don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第173部分

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　　　　　　　There　where　I　most　did　sin。

And　according　to　that　the　gentleman　has　good　reason　to　say　he　would
rather　be　a　labouring　man　than　a　king；　if　vermin　are　to　eat　him。〃
　　The　duchess　could　not　help　laughing　at　the　simplicity　of　her　duenna；
or　wondering　at　the　language　and　proverbs　of　Sancho；　to　whom　she　said；
〃Worthy　Sancho　knows　very　well　that　when　once　a　knight　has　made　a
promise　he　strives　to　keep　it；　though　it　should　cost　him　his　life。
My　lord　and　husband　the　duke；　though　not　one　of　the　errant　sort；　is
none　the　less　a　knight　for　that　reason；　and　will　keep　his　word　about
the　promised　island；　in　spite　of　the　envy　and　malice　of　the　world。　Let
Sancho　he　of　good　cheer；　for　when　he　least　expects　it　he　will　find
himself　seated　on　the　throne　of　his　island　and　seat　of　dignity；　and
will　take　possession　of　his　government　that　he　may　discard　it　for
another　of　three…bordered　brocade。　The　charge　I　give　him　is　to　be
careful　how　he　governs　his　vassals；　bearing　in　mind　that　they　are
all　loyal　and　well…born。〃
　　〃As　to　governing　them　well；〃　said　Sancho；　〃there's　no　need　of
charging　me　to　do　that；　for　I'm　kind…hearted　by　nature；　and　full　of
compassion　for　the　poor；　there's　no　stealing　the　loaf　from　him　who
kneads　and　bakes；'　and　by　my　faith　it　won't　do　to　throw　false　dice
with　me；　I　am　an　old　dog；　and　I　know　all　about　'tus；　tus；'　I　can　be
wide…awake　if　need　be；　and　I　don't　let　clouds　come　before　my　eyes；　for
I　know　where　the　shoe　pinches　me；　I　say　so；　because　with　me　the　good
will　have　support　and　protection；　and　the　bad　neither　footing　nor
access。　And　it　seems　to　me　that；　in　governments；　to　make　a　beginning
is　everything；　and　maybe；　after　having　been　governor　a　fortnight；　I'll
take　kindly　to　the　work　and　know　more　about　it　than　the　field　labour　I
have　been　brought　up　to。〃
　　〃You　are　right；　Sancho；〃　said　the　duchess；　〃for　no　one　is　born　ready
taught；　and　the　bishops　are　made　out　of　men　and　not　out　of　stones。　But
to　return　to　the　subject　we　were　discussing　just　now；　the
enchantment　of　the　lady　Dulcinea；　I　look　upon　it　as　certain；　and
something　more　than　evident；　that　Sancho's　idea　of　practising　a
deception　upon　his　master；　making　him　believe　that　the　peasant　girl
was　Dulcinea　and　that　if　he　did　not　recognise　her　it　must　be　because
she　was　enchanted；　was　all　a　device　of　one　of　the　enchanters　that
persecute　Don　Quixote。　For　in　truth　and　earnest；　I　know　from　good
authority　that　the　coarse　country　wench　who　jumped　up　on　the　ass　was
and　is　Dulcinea　del　Toboso；　and　that　worthy　Sancho；　though　he
fancies　himself　the　deceiver；　is　the　one　that　is　deceived；　and　that
there　is　no　more　reason　to　doubt　the　truth　of　this；　than　of　anything
else　we　never　saw。　Senor　Sancho　Panza　must　know　that　we　too　have
enchanters　here　that　are　well　disposed　to　us；　and　tell　us　what　goes　on
in　the　world；　plainly　and　distinctly；　without　subterfuge　or　deception；
and　believe　me；　Sancho；　that　agile　country　lass　was　and　is　Dulcinea
del　Toboso；　who　is　as　much　enchanted　as　the　mother　that　bore　her；
and　when　we　least　expect　it；　we　shall　see　her　in　her　own　proper
form；　and　then　Sancho　will　he　disabused　of　the　error　he　is　under　at
present。〃
　　〃All　that's　very　possible；〃　said　Sancho　Panza；　〃and　now　I'm
willing　to　believe　what　my　master　says　about　what　he　saw　in　the　cave
of　Montesinos；　where　he　says　he　saw　the　lady　Dulcinea　del　Toboso　in
the　very　same　dress　and　apparel　that　I　said　I　had　seen　her　in　when　I
enchanted　her　all　to　please　myself。　It　must　be　all　exactly　the　other
way；　as　your　ladyship　says；　because　it　is　impossible　to　suppose　that
out　of　my　poor　wit　such　a　cunning　trick　could　be　concocted　in　a
moment；　nor　do　I　think　my　master　is　so　mad　that　by　my　weak　and
feeble　persuasion　he　could　be　made　to　believe　a　thing　so　out　of　all
reason。　But；　senora；　your　excellence　must　not　therefore　think　me
ill…disposed；　for　a　dolt　like　me　is　not　bound　to　see　into　the　thoughts
and　plots　of　those　vile　enchanters。　I　invented　all　that　to　escape　my
master's　scolding；　and　not　with　any　intention　of　hurting　him；　and　if
it　has　turned　out　differently；　there　is　a　God　in　heaven　who　judges　our
hearts。〃
　　〃That　is　true；〃　said　the　duchess；　〃but　tell　me；　Sancho；　what　is　this
you　say　about　the　cave　of　Montesinos；　for　I　should　like　to　know。〃
　　Sancho　upon　this　related　to　her；　word　for　word；　what　has　been　said
already　touching　that　adventure；　and　having　heard　it　the　duchess　said；
〃From　this　occurrence　it　may　be　inferred　that；　as　the　great　Don
Quixote　says　he　saw　there　the　same　country　wench　Sancho　saw　on　the　way
from　El　Toboso；　it　is；　no　doubt；　Dulcinea；　and　that　there　are　some
very　active　and　exceedingly　busy　enchanters　about。〃
　　〃So　I　say；〃　said　Sancho；　〃and　if　my　lady　Dulcinea　is　enchanted；　so
much　the　worse　for　her；　and　I'm　not　going　to　pick　a　quarrel　with　my
master's　enemies；　who　seem　to　be　many　and　spiteful。　The　truth　is
that　the　one　I　saw　was　a　country　wench；　and　I　set　her　down　to　be　a
country　wench；　and　if　that　was　Dulcinea　it　must　not　be　laid　at　my
door；　nor　should　I　be　called　to　answer　for　it　or　take　the
consequences。　But　they　must　go　nagging　at　me　at　every　step…　'Sancho
said　it；　Sancho　did　it；　Sancho　here；　Sancho　there；'　as　if　Sancho　was
nobody　at　all；　and　not　that　same　Sancho　Panza　that's　now　going　all
over　the　world　in　books；　so　Samson　Carrasco　told　me；　and　he's　at　any
rate　one　that's　a　bachelor　of　Salamanca；　and　people　of　that　sort　can't
lie；　except　when　the　whim　seizes　them　or　they　have　some　very　good
reason　for　it。　So　there's　no　occasion　for　anybody　to　quarrel　with
me；　and　then　I　have　a　good　character；　and；　as　I　have　heard　my　master
say；　'a　good　name　is　better　than　great　riches；'　let　them　only　stick　me
into　this　government　and　they'll　see　wonders；　for　one　who　has　been　a
good　squire　will　be　a　good　governor。〃
　　〃All　worthy　Sancho's　observations；〃　said　the　duchess；　〃are
Catonian　sentences；　or　at　any　rate　out　of　the　very　heart　of　Michael
Verino　himself；　who　florentibus　occidit　annis。　In　fact；　to　speak　in
his　own　style；　'under　a　bad　cloak　there's　often　a　good　drinker。'〃
　　〃Indeed；　senora；〃　said　Sancho；　〃I　never　yet　drank　out　of　wickedness；
from　thirst　I　have　very　likely；　for　I　have　nothing　of　the　hypocrite　in
me；　I　drink　when　I'm　inclined；　or；　if　I'm　not　inclined；　when　they
offer　it　to　me；　so　as　not　to　look　either　strait…laced　or　ill…bred；　for
when　a　friend　drinks　one's　health　what　heart　can　be　so　hard　as　not
to　return　it？　But　if　I　put　on　my　shoes　I　don't　dirty　them；　besides；
squires　to　knights…errant　mostly　drink　water；　for　they　are　always
wandering　among　woods；　forests　and　meadows；　mountains　and　crags；
without　a　drop　of　wine　to　be　had　if　they　gave　their　eyes　for　it。〃
　　〃So　I　believe；〃　said　the　duchess；　〃and　now　let　Sancho　go　and　take
his　sleep；　and　we　will　talk　by…and…by　at　greater　length；　and　settle
how　he　may　soon　go　and　stick　himself　into　the　government；　as　he　says。〃
　　Sancho　once　more　kissed　the　duchess's　hand；　and　entreated　her　to　let
good　care　be　taken　of　his　Dapple；　for　he　was　the　light　of　his　eyes。
　　〃What　is　Dapple？〃　said　the　duchess。
　　〃My　ass；〃　said　Sancho；　〃which；　not　to　mention　him　by　that　name；
I'm　accustomed　to　call　Dapple；　I　begged　this　lady　duenna　here　to
take　care　of　him　when　I　came　into　the　castle；　and　she　got　as　angry
as　if　I　had　said　she　was　ugly　or　old；　though　it　ought　to　be　more
natural　and　proper　for　duennas　to　feed　asses　than　to　ornament
chambers。　God　bless　me！　what　a　spite　a　gentleman　of　my　village　had
against　these　ladies！〃
　　〃He　must　have　been　some　clown；〃　said　Dona　Rodriguez　the　duenna；　〃for
if　he　had　been　a　gentleman　and　well…born　he　would　have　exalted　them
higher　than　the　horns　of　the　moon。〃
　　〃That　will　do；〃　said　the　duchess；　〃no　more　of　this；　hush；　Dona
Rodriguez；　and　let　Senor　Panza　rest　easy　and　leave　the　treatment　of
Dapple　in　my　charge；　for　as　he　is　a　treasure　of　Sancho's；　I'll　put　him
on　the　apple　of　my　eye。〃
　　〃It　will　be　enough　for　him　to　he　in　the　stable；〃　said　Sancho；　〃for
neither　he　nor　I　are　worthy　to　rest　a　moment　in　the　apple　of　your
highness's　eye；　and　I'd　as　soon　stab　myself　as　consent　to　it；　for
though　my　master　says　that　in　civilities　it　is　better　to　lose　by　a
card　too　many　than　a　card　too　few；　when　it　comes　to　civilities　to
asses　we　must　mind　what　we　are　about　and　keep　within　due　bounds。〃
　　〃Take　him　to　your　government；　Sancho；〃　said　the　duchess；　〃and
there　you　will　be　able　to　make　as　much　of　him　as　you　like；　and　even
release　him　from　work　and　pension　him　off。〃
　　〃Don't　think；　senora　duchess；　that　you　have　said　anything　absurd；〃
said　Sancho；　〃I　have　seen　more　than　two　asses　go　to　governments；　and
for　me　to　take　mine　with　me　would　he　nothing　new。〃
　　Sancho's　words　made　the　duchess　laugh　again　and　gave　her　fresh
amusement；　and　dismissing　him　to　sleep　she　went　away　to　tell　the
duke　the　conversation　she　had　had　with　him；　and　between　them　they
plotted　and　arranged　to　play　a　joke　upon　Don　Quixote　that　was　to　be
a　rare　one　and　entirely　in　knight…errantry　style；　and　in　that　same
style　they　practised　several　upon　him；　so　much　in　keeping　and　so
clever　that　they　form　the　best　adventures　this　great　history　contains。

　　CHAPTER　XXXIV
　　WHICH　RELATES　HOW　THEY　LEARNED　THE　WAY　IN　WHICH　THEY　WERE　TO
DISENCHANT　THE　PEERLESS　DULCINEA　DEL　TOBOS