
of　fair　damsels　all　clad　in　mourning；　and　with　white　turbans　of
Turkish　fashion　on　their　heads。　Behind；　in　the　rear　of　these；　there
came　a　lady；　for　so　from　her　dignity　she　seemed　to　be；　also　clad　in
black；　with　a　white　veil　so　long　and　ample　that　it　swept　the　ground。
Her　turban　was　twice　as　large　as　the　largest　of　any　of　the　others；　her
eyebrows　met；　her　nose　was　rather　flat；　her　mouth　was　large　but　with
ruddy　lips；　and　her　teeth；　of　which　at　times　she　allowed　a　glimpse；
were　seen　to　be　sparse　and　ill…set；　though　as　white　as　peeled　almonds。
She　carried　in　her　hands　a　fine　cloth；　and　in　it；　as　well　as　I　could
make　out；　a　heart　that　had　been　mummied；　so　parched　and　dried　was
it。　Montesinos　told　me　that　all　those　forming　the　procession　were
the　attendants　of　Durandarte　and　Belerma；　who　were　enchanted　there
with　their　master　and　mistress；　and　that　the　last；　she　who　carried　the
heart　in　the　cloth；　was　the　lady　Belerma；　who；　with　her　damsels；
four　days　in　the　week　went　in　procession　singing；　or　rather　weeping；
dirges　over　the　body　and　miserable　heart　of　his　cousin；　and　that　if
she　appeared　to　me　somewhat　ill…favoured　or　not　so　beautiful　as　fame
reported　her；　it　was　because　of　the　bad　nights　and　worse　days　that　she
passed　in　that　enchantment；　as　I　could　see　by　the　great　dark　circles
round　her　eyes；　and　her　sickly　complexion；　'her　sallowness；　and　the
rings　round　her　eyes；'　said　he；　'are　not　caused　by　the　periodical
ailment　usual　with　women；　for　it　is　many　months　and　even　years　since
she　has　had　any；　but　by　the　grief　her　own　heart　suffers　because　of
that　which　she　holds　in　her　hand　perpetually；　and　which　recalls　and
brings　back　to　her　memory　the　sad　fate　of　her　lost　lover；　were　it
not　for　this；　hardly　would　the　great　Dulcinea　del　Toboso；　so
celebrated　in　all　these　parts；　and　even　in　the　world；　come　up　to　her
for　beauty；　grace；　and　gaiety。'
　　〃'Hold　hard！'　said　I　at　this；　'tell　your　story　as　you　ought；　Senor
Don　Montesinos；　for　you　know　very　well　that　all　comparisons　are
odious；　and　there　is　no　occasion　to　compare　one　person　with　another；
the　peerless　Dulcinea　del　Toboso　is　what　she　is；　and　the　lady　Dona
Belerma　is　what　she　is　and　has　been；　and　that's　enough。'　To　which　he
made　answer；　'Forgive　me；　Senor　Don　Quixote；　I　own　I　was　wrong　and
spoke　unadvisedly　in　saying　that　the　lady　Dulcinea　could　scarcely　come
up　to　the　lady　Belerma；　for　it　were　enough　for　me　to　have　learned；
by　what　means　I　know　not；　that　youare　her　knight；　to　make　me　bite　my
tongue　out　before　I　compared　her　to　anything　save　heaven　itself。'
After　this　apology　which　the　great　Montesinos　made　me；　my　heart
recovered　itself　from　the　shock　I　had　received　in　hearing　my　lady
compared　with　Belerma。〃
　　〃Still　I　wonder；〃　said　Sancho；　〃that　your　worship　did　not　get　upon
the　old　fellow　and　bruise　every　bone　of　him　with　kicks；　and　pluck
his　beard　until　you　didn't　leave　a　hair　in　it。〃
　　〃Nay；　Sancho；　my　friend；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃it　would　not　have
been　right　in　me　to　do　that；　for　we　are　all　bound　to　pay　respect　to
the　aged；　even　though　they　be　not　knights；　but　especially　to　those　who
are；　and　who　are　enchanted；　I　only　know　I　gave　him　as　good　as　he
brought　in　the　many　other　questions　and　answers　we　exchanged。〃
　　〃I　cannot　understand；　Senor　Don　Quixote；〃　remarked　the　cousin
here；　〃how　it　is　that　your　worship；　in　such　a　short　space　of　time　as
you　have　been　below　there；　could　have　seen　so　many　things；　and　said
and　answered　so　much。〃
　　〃How　long　is　it　since　I　went　down？〃　asked　Don　Quixote。
　　〃Little　better　than　an　hour；〃　replied　Sancho。
　　〃That　cannot　be；〃　returned　Don　Quixote；　〃because　night　overtook　me
while　I　was　there；　and　day　came；　and　it　was　night