don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第17部分

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The　girl　grew　up　with　such　beauty　that　it　reminded　us　of　her　mother's；
which　was　very　great；　and　yet　it　was　thought　that　the　daughter's　would
exceed　it；　and　so　when　she　reached　the　age　of　fourteen　to　fifteen
years　nobody　beheld　her　but　blessed　God　that　had　made　her　so
beautiful；　and　the　greater　number　were　in　love　with　her　past
redemption。　Her　uncle　kept　her　in　great　seclusion　and　retirement；
but　for　all　that　the　fame　of　her　great　beauty　spread　so　that；　as
well　for　it　as　for　her　great　wealth；　her　uncle　was　asked；　solicited；
and　importuned；　to　give　her　in　marriage　not　only　by　those　of　our
town　but　of　those　many　leagues　round；　and　by　the　persons　of　highest
quality　in　them。　But　he；　being　a　good　Christian　man；　though　he　desired
to　give　her　in　marriage　at　once；　seeing　her　to　be　old　enough；　was
unwilling　to　do　so　without　her　consent；　not　that　he　had　any　eye　to　the
gain　and　profit　which　the　custody　of　the　girl's　property　brought　him
while　he　put　off　her　marriage；　and；　faith；　this　was　said　in　praise
of　the　good　priest　in　more　than　one　set　in　the　town。　For　I　would
have　you　know；　Sir　Errant；　that　in　these　little　villages　everything　is
talked　about　and　everything　is　carped　at；　and　rest　assured；　as　I　am；
that　the　priest　must　be　over　and　above　good　who　forces　his
parishioners　to　speak　well　of　him；　especially　in　villages。〃
　　〃That　is　the　truth；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃but　go　on；　for　the　story
is　very　good；　and　you；　good　Pedro；　tell　it　with　very　good　grace。〃
　　〃May　that　of　the　Lord　not　be　wanting　to　me；〃　said　Pedro；　〃that　is
the　one　to　have。　To　proceed；　you　must　know　that　though　the　uncle　put
before　his　niece　and　described　to　her　the　qualities　of　each　one　in
particular　of　the　many　who　had　asked　her　in　marriage；　begging　her　to
marry　and　make　a　choice　according　to　her　own　taste；　she　never　gave　any
other　answer　than　that　she　had　no　desire　to　marry　just　yet；　and　that
being　so　young　she　did　not　think　herself　fit　to　bear　the　burden　of
matrimony。　At　these；　to　all　appearance；　reasonable　excuses　that　she
made；　her　uncle　ceased　to　urge　her；　and　waited　till　she　was　somewhat
more　advanced　in　age　and　could　mate　herself　to　her　own　liking。　For；
said　he…　and　he　said　quite　right…　parents　are　not　to　settle　children
in　life　against　their　will。　But　when　one　least　looked　for　it；　lo　and
behold！　one　day　the　demure　Marcela　makes　her　appearance　turned
shepherdess；　and；　in　spite　of　her　uncle　and　all　those　of　the　town　that
strove　to　dissuade　her；　took　to　going　a…field　with　the　other
shepherd…lasses　of　the　village；　and　tending　her　own　flock。　And　so；
since　she　appeared　in　public；　and　her　beauty　came　to　be　seen　openly；　I
could　not　well　tell　you　how　many　rich　youths；　gentlemen　and
peasants；　have　adopted　the　costume　of　Chrysostom；　and　go　about　these
fields　making　love　to　her。　One　of　these；　as　has　been　already　said；　was
our　deceased　friend；　of　whom　they　say　that　he　did　not　love　but　adore
her。　But　you　must　not　suppose；　because　Marcela　chose　a　life　of　such
liberty　and　independence；　and　of　so　little　or　rather　no　retirement；
that　she　has　given　any　occasion；　or　even　the　semblance　of　one；　for
disparagement　of　her　purity　and　modesty；　on　the　contrary；　such　and
so　great　is　the　vigilance　with　which　she　watches　over　her　honour；　that
of　all　those　that　court　and　woo　her　not　one　has　boasted；　or　can　with
truth　boast；　that　she　has　given　him　any　hope　however　small　of
obtaining　his　desire。　For　although　she　does　not　avoid　or　shun　the
society　and　conversation　of　the　shepherds；　and　treats　them　courteously
and　kindly；　should　any　one　of　them　come　to　declare　his　intention　to
her；　though　it　be　one　as　proper　and　holy　as　that　of　matrimony；　she
flings　him　from　her　like　a　catapult。　And　with　this　kind　of　disposition
she　does　more　harm　in　this　country　than　if　the　plague　had　got　into　it；
for　her　affability　and　her　beauty　draw　on　the　hearts　of　those　that
associate　with　her　to　love　her　and　to　court　her；　but　her　scorn　and　her
frankness　bring　them　to　the　brink　of　despair；　and　so　they　know　not
what　to　say　save　to　proclaim　her　aloud　cruel　and　hard…hearted；　and
other　names　of　the　same　sort　which　well　describe　the　nature　of　her
character；　and　if　you　should　remain　here　any　time；　senor；　you　would
hear　these　hills　and　valleys　resounding　with　the　laments　of　the
rejected　ones　who　pursue　her。　Not　far　from　this　there　is　a　spot
where　there　are　a　couple　of　dozen　of　tall　beeches；　and　there　is　not
one　of　them　but　has　carved　and　written　on　its　smooth　bark　the　name
of　Marcela；　and　above　some　a　crown　carved　on　the　same　tree　as　though
her　lover　would　say　more　plainly　that　Marcela　wore　and　deserved　that
of　all　human　beauty。　Here　one　shepherd　is　sighing；　there　another　is
lamenting；　there　love　songs　are　heard；　here　despairing　elegies。　One
will　pass　all　the　hours　of　the　night　seated　at　the　foot　of　some　oak　or
rock；　and　there；　without　having　closed　his　weeping　eyes；　the　sun　finds
him　in　the　morning　bemused　and　bereft　of　sense；　and　another　without
relief　or　respite　to　his　sighs；　stretched　on　the　burning　sand　in　the
full　heat　of　the　sultry　summer　noontide；　makes　his　appeal　to　the
compassionate　heavens；　and　over　one　and　the　other；　over　these　and　all；
the　beautiful　Marcela　triumphs　free　and　careless。　And　all　of　us　that
know　her　are　waiting　to　see　what　her　pride　will　come　to；　and　who　is　to
be　the　happy　man　that　will　succeed　in　taming　a　nature　so　formidable
and　gaining　possession　of　a　beauty　so　supreme。　All　that　I　have　told
you　being　such　well…established　truth；　I　am　persuaded　that　what　they
say　of　the　cause　of　Chrysostom's　death；　as　our　lad　told　us；　is　the
same。　And　so　I　advise　you；　senor；　fail　not　to　be　present　to…morrow
at　his　burial；　which　will　be　well　worth　seeing；　for　Chrysostom　had
many　friends；　and　it　is　not　half　a　league　from　this　place　to　where
he　directed　he　should　be　buried。〃
　　〃I　will　make　a　point　of　it；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃and　I　thank　you
for　the　pleasure　you　have　given　me　by　relating　so　interesting　a　tale。〃
　　〃Oh；〃　said　the　goatherd；　〃I　do　not　know　even　the　half　of　what　has
happened　to　the　lovers　of　Marcela；　but　perhaps　to…morrow　we　may　fall
in　with　some　shepherd　on　the　road　who　can　tell　us；　and　now　it　will
be　well　for　you　to　go　and　sleep　under　cover；　for　the　night　air　may
hurt　your　wound；　though　with　the　remedy　I　have　applied　to　you　there　is
no　fear　of　an　untoward　result。〃
　　Sancho　Panza；　who　was　wishing　the　goatherd's　loquacity　at　the　devil；
on　his　part　begged　his　master　to　go　into　Pedro's　hut　to　sleep。　He
did　so；　and　passed　all　the　rest　of　the　night　in　thinking　of　his　lady
Dulcinea；　in　imitation　of　the　lovers　of　Marcela。　Sancho　Panza
settled　himself　between　Rocinante　and　his　ass；　and　slept；　not　like　a
lover　who　had　been　discarded；　but　like　a　man　who　had　been　soundly
kicked。

　　CHAPTER　XIII
　　IN　WHICH　IS　ENDED　THE　STORY　OF　THE　SHEPHERDESS　MARCELA；　WITH　OTHER
INCIDENTS

　　BUT　hardly　had　day　begun　to　show　itself　through　the　balconies　of　the
east；　when　five　of　the　six　goatherds　came　to　rouse　Don　Quixote　and
tell　him　that　if　he　was　still　of　a　mind　to　go　and　see　the　famous
burial　of　Chrysostom　they　would　bear　him　company。　Don　Quixote；　who
desired　nothing　better；　rose　and　ordered　Sancho　to　saddle　and　pannel
at　once；　which　he　did　with　all　despatch；　and　with　the　same　they　all
set　out　forthwith。　They　had　not　gone　a　quarter　of　a　league　when　at　the
meeting　of　two　paths　they　saw　coming　towards　them　some　six　shepherds
dressed　in　black　sheepskins　and　with　their　heads　crowned　with　garlands
of　cypress　and　bitter　oleander。　Each　of　them　carried　a　stout　holly
staff　in　his　hand；　and　along　with　them　there　came　two　men　of　quality
on　horseback　in　handsome　travelling　dress；　with　three　servants　on　foot
accompanying　them。　Courteous　salutations　were　exchanged　on　meeting；
and　inquiring　one　of　the　other　which　way　each　party　was　going；　they
learned　that　all　were　bound　for　the　scene　of　the　burial；　so　they
went　on　all　together。
　　One　of　those　on　horseback　addressing　his　companion　said　to　him；
〃It　seems　to　me；　Senor　Vivaldo；　that　we　may　reckon　as　well　spent　the
delay　we　shall　incur　in　seeing　this　remarkable　funeral；　for　remarkable
it　cannot　but　be　judging　by　the　strange　things　these　shepherds　have
told　us；　of　both　the　dead　shepherd　and　homicide　shepherdess。〃
　　〃So　I　think　too；〃　replied　Vivaldo；　〃and　I　would　delay　not　to　say　a
day；　but　four；　for　the　sake　of　seeing　it。〃
　　Don　Quixote　asked　them　what　it　was　they　had　heard　of　Marcela　and
Chrysostom。　The　traveller　answered　that　the　same　morning　they　had
met　these　shepherds；　and　seeing　them　dressed　in　this　mournful
fashion　they　had　asked　them　the　reason　of　their　appearing　in　such　a
guise；　which　one　of　them　gave；　describing　the　strange　behaviour　and
beauty　of　a　shepherdess　called　Marcela；　and　the　loves　of　many　who
courted　her；　together　with　the　death　of　that　Chrysostom　to　whose
burial　they　were　going。　In　short；　he　repeated　all　that　Pedro　had
related　to　Don　Quixote。
　　This　conversation　dropped；　and　another　was　commenced　by　him　who
was　called　Vivaldo　asking　Don　Quixote　what　was　the　reason　that　led　him
to　go　armed　in　that　fashion　in　a　country　so　peaceful。　To　which　Don
Quixote　replied；　〃The　pursuit　of　my　calling　does　not　allow　or　permit
me　to　go　in　any　other　fashion；　easy　life；　enjoyment；　an