don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第61节

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lightly　clad　that　I　am　filled　with　amazement。〃
　　〃I　will　answer　that　briefly；〃　replied　the　curate；　〃you　must　know
then；　Senor　Don　Quixote；　that　Master　Nicholas；　our　friend　and
barber；　and　I　were　going　to　Seville　to　receive　some　money　that　a
relative　of　mine　who　went　to　the　Indies　many　years　ago　had　sent　me；
and　not　such　a　small　sum　but　that　it　was　over　sixty　thousand　pieces　of
eight；　full　weight；　which　is　something；　and　passing　by　this　place
yesterday　we　were　attacked　by　four　footpads；　who　stripped　us　even　to
our　beards；　and　them　they　stripped　off　so　that　the　barber　found　it
necessary　to　put　on　a　false　one；　and　even　this　young　man　here〃…
pointing　to　Cardenio…　〃they　completely　transformed。　But　the　best　of　it
is；　the　story　goes　in　the　neighbourhood　that　those　who　attacked　us
belong　to　a　number　of　galley　slaves　who；　they　say；　were　set　free
almost　on　the　very　same　spot　by　a　man　of　such　valour　that；　in　spite　of
the　commissary　and　of　the　guards；　he　released　the　whole　of　them；　and
beyond　all　doubt　he　must　have　been　out　of　his　senses；　or　he　must　be　as
great　a　scoundrel　as　they；　or　some　man　without　heart　or　conscience
to　let　the　wolf　loose　among　the　sheep；　the　fox　among　the　hens；　the　fly
among　the　honey。　He　has　defrauded　justice；　and　opposed　his　king　and
lawful　master；　for　he　opposed　his　just　commands；　he　has；　I　say；　robbed
the　galleys　of　their　feet；　stirred　up　the　Holy　Brotherhood　which　for
many　years　past　has　been　quiet；　and；　lastly；　has　done　a　deed　by
which　his　soul　may　be　lost　without　any　gain　to　his　body。〃　Sancho　had
told　the　curate　and　the　barber　of　the　adventure　of　the　galley
slaves；　which；　so　much　to　his　glory；　his　master　had　achieved；　and
hence　the　curate　in　alluding　to　it　made　the　most　of　it　to　see　what
would　be　said　or　done　by　Don　Quixote；　who　changed　colour　at　every
word；　not　daring　to　say　that　it　was　he　who　had　been　the　liberator　of
those　worthy　people。　〃These；　then；〃　said　the　curate；　〃were　they　who
robbed　us；　and　God　in　his　mercy　pardon　him　who　would　not　let　them　go
to　the　punishment　they　deserved。〃

　　CHAPTER　XXX
　　WHICH　TREATS　OF　ADDRESS　DISPLAYED　BY　THE　FAIR　DOROTHEA；　WITH　OTHER
MATTERS　PLEASANT　AND　AMUSING

　　THE　curate　had　hardly　ceased　speaking；　when　Sancho　said；　〃In
faith；　then；　senor　licentiate；　he　who　did　that　deed　was　my　master；　and
it　was　not　for　want　of　my　telling　him　beforehand　and　warning　him　to
mind　what　he　was　about；　and　that　it　was　a　sin　to　set　them　at
liberty；　as　they　were　all　on　the　march　there　because　they　were　special
scoundrels。〃
　　〃Blockhead！〃　said　Don　Quixote　at　this；　〃it　is　no　business　or　concern
of　knights…errant　to　inquire　whether　any　persons　in　affliction；　in
chains；　or　oppressed　that　they　may　meet　on　the　high　roads　go　that
way　and　suffer　as　they　do　because　of　their　faults　or　because　of
their　misfortunes。　It　only　concerns　them　to　aid　them　as　persons　in
need　of　help；　having　regard　to　their　sufferings　and　not　to　their
rascalities。　I　encountered　a　chaplet　or　string　of　miserable　and
unfortunate　people；　and　did　for　them　what　my　sense　of　duty　demands
of　me；　and　as　for　the　rest　be　that　as　it　may；　and　whoever　takes
objection　to　it；　saving　the　sacred　dignity　of　the　senor　licentiate　and
his　honoured　person；　I　say　he　knows　little　about　chivalry　and　lies
like　a　whoreson　villain；　and　this　I　will　give　him　to　know　to　the
fullest　extent　with　my　sword；〃　and　so　saying　he　settled　himself　in　his
stirrups　and　pressed　down　his　morion；　for　the　barber's　basin；　which
according　to　him　was　Mambrino's　helmet；　he　carried　hanging　at　the
saddle…bow　until　he　could　repair　the　damage　done　to　it　by　the　galley
slaves。
　　Dorothea；　who　was　shrewd　and　sprightly；　and　by　this　time
thoroughly　understood　Don　Quixote's　crazy　turn；　and　that　all　except
Sancho　Panza　were　making　game　of　him；　not　to　be　behind　the　rest　said
to　him；　on　observing　his　irritation；　〃Sir　Knight；　remember　the　boon
you　have　promised　me；　and　that　in　accordance　with　it　you　must　not
engage　in　any　other　adventure；　be　it　ever　so　pressing；　calm
yourself；　for　if　the　licentiate　had　known　that　the　galley　slaves　had
been　set　free　by　that　unconquered　arm　he　would　have　stopped　his
mouth　thrice　over；　or　even　bitten　his　tongue　three　times　before　he
would　have　said　a　word　that　tended　towards　disrespect　of　your
worship。〃
　　〃That　I　swear　heartily；〃　said　the　curate；　〃and　I　would　have　even
plucked　off　a　moustache。〃
　　〃I　will　hold　my　peace；　senora；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃and　I　will　curb
the　natural　anger　that　had　arisen　in　my　breast；　and　will　proceed　in
peace　and　quietness　until　I　have　fulfilled　my　promise；　but　in　return
for　this　consideration　I　entreat　you　to　tell　me；　if　you　have　no
objection　to　do　so；　what　is　the　nature　of　your　trouble；　and　how
many；　who；　and　what　are　the　persons　of　whom　I　am　to　require　due
satisfaction；　and　on　whom　I　am　to　take　vengeance　on　your　behalf？〃
　　〃That　I　will　do　with　all　my　heart；〃　replied　Dorothea；　〃if　it　will
not　be　wearisome　to　you　to　hear　of　miseries　and　misfortunes。〃
　　〃It　will　not　be　wearisome；　senora；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　to　which
Dorothea　replied；　〃Well；　if　that　be　so；　give　me　your　attention。〃　As
soon　as　she　said　this；　Cardenio　and　the　barber　drew　close　to　her　side；
eager　to　hear　what　sort　of　story　the　quick…witted　Dorothea　would
invent　for　herself；　and　Sancho　did　the　same；　for　he　was　as　much
taken　in　by　her　as　his　master；　and　she　having　settled　herself
comfortably　in　the　saddle；　and　with　the　help　of　coughing　and　other
preliminaries　taken　time　to　think；　began　with　great　sprightliness　of
manner　in　this　fashion。
　　〃First　of　all；　I　would　have　you　know；　sirs；　that　my　name　is…〃　and
here　she　stopped　for　a　moment；　for　she　forgot　the　name　the　curate
had　given　her；　but　he　came　to　her　relief；　seeing　what　her　difficulty
was；　and　said；　〃It　is　no　wonder；　senora；　that　your　highness　should
be　confused　and　embarrassed　in　telling　the　tale　of　your　misfortunes；
for　such　afflictions　often　have　the　effect　of　depriving　the
sufferers　of　memory；　so　that　they　do　not　even　remember　their　own
names；　as　is　the　case　now　with　your　ladyship；　who　has　forgotten　that
she　is　called　the　Princess　Micomicona；　lawful　heiress　of　the　great
kingdom　of　Micomicon；　and　with　this　cue　your　highness　may　now　recall
to　your　sorrowful　recollection　all　you　may　wish　to　tell　us。〃
　　〃That　is　the　truth；〃　said　the　damsel；　〃but　I　think　from　this　on　I
shall　have　no　need　of　any　prompting；　and　I　shall　bring　my　true　story
safe　into　port；　and　here　it　is。　The　king　my　father；　who　was　called
Tinacrio　the　Sapient；　was　very　learned　in　what　they　call　magic　arts；
and　became　aware　by　his　craft　that　my　mother；　who　was　called　Queen
Jaramilla；　was　to　die　before　he　did；　and　that　soon　after　he　too　was　to
depart　this　life；　and　I　was　to　be　left　an　orphan　without　father　or
mother。　But　all　this；　he　declared；　did　not　so　much　grieve　or
distress　him　as　his　certain　knowledge　that　a　prodigious　giant；　the
lord　of　a　great　island　close　to　our　kingdom；　Pandafilando　of　the　Scowl
by　name　…for　it　is　averred　that；　though　his　eyes　are　properly　placed
and　straight；　he　always　looks　askew　as　if　he　squinted；　and　this　he
does　out　of　malignity；　to　strike　fear　and　terror　into　those　he　looks
at…　that　he　knew；　I　say；　that　this　giant　on　becoming　aware　of　my
orphan　condition　would　overrun　my　kingdom　with　a　mighty　force　and
strip　me　of　all；　not　leaving　me　even　a　small　village　to　shelter　me；
but　that　I　could　avoid　all　this　ruin　and　misfortune　if　I　were
willing　to　marry　him；　however；　as　far　as　he　could　see；　he　never
expected　that　I　would　consent　to　a　marriage　so　unequal；　and　he　said　no
more　than　the　truth　in　this；　for　it　has　never　entered　my　mind　to　marry
that　giant；　or　any　other；　let　him　be　ever　so　great　or　enormous。　My
father　said；　too；　that　when　he　was　dead；　and　I　saw　Pandafilando
about　to　invade　my　kingdom；　I　was　not　to　wait　and　attempt　to　defend
myself；　for　that　would　be　destructive　to　me；　but　that　I　should　leave
the　kingdom　entirely　open　to　him　if　I　wished　to　avoid　the　death　and
total　destruction　of　my　good　and　loyal　vassals；　for　there　would　be
no　possibility　of　defending　myself　against　the　giant's　devilish　power；
and　that　I　should　at　once　with　some　of　my　followers　set　out　for　Spain；
where　I　should　obtain　relief　in　my　distress　on　finding　a　certain
knight…errant　whose　fame　by　that　time　would　extend　over　the　whole
kingdom；　and　who　would　be　called；　if　I　remember　rightly；　Don　Azote
or　Don　Gigote。〃
　　〃'Don　Quixote；'　he　must　have　said；　senora；〃　observed　Sancho　at　this；
〃otherwise　called　the　Knight　of　the　Rueful　Countenance。〃
　　〃That　is　it；〃　said　Dorothea；　〃he　said；　moreover；　that　he　would　be
tall　of　stature　and　lank　featured；　and　that　on　his　right　side　under
the　left　shoulder；　or　thereabouts；　he　would　have　a　grey　mole　with
hairs　like　bristles。〃
　　On　hearing　this；　Don　Quixote　said　to　his　squire；　〃Here；　Sancho　my
son；　bear　a　hand　and　help　me　to　strip；　for　I　want　to　see　if　I　am　the
knight　that　sage　king　foretold。〃
　　〃What　does　your　worship　want　to　strip　for？〃　said　Dorothea。
　　〃To　see　if　I　have　that　mole　your　father　spoke　of；〃　answered　Don
Quixote。
　　〃There　is　no　occasion　to　strip；〃　said　Sancho；　〃for　I　know　your
worship　has　just　such　a　mole　on　the　middle　of　your　backbone；　which
is　the　mark　of　a　strong　man。〃
　　〃That　is　enough；〃　said