don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第233部分

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wonder；〃　said　Sancho；　〃for　devils；　whether　playing　or　not；　can　never
be　content；　win　or　lose。〃
　　〃Very　likely；〃　said　Altisidora；　〃but　there　is　another　thing　that
surprises　me　too；　I　mean　surprised　me　then；　and　that　was　that　no
ball　outlasted　the　first　throw　or　was　of　any　use　a　second　time；　and　it
was　wonderful　the　constant　succession　there　was　of　books；　new　and　old。
To　one　of　them；　a　brand…new；　well…bound　one；　they　gave　such　a　stroke
that　they　knocked　the　guts　out　of　it　and　scattered　the　leaves　about。
'Look　what　book　that　is；'　said　one　devil　to　another；　and　the　other
replied；　'It　is　the　〃Second　Part　of　the　History　of　Don　Quixote　of　La
Mancha；〃　not　by　Cide　Hamete；　the　original　author；　but　by　an
Aragonese　who　by　his　own　account　is　of　Tordesillas。'　'Out　of　this　with
it；'　said　the　first；　'and　into　the　depths　of　hell　with　it　out　of　my
sight。'　'Is　it　so　bad？'　said　the　other。　'So　bad　is　it；'　said　the
first；　'that　if　I　had　set　myself　deliberately　to　make　a　worse；　I　could
not　have　done　it。'　They　then　went　on　with　their　game；　knocking　other
books　about；　and　I；　having　heard　them　mention　the　name　of　Don
Quixote　whom　I　love　and　adore　so；　took　care　to　retain　this　vision　in
my　memory。〃
　　〃A　vision　it　must　have　been；　no　doubt；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃for　there
is　no　other　I　in　the　world；　this　history　has　been　going　about　here　for
some　time　from　hand　to　hand；　but　it　does　not　stay　long　in　any；　for
everybody　gives　it　a　taste　of　his　foot。　I　am　not　disturbed　by
hearing　that　I　am　wandering　in　a　fantastic　shape　in　the　darkness　of
the　pit　or　in　the　daylight　above；　for　I　am　not　the　one　that　history
treats　of。　If　it　should　be　good；　faithful；　and　true；　it　will　have　ages
of　life；　but　if　it　should　be　bad；　from　its　birth　to　its　burial　will
not　be　a　very　long　journey。〃
　　Altisidora　was　about　to　proceed　with　her　complaint　against　Don
Quixote；　when　he　said　to　her；　〃I　have　several　times　told　you；　senora
that　it　grieves　me　you　should　have　set　your　affections　upon　me；　as
from　mine　they　can　only　receive　gratitude；　but　no　return。　I　was　born
to　belong　to　Dulcinea　del　Toboso；　and　the　fates；　if　there　are　any；
dedicated　me　to　her；　and　to　suppose　that　any　other　beauty　can　take　the
place　she　occupies　in　my　heart　is　to　suppose　an　impossibility。　This
frank　declaration　should　suffice　to　make　you　retire　within　the
bounds　of　your　modesty；　for　no　one　can　bind　himself　to　do
impossibilities。〃
　　Hearing　this；　Altisidora；　with　a　show　of　anger　and　agitation；
exclaimed；　〃God's　life！　Don　Stockfish；　soul　of　a　mortar；　stone　of　a
date；　more　obstinate　and　obdurate　than　a　clown　asked　a　favour　when
he　has　his　mind　made　up；　if　I　fall　upon　you　I'll　tear　your　eyes　out！
Do　you　fancy；　Don　Vanquished；　Don　Cudgelled；　that　I　died　for　your
sake？　All　that　you　have　seen　to…night　has　been　make…believe；　I'm　not
the　woman　to　let　the　black　of　my　nail　suffer　for　such　a　camel；　much
less　die！〃
　　〃That　I　can　well　believe；〃　said　Sancho；　〃for　all　that　about　lovers
pining　to　death　is　absurd；　they　may　talk　of　it；　but　as　for　doing　it…
Judas　may　believe　that！〃
　　While　they　were　talking；　the　musician；　singer；　and　poet；　who　had
sung　the　two　stanzas　given　above　came　in；　and　making　a　profound
obeisance　to　Don　Quixote　said；　〃Will　your　worship；　sir　knight；
reckon　and　retain　me　in　the　number　of　your　most　faithful　servants；　for
I　have　long　been　a　great　admirer　of　yours；　as　well　because　of　your
fame　as　because　of　your　achievements？〃　〃Will　your　worship　tell　me
who　you　are；〃　replied　Don　Quixote；　〃so　that　my　courtesy　may　be
answerable　to　your　deserts？〃　The　young　man　replied　that　he　was　the
musician　and　songster　of　the　night　before。　〃Of　a　truth；〃　said　Don
Quixote；　〃your　worship　has　a　most　excellent　voice；　but　what　you　sang
did　not　seem　to　me　very　much　to　the　purpose；　for　what　have
Garcilasso's　stanzas　to　do　with　the　death　of　this　lady？〃
　　〃Don't　be　surprised　at　that；〃　returned　the　musician；　〃for　with　the
callow　poets　of　our　day　the　way　is　for　every　one　to　write　as　he
pleases　and　pilfer　where　he　chooses；　whether　it　be　germane　to　the
matter　or　not；　and　now…a…days　there　is　no　piece　of　silliness　they
can　sing　or　write　that　is　not　set　down　to　poetic　licence。〃
　　Don　Quixote　was　about　to　reply；　but　was　prevented　by　the　duke　and
duchess；　who　came　in　to　see　him；　and　with　them　there　followed　a　long
and　delightful　conversation；　in　the　course　of　which　Sancho　said　so
many　droll　and　saucy　things　that　he　left　the　duke　and　duchess
wondering　not　only　at　his　simplicity　but　at　his　sharpness。　Don　Quixote
begged　their　permission　to　take　his　departure　that　same　day；
inasmuch　as　for　a　vanquished　knight　like　himself　it　was　fitter　he
should　live　in　a　pig…sty　than　in　a　royal　palace。　They　gave　it　very
readily；　and　the　duchess　asked　him　if　Altisidora　was　in　his　good
graces。
　　He　replied；　〃Senora；　let　me　tell　your　ladyship　that　this　damsel's
ailment　comes　entirely　of　idleness；　and　the　cure　for　it　is　honest
and　constant　employment。　She　herself　has　told　me　that　lace　is　worn
in　hell；　and　as　she　must　know　how　to　make　it；　let　it　never　be　out　of
her　hands；　for　when　she　is　occupied　in　shifting　the　bobbins　to　and
fro；　the　image　or　images　of　what　she　loves　will　not　shift　to　and　fro
in　her　thoughts；　this　is　the　truth；　this　is　my　opinion；　and　this　is　my
advice。〃
　　〃And　mine；〃　added　Sancho；　〃for　I　never　in　all　my　life　saw　a
lace…maker　that　died　for　love；　when　damsels　are　at　work　their　minds
are　more　set　on　finishing　their　tasks　than　on　thinking　of　their　loves。
I　speak　from　my　own　experience；　for　when　I'm　digging　I　never　think
of　my　old　woman；　I　mean　my　Teresa　Panza；　whom　I　love　better　than　my
own　eyelids。〃　〃You　say　well；　Sancho；〃　said　the　duchess；　〃and　I　will
take　care　that　my　Altisidora　employs　herself　henceforward　in
needlework　of　some　sort；　for　she　is　extremely　expert　at　it。〃　〃There　is
no　occasion　to　have　recourse　to　that　remedy；　senora；〃　said　Altisidora；
〃for　the　mere　thought　of　the　cruelty　with　which　this　vagabond
villain　has　treated　me　will　suffice　to　blot　him　out　of　my　memory
without　any　other　device；　with　your　highness's　leave　I　will　retire；
not　to　have　before　my　eyes；　I　won't　say　his　rueful　countenance；　but
his　abominable；　ugly　looks。〃　〃That　reminds　me　of　the　common　saying；
that　'he　that　rails　is　ready　to　forgive；'〃　said　the　duke。
　　Altisidora　then；　pretending　to　wipe　away　her　tears　with　a
handkerchief；　made　an　obeisance　to　her　master　and　mistress　and　quitted
the　room。
　　〃Ill　luck　betide　thee；　poor　damsel；〃　said　Sancho；　〃ill　luck　betide
thee！　Thou　hast　fallen　in　with　a　soul　as　dry　as　a　rush　and　a　heart
as　hard　as　oak；　had　it　been　me；　i'faith　'another　cock　would　have
crowed　to　thee。'〃
　　So　the　conversation　came　to　an　end；　and　Don　Quixote　dressed
himself　and　dined　with　the　duke　and　duchess；　and　set　out　the　same
evening。
　　

CHAPTER　LXXI
　　OF　WHAT　PASSED　BETWEEN　DON　QUIXOTE　AND　HIS　SQUIRE　SANCHO　ON　THE
WAY　TO　THEIR　VILLAGE

　　THE　vanquished　and　afflicted　Don　Quixote　went　along　very　downcast　in
one　respect　and　very　happy　in　another。　His　sadness　arose　from　his
defeat；　and　his　satisfaction　from　the　thought　of　the　virtue　that　lay
in　Sancho；　as　had　been　proved　by　the　resurrection　of　Altisidora；
though　it　was　with　difficulty　he　could　persuade　himself　that　the
love…smitten　damsel　had　been　really　dead。　Sancho　went　along　anything
but　cheerful；　for　it　grieved　him　that　Altisidora　had　not　kept　her
promise　of　giving　him　the　smocks；　and　turning　this　over　in　his　mind　he
said　to　his　master；　〃Surely；　senor；　I'm　the　most　unlucky　doctor　in　the
world；　there's　many　a　physician　that；　after　killing　the　sick　man　he
had　to　cure；　requires　to　be　paid　for　his　work；　though　it　is　only
signing　a　bit　of　a　list　of　medicines；　that　the　apothecary　and　not　he
makes　up；　and；　there；　his　labour　is　over；　but　with　me　though　to　cure
somebody　else　costs　me　drops　of　blood；　smacks；　pinches；
pinproddings；　and　whippings；　nobody　gives　me　a　farthing。　Well；　I　swear
by　all　that's　good　if　they　put　another　patient　into　my　hands；
they'll　have　to　grease　them　for　me　before　I　cure　him；　for；　as　they
say；　'it's　by　his　singing　the　abbot　gets　his　dinner；'　and　I'm　not
going　to　believe　that　heaven　has　bestowed　upon　me　the　virtue　I　have；
that　I　should　be　dealing　it　out　to　others　all　for　nothing。〃
　　〃Thou　art　right；　Sancho　my　friend；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃and
Altisidora　has　behaved　very　badly　in　not　giving　thee　the　smocks　she
promised；　and　although　that　virtue　of　thine　is　gratis　data…　as　it
has　cost　thee　no　study　whatever；　any　more　than　such　study　as　thy
personal　sufferings　may　be…　I　can　say　for　myself　that　if　thou
wouldst　have　payment　for　the　lashes　on　account　of　the　disenchant　of
Dulcinea；　I　would　have　given　it　to　thee　freely　ere　this。　I　am　not
sure；　however；　whether　payment　will　comport　with　the　cure；　and　I　would
not　have　the　reward　interfere　with　the　medicine。　I　think　there　will　be
nothing　lost　by　trying　it；　consider　how　much　thou　wouldst　have；
Sancho；　and　whip　thyself　at　once；　and　pay　thyself　down　with　thine
own　hand；　as　thou　hast　money　of　mine。〃
　　At　this　proposal　Sancho　opened　his　eyes　and　his　ears　a　palm's
breadth　wide；　and　in　his　heart　very　readily　acquiesced　in　whipping
himself；　and　said　he　to　his　master；　〃Very　well　then；　senor；　I'll
hold　myself　in　readiness　to　gratify　your　worship's