don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第97节

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I　love　him　so　that　I　could　not　live　without　him。　This；　dear　senora；　is
all　I　have　to　tell　you　about　the　musician　whose　voice　has　delighted
you　so　much；　and　from　it　alone　you　might　easily　perceive　he　is　no
muleteer；　but　a　lord　of　hearts　and　towns；　as　I　told　you　already。〃
　　〃Say　no　more；　Dona　Clara；〃　said　Dorothea　at　this；　at　the　same　time
kissing　her　a　thousand　times　over；　〃say　no　more；　I　tell　you；　but
wait　till　day　comes；　when　I　trust　in　God　to　arrange　this　affair　of
yours　so　that　it　may　have　the　happy　ending　such　an　innocent
beginning　deserves。〃
　　〃Ah；　senora；〃　said　Dona　Clara；　〃what　end　can　be　hoped　for　when　his
father　is　of　such　lofty　position；　and　so　wealthy；　that　he　would
think　I　was　not　fit　to　be　even　a　servant　to　his　son；　much　less　wife？
And　as　to　marrying　without　the　knowledge　of　my　father；　I　would　not
do　it　for　all　the　world。　I　would　not　ask　anything　more　than　that
this　youth　should　go　back　and　leave　me；　perhaps　with　not　seeing　him；
and　the　long　distance　we　shall　have　to　travel；　the　pain　I　suffer　now
may　become　easier；　though　I　daresay　the　remedy　I　propose　will　do　me
very　little　good。　I　don't　know　how　the　devil　this　has　come　about；　or
how　this　love　I　have　for　him　got　in；　I　such　a　young　girl；　and　he
such　a　mere　boy；　for　I　verily　believe　we　are　both　of　an　age；　and　I
am　not　sixteen　yet；　for　I　will　be　sixteen　Michaelmas　Day；　next；　my
father　says。〃
　　Dorothea　could　not　help　laughing　to　hear　how　like　a　child　Dona　Clara
spoke。　〃Let　us　go　to　sleep　now；　senora；〃　said　she；　〃for　the　little
of　the　night　that　I　fancy　is　left　to　us：　God　will　soon　send　us
daylight；　and　we　will　set　all　to　rights；　or　it　will　go　hard　with　me。〃
　　With　this　they　fell　asleep；　and　deep　silence　reigned　all　through　the
inn。　The　only　persons　not　asleep　were　the　landlady's　daughter　and
her　servant　Maritornes；　who；　knowing　the　weak　point　of　Don　Quixote's
humour；　and　that　he　was　outside　the　inn　mounting　guard　in　armour　and
on　horseback；　resolved；　the　pair　of　them；　to　play　some　trick　upon　him；
or　at　any　rate　to　amuse　themselves　for　a　while　by　listening　to　his
nonsense。　As　it　so　happened　there　was　not　a　window　in　the　whole　inn
that　looked　outwards　except　a　hole　in　the　wall　of　a　straw…loft　through
which　they　used　to　throw　out　the　straw。　At　this　hole　the　two
demi…damsels　posted　themselves；　and　observed　Don　Quixote　on　his　horse；
leaning　on　his　pike　and　from　time　to　time　sending　forth　such　deep
and　doleful　sighs；　that　he　seemed　to　pluck　up　his　soul　by　the　roots
with　each　of　them；　and　they　could　hear　him；　too；　saying　in　a　soft；
tender；　loving　tone；　〃Oh　my　lady　Dulcinea　del　Toboso；　perfection　of
all　beauty；　summit　and　crown　of　discretion；　treasure　house　of　grace；
depositary　of　virtue；　and　finally；　ideal　of　all　that　is　good；
honourable；　and　delectable　in　this　world！　What　is　thy　grace　doing　now？
Art　thou；　perchance；　mindful　of　thy　enslaved　knight　who　of　his　own
free　will　hath　exposed　himself　to　so　great　perils；　and　all　to　serve
thee？　Give　me　tidings　of　her；　oh　luminary　of　the　three　faces！
Perhaps　at　this　moment；　envious　of　hers；　thou　art　regarding　her；
either　as　she　paces　to　and　fro　some　gallery　of　her　sumptuous
palaces；　or　leans　over　some　balcony；　meditating　how；　whilst　preserving
her　purity　and　greatness；　she　may　mitigate　the　tortures　this
wretched　heart　of　mine　endures　for　her　sake；　what　glory　should
recompense　my　sufferings；　what　repose　my　toil；　and　lastly　what　death
my　life；　and　what　reward　my　services？　And　thou；　oh　sun；　that　art　now
doubtless　harnessing　thy　steeds　in　haste　to　rise　betimes　and　come
forth　to　see　my　lady；　when　thou　seest　her　I　entreat　of　thee　to
salute　her　on　my　behalf：　but　have　a　care；　when　thou　shalt　see　her
and　salute　her；　that　thou　kiss　not　her　face；　for　I　shall　be　more
jealous　of　thee　than　thou　wert　of　that　light…footed　ingrate　that
made　thee　sweat　and　run　so　on　the　plains　of　Thessaly；　or　on　the
banks　of　the　Peneus　（for　I　do　not　exactly　recollect　where　it　was
thou　didst　run　on　that　occasion）　in　thy　jealousy　and　love。〃
　　Don　Quixote　had　got　so　far　in　his　pathetic　speech　when　the
landlady's　daughter　began　to　signal　to　him；　saying；　〃Senor；　come
over　here；　please。〃
　　At　these　signals　and　voice　Don　Quixote　turned　his　head　and　saw　by
the　light　of　the　moon；　which　then　was　in　its　full　splendour；　that　some
one　was　calling　to　him　from　the　hole　in　the　wall；　which　seemed　to
him　to　be　a　window；　and　what　is　more；　with　a　gilt　grating；　as　rich
castles；　such　as　he　believed　the　inn　to　be；　ought　to　have；　and　it
immediately　suggested　itself　to　his　imagination　that；　as　on　the　former
occasion；　the　fair　damsel；　the　daughter　of　the　lady　of　the　castle；
overcome　by　love　for　him；　was　once　more　endeavouring　to　win　his
affections；　and　with　this　idea；　not　to　show　himself　discourteous；　or
ungrateful；　he　turned　Rocinante's　head　and　approached　the　hole；　and　as
he　perceived　the　two　wenches　he　said：
　　〃I　pity　you；　beauteous　lady；　that　you　should　have　directed　your
thoughts　of　love　to　a　quarter　from　whence　it　is　impossible　that　such　a
return　can　be　made　to　you　as　is　due　to　your　great　merit　and　gentle
birth；　for　which　you　must　not　blame　this　unhappy　knight…errant　whom
love　renders　incapable　of　submission　to　any　other　than　her　whom；　the
first　moment　his　eyes　beheld　her；　he　made　absolute　mistress　of　his
soul。　Forgive　me；　noble　lady；　and　retire　to　your　apartment；　and　do
not；　by　any　further　declaration　of　your　passion；　compel　me　to　show
myself　more　ungrateful；　and　if；　of　the　love　you　bear　me；　you　should
find　that　there　is　anything　else　in　my　power　wherein　I　can　gratify
you；　provided　it　be　not　love　itself；　demand　it　of　me；　for　I　swear　to
you　by　that　sweet　absent　enemy　of　mine　to　grant　it　this　instant；
though　it　be　that　you　require　of　me　a　lock　of　Medusa's　hair；　which　was
all　snakes；　or　even　the　very　beams　of　the　sun　shut　up　in　a　vial。〃
　　〃My　mistress　wants　nothing　of　that　sort；　sir　knight；〃　said
Maritornes　at　this。
　　〃What　then；　discreet　dame；　is　it　that　your　mistress　wants？〃
replied　Don　Quixote。
　　〃Only　one　of　your　fair　hands；〃　said　Maritornes；　〃to　enable　her　to
vent　over　it　the　great　passion　passion　which　has　brought　her　to　this
loophole；　so　much　to　the　risk　of　her　honour；　for　if　the　lord　her
father　had　heard　her；　the　least　slice　he　would　cut　off　her　would　be
her　ear。〃
　　〃I　should　like　to　see　that　tried；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃but　he　had
better　beware　of　that；　if　he　does　not　want　to　meet　the　most　disastrous
end　that　ever　father　in　the　world　met　for　having　laid　hands　on　the
tender　limbs　of　a　love…stricken　daughter。〃
　　Maritornes　felt　sure　that　Don　Quixote　would　present　the　hand　she　had
asked；　and　making　up　her　mind　what　to　do；　she　got　down　from　the　hole
and　went　into　the　stable；　where　she　took　the　halter　of　Sancho
Panza's　ass；　and　in　all　haste　returned　to　the　hole；　just　as　Don
Quixote　had　planted　himself　standing　on　Rocinante's　saddle　in　order　to
reach　the　grated　window　where　he　supposed　the　lovelorn　damsel　to　be；
and　giving　her　his　hand；　he　said；　〃Lady；　take　this　hand；　or　rather
this　scourge　of　the　evil…doers　of　the　earth；　take；　I　say；　this　hand
which　no　other　hand　of　woman　has　ever　touched；　not　even　hers　who　has
complete　possession　of　my　entire　body。　I　present　it　to　you；　not　that
you　may　kiss　it；　but　that　you　may　observe　the　contexture　of　the
sinews；　the　close　network　of　the　muscles；　the　breadth　and　capacity
of　the　veins；　whence　you　may　infer　what　must　be　the　strength　of　the
arm　that　has　such　a　hand。〃
　　〃That　we　shall　see　presently；〃　said　Maritornes；　and　making　a　running
knot　on　the　halter；　she　passed　it　over　his　wrist　and　coming　down
from　the　hole　tied　the　other　end　very　firmly　to　the　bolt　of　the　door
of　the　straw…loft。
　　Don　Quixote；　feeling　the　roughness　of　the　rope　on　his　wrist；
exclaimed；　〃Your　grace　seems　to　be　grating　rather　than　caressing　my
hand；　treat　it　not　so　harshly；　for　it　is　not　to　blame　for　the
offence　my　resolution　has　given　you；　nor　is　it　just　to　wreak　all
your　vengeance　on　so　small　a　part；　remember　that　one　who　loves　so　well
should　not　revenge　herself　so　cruelly。〃
　　But　there　was　nobody　now　to　listen　to　these　words　of　Don
Quixote's；　for　as　soon　as　Maritornes　had　tied　him　she　and　the　other
made　off；　ready　to　die　with　laughing；　leaving　him　fastened　in　such　a
way　that　it　was　impossible　for　him　to　release　himself。
　　He　was；　as　has　been　said；　standing　on　Rocinante；　with　his　arm　passed
through　the　hole　and　his　wrist　tied　to　the　bolt　of　the　door；　and　in
mighty　fear　and　dread　of　being　left　hanging　by　the　arm　if　Rocinante
were　to　stir　one　side　or　the　other；　so　he　did　not　dare　to　make　the
least　movement；　although　from　the　patience　and　imperturbable
disposition　of　Rocinante；　he　had　good　reason　to　expect　that　he　would
stand　without　budging　for　a　whole　century。　Finding　himself　fast；　then；
and　that　the　ladies　had　retired；　he　began　to　fancy　that　all　this　was
done　by　enchantment；　as　on　the　former　occasion　when　in　that　same
castle　that　enchanted　Moor　of　a　carrier　had　belaboured　him；　and　he
cursed　in　his　heart　his　own　want　of　sense　and　judgment　in　venturing　to
enter　the　castle　again；　after　having　come　off　so　badly　the　first　time；
it　being　a　settled　point　with　knights…errant　that　when　they　have　tried
an　adventure；　and　have　not　succeeded　in　it；　it　is　a　sign　tha