don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第208节

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were　possible　to　get　out　of　it　without　help；　but　he　found　they　were
quite　smooth　and　afforded　no　hold　anywhere；　at　which　he　was　greatly
distressed；　especially　when　he　heard　how　pathetically　and　dolefully
Dapple　was　bemoaning　himself；　and　no　wonder　he　complained；　nor　was
it　from　ill…temper；　for　in　truth　he　was　not　in　a　very　good　case。
〃Alas；〃　said　Sancho；　〃what　unexpected　accidents　happen　at　every　step
to　those　who　live　in　this　miserable　world！　Who　would　have　said　that
one　who　saw　himself　yesterday　sitting　on　a　throne；　governor　of　an
island；　giving　orders　to　his　servants　and　his　vassals；　would　see
himself　to…day　buried　in　a　pit　without　a　soul　to　help　him；　or
servant　or　vassal　to　come　to　his　relief？　Here　must　we　perish　with
hunger；　my　ass　and　myself；　if　indeed　we　don't　die　first；　he　of　his
bruises　and　injuries；　and　I　of　grief　and　sorrow。　At　any　rate　I'll
not　be　as　lucky　as　my　master　Don　Quixote　of　La　Mancha；　when　he　went
down　into　the　cave　of　that　enchanted　Montesinos；　where　he　found　people
to　make　more　of　him　than　if　he　had　been　in　his　own　house；　for　it　seems
he　came　in　for　a　table　laid　out　and　a　bed　ready　made。　There　he　saw
fair　and　pleasant　visions；　but　here　I'll　see；　I　imagine；　toads　and
adders。　Unlucky　wretch　that　I　am；　what　an　end　my　follies　and　fancies
have　come　to！　They'll　take　up　my　bones　out　of　this；　when　it　is
heaven's　will　that　I'm　found；　picked　clean；　white　and　polished；　and　my
good　Dapple's　with　them；　and　by　that；　perhaps；　it　will　be　found　out
who　we　are；　at　least　by　such　as　have　heard　that　Sancho　Panza　never
separated　from　his　ass；　nor　his　ass　from　Sancho　Panza。　Unlucky
wretches；　I　say　again；　that　our　hard　fate　should　not　let　us　die　in　our
own　country　and　among　our　own　people；　where　if　there　was　no　help　for
our　misfortune；　at　any　rate　there　would　be　some　one　to　grieve　for　it
and　to　close　our　eyes　as　we　passed　away！　O　comrade　and　friend；　how　ill
have　I　repaid　thy　faithful　services！　Forgive　me；　and　entreat
Fortune；　as　well　as　thou　canst；　to　deliver　us　out　of　this　miserable
strait　we　are　both　in；　and　I　promise　to　put　a　crown　of　laurel　on　thy
head；　and　make　thee　look　like　a　poet　laureate；　and　give　thee　double
feeds。〃
　　In　this　strain　did　Sancho　bewail　himself；　and　his　ass　listened　to
him；　but　answered　him　never　a　word；　such　was　the　distress　and
anguish　the　poor　beast　found　himself　in。　At　length；　after　a　night
spent　in　bitter　moanings　and　lamentations；　day　came；　and　by　its
light　Sancho　perceived　that　it　was　wholly　impossible　to　escape　out
of　that　pit　without　help；　and　he　fell　to　bemoaning　his　fate　and
uttering　loud　shouts　to　find　out　if　there　was　anyone　within　hearing；
but　all　his　shouting　was　only　crying　in　the　wilderness；　for　there
was　not　a　soul　anywhere　in　the　neighbourhood　to　hear　him；　and　then
at　last　he　gave　himself　up　for　dead。　Dapple　was　lying　on　his　back；　and
Sancho　helped　him　to　his　feet；　which　he　was　scarcely　able　to　keep；　and
then　taking　a　piece　of　bread　out　of　his　alforjas　which　had　shared
their　fortunes　in　the　fall；　he　gave　it　to　the　ass；　to　whom　it　was
not　unwelcome；　saying　to　him　as　if　he　understood　him；　〃With　bread
all　sorrows　are　less。〃
　　And　now　he　perceived　on　one　side　of　the　pit　a　hole　large　enough　to
admit　a　person　if　he　stooped　and　squeezed　himself　into　a　small
compass。　Sancho　made　for　it；　and　entered　it　by　creeping；　and　found
it　wide　and　spacious　on　the　inside；　which　he　was　able　to　see　as　a
ray　of　sunlight　that　penetrated　what　might　be　called　the　roof　showed
it　all　plainly。　He　observed　too　that　it　opened　and　widened　out　into
another　spacious　cavity；　seeing　which　he　made　his　way　back　to　where
the　ass　was；　and　with　a　stone　began　to　pick　away　the　clay　from　the
hole　until　in　a　short　time　he　had　made　room　for　the　beast　to　pass
easily；　and　this　accomplished；　taking　him　by　the　halter；　he
proceeded　to　traverse　the　cavern　to　see　if　there　was　any　outlet　at　the
other　end。　He　advanced；　sometimes　in　the　dark；　sometimes　without
light；　but　never　without　fear；　〃God　Almighty　help　me！〃　said　he　to
himself；　〃this　that　is　a　misadventure　to　me　would　make　a　good
adventure　for　my　master　Don　Quixote。　He　would　have　been　sure　to　take
these　depths　and　dungeons　for　flowery　gardens　or　the　palaces　of
Galiana；　and　would　have　counted　upon　issuing　out　of　this　darkness
and　imprisonment　into　some　blooming　meadow；　but　I；　unlucky　that　I
am；　hopeless　and　spiritless；　expect　at　every　step　another　pit　deeper
than　the　first　to　open　under　my　feet　and　swallow　me　up　for　good；
'welcome　evil；　if　thou　comest　alone。'〃
　　In　this　way　and　with　these　reflections　he　seemed　to　himself　to
have　travelled　rather　more　than　half　a　league；　when　at　last　he
perceived　a　dim　light　that　looked　like　daylight　and　found　its　way　in
on　one　side；　showing　that　this　road；　which　appeared　to　him　the　road　to
the　other　world；　led　to　some　opening。
　　Here　Cide　Hamete　leaves　him；　and　returns　to　Don　Quixote；　who　in　high
spirits　and　satisfaction　was　looking　forward　to　the　day　fixed　for
the　battle　he　was　to　fight　with　him　who　had　robbed　Dona　Rodriguez's
daughter　of　her　honour；　for　whom　he　hoped　to　obtain　satisfaction　for
the　wrong　and　injury　shamefully　done　to　her。　It　came　to　pass；　then；
that　having　sallied　forth　one　morning　to　practise　and　exercise　himself
in　what　he　would　have　to　do　in　the　encounter　he　expected　to　find
himself　engaged　in　the　next　day；　as　he　was　putting　Rocinante　through
his　paces　or　pressing　him　to　the　charge；　he　brought　his　feet　so
close　to　a　pit　that　but　for　reining　him　in　tightly　it　would　have
been　impossible　for　him　to　avoid　falling　into　it。　He　pulled　him　up；
however；　without　a　fall；　and　coming　a　little　closer　examined　the
hole　without　dismounting；　but　as　he　was　looking　at　it　he　heard　loud
cries　proceeding　from　it；　and　by　listening　attentively　was　able　to
make　out　that　he　who　uttered　them　was　saying；　〃Ho；　above　there！　is
there　any　Christian　that　hears　me；　or　any　charitable　gentleman　that
will　take　pity　on　a　sinner　buried　alive；　on　an　unfortunate　disgoverned
governor？〃
　　It　struck　Don　Quixote　that　it　was　the　voice　of　Sancho　Panza　he
heard；　whereat　he　was　taken　aback　and　amazed；　and　raising　his　own
voice　as　much　as　he　could；　he　cried　out；　〃Who　is　below　there？　Who　is
that　complaining？〃
　　〃Who　should　be　here；　or　who　should　complain；〃　was　the　answer；　〃but
the　forlorn　Sancho　Panza；　for　his　sins　and　for　his　ill…luck　governor
of　the　island　of　Barataria；　squire　that　was　to　the　famous　knight　Don
Quixote　of　La　Mancha？〃
　　When　Don　Quixote　heard　this　his　amazement　was　redoubled　and　his
perturbation　grew　greater　than　ever；　for　it　suggested　itself　to　his
mind　that　Sancho　must　be　dead；　and　that　his　soul　was　in　torment　down
there；　and　carried　away　by　this　idea　he　exclaimed；　〃I　conjure　thee
by　everything　that　as　a　Catholic　Christian　I　can　conjure　thee　by；　tell
me　who　thou　art；　and　if　thou　art　a　soul　in　torment；　tell　me　what
thou　wouldst　have　me　do　for　thee；　for　as　my　profession　is　to　give
aid　and　succour　to　those　that　need　it　in　this　world；　it　will　also
extend　to　aiding　and　succouring　the　distressed　of　the　other；　who
cannot　help　themselves。〃
　　〃In　that　case；〃　answered　the　voice；　〃your　worship　who　speaks　to　me
must　be　my　master　Don　Quixote　of　La　Mancha；　nay；　from　the　tone　of
the　voice　it　is　plain　it　can　be　nobody　else。〃
　　〃Don　Quixote　I　am；〃　replied　Don　Quixote；　〃he　whose　profession　it
is　to　aid　and　succour　the　living　and　the　dead　in　their　necessities；
wherefore　tell　me　who　thou　art；　for　thou　art　keeping　me　in　suspense；
because；　if　thou　art　my　squire　Sancho　Panza；　and　art　dead；　since　the
devils　have　not　carried　thee　off；　and　thou　art　by　God's　mercy　in
purgatory；　our　holy　mother　the　Roman　Catholic　Church　has
intercessory　means　sufficient　to　release　thee　from　the　pains　thou
art　in；　and　I　for　my　part　will　plead　with　her　to　that　end；　so　far　as
my　substance　will　go；　without　further　delay；　therefore；　declare
thyself；　and　tell　me　who　thou　art。〃
　　〃By　all　that's　good；〃　was　the　answer；　〃and　by　the　birth　of
whomsoever　your　worship　chooses；　I　swear；　Senor　Don　Quixote　of　La
Mancha；　that　I　am　your　squire　Sancho　Panza；　and　that　I　have　never　died
all　my　life；　but　that；　having　given　up　my　government　for　reasons
that　would　require　more　time　to　explain；　I　fell　last　night　into　this
pit　where　I　am　now；　and　Dapple　is　witness　and　won't　let　me　lie；　for
more　by　token　he　is　here　with　me。〃
　　Nor　was　this　all；　one　would　have　fancied　the　ass　understood　what
Sancho　said；　because　that　moment　he　began　to　bray　so　loudly　that　the
whole　cave　rang　again。
　　〃Famous　testimony！〃　exclaimed　Don　Quixote；　〃I　know　that　bray　as　well
as　if　I　was　its　mother；　and　thy　voice　too；　my　Sancho。　Wait　while　I
go　to　the　duke's　castle；　which　is　close　by；　and　I　will　bring　some
one　to　take　thee　out　of　this　pit　into　which　thy　sins　no　doubt　have
brought　thee。〃
　　〃Go；　your　worship；〃　said　Sancho；　〃and　come　back　quick　for　God's
sake；　for　I　cannot　bear　being　buried　alive　any　longer；　and　I'm　dying
of　fear。〃
　　Don　Quixote　left　him；　and　hastened　to　the　castle　to　tell　the　duke
and　duchess　what　had　happened　Sancho；　and　they　were　not　a　little
astonished　at　it；　they　could　easily　understand　his　having　fallen；　from
the　confirmatory　circumstance　of　the　cave　which　had　been　in
existence　there　from　time　immemorial；　but