don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第234部分

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himself；　and　said　he　to　his　master；　〃Very　well　then；　senor；　I'll
hold　myself　in　readiness　to　gratify　your　worship's　wishes　if　I'm　to
profit　by　it；　for　the　love　of　my　wife　and　children　forces　me　to　seem
grasping。　Let　your　worship　say　how　much　you　will　pay　me　for　each
lash　I　give　myself。〃
　　〃If　Sancho；〃　replied　Don　Quixote；　〃I　were　to　requite　thee　as　the
importance　and　nature　of　the　cure　deserves；　the　treasures　of　Venice；
the　mines　of　Potosi；　would　be　insufficient　to　pay　thee。　See　what
thou　hast　of　mine；　and　put　a　price　on　each　lash。〃
　　〃Of　them；〃　said　Sancho；　〃there　are　three　thousand　three　hundred
and　odd；　of　these　I　have　given　myself　five；　the　rest　remain；　let　the
five　go　for　the　odd　ones；　and　let　us　take　the　three　thousand　three
hundred；　which　at　a　quarter　real　apiece　（for　I　will　not　take　less
though　the　whole　world　should　bid　me）　make　three　thousand　three
hundred　quarter　reals；　the　three　thousand　are　one　thousand　five
hundred　half　reals；　which　make　seven　hundred　and　fifty　reals；　and
the　three　hundred　make　a　hundred　and　fifty　half　reals；　which　come　to
seventy…five　reals；　which　added　to　the　seven　hundred　and　fifty　make
eight　hundred　and　twenty…five　reals　in　all。　These　I　will　stop　out　of
what　I　have　belonging　to　your　worship；　and　I'll　return　home　rich　and
content；　though　well　whipped；　for　'there's　no　taking　trout'…　but　I　say
no　more。〃
　　〃O　blessed　Sancho！　O　dear　Sancho！〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃how　we　shall
be　bound　to　serve　thee；　Dulcinea　and　I；　all　the　days　of　our　lives　that
heaven　may　grant　us！　If　she　returns　to　her　lost　shape　（and　it　cannot
be　but　that　she　will）　her　misfortune　will　have　been　good　fortune；
and　my　defeat　a　most　happy　triumph。　But　look　here；　Sancho；　when　wilt
thou　begin　the　scourging？　For　if　thou　wilt　make　short　work　of　it；　I
will　give　thee　a　hundred　reals　over　and　above。〃
　　〃When？〃　said　Sancho；　〃this　night　without　fail。　Let　your　worship
order　it　so　that　we　pass　it　out　of　doors　and　in　the　open　air；　and　I'll
scarify　myself。〃
　　Night；　longed　for　by　Don　Quixote　with　the　greatest　anxiety　in　the
world；　came　at　last；　though　it　seemed　to　him　that　the　wheels　of
Apollo's　car　had　broken　down；　and　that　the　day　was　drawing　itself
out　longer　than　usual；　just　as　is　the　case　with　lovers；　who　never　make
the　reckoning　of　their　desires　agree　with　time。　They　made　their　way　at
length　in　among　some　pleasant　trees　that　stood　a　little　distance
from　the　road；　and　there　vacating　Rocinante's　saddle　and　Dapple's
pack…saddle；　they　stretched　themselves　on　the　green　grass　and　made
their　supper　off　Sancho's　stores；　and　he　making　a　powerful　and
flexible　whip　out　of　Dapple's　halter　and　headstall　retreated　about
twenty　paces　from　his　master　among　some　beech　trees。　Don　Quixote
seeing　him　march　off　with　such　resolution　and　spirit；　said　to　him；
〃Take　care；　my　friend；　not　to　cut　thyself　to　pieces；　allow　the
lashes　to　wait　for　one　another；　and　do　not　be　in　so　great　a　hurry　as
to　run　thyself　out　of　breath　midway；　I　mean；　do　not　lay　on　so
strenuously　as　to　make　thy　life　fail　thee　before　thou　hast　reached　the
desired　number；　and　that　thou　mayest　not　lose　by　a　card　too　much　or
too　little；　I　will　station　myself　apart　and　count　on　my　rosary　here
the　lashes　thou　givest　thyself。　May　heaven　help　thee　as　thy　good
intention　deserves。〃
　　〃'Pledges　don't　distress　a　good　payer；'〃　said　Sancho；　〃I　mean　to　lay
on　in　such　a　way　as　without　killing　myself　to　hurt　myself；　for　in
that；　no　doubt；　lies　the　essence　of　this　miracle。〃
　　He　then　stripped　himself　from　the　waist　upwards；　and　snatching　up
the　rope　he　began　to　lay　on　and　Don　Quixote　to　count　the　lashes。　He
might　have　given　himself　six　or　eight　when　he　began　to　think　the
joke　no　trifle；　and　its　price　very　low；　and　holding　his　hand　for　a
moment；　he　told　his　master　that　he　cried　off　on　the　score　of　a　blind
bargain；　for　each　of　those　lashes　ought　to　be　paid　for　at　the　rate
of　half　a　real　instead　of　a　quarter。
　　〃Go　on；　Sancho　my　friend；　and　be　not　disheartened；〃　said　Don
Quixote；　〃for　I　double　the　stakes　as　to　price。〃
　　〃In　that　case；〃　said　Sancho；　〃in　God's　hand　be　it；　and　let　it　rain
lashes。〃　But　the　rogue　no　longer　laid　them　on　his　shoulders；　but
laid　on　to　the　trees；　with　such　groans　every　now　and　then；　that　one
would　have　thought　at　each　of　them　his　soul　was　being　plucked　up　by
the　roots。　Don　Quixote；　touched　to　the　heart；　and　fearing　he　might
make　an　end　of　himself；　and　that　through　Sancho's　imprudence　he
might　miss　his　own　object；　said　to　him；　〃As　thou　livest；　my　friend；
let　the　matter　rest　where　it　is；　for　the　remedy　seems　to　me　a　very
rough　one；　and　it　will　he　well　to　have　patience；　'Zamora　was　not　won
in　an　hour。'　If　I　have　not　reckoned　wrong　thou　hast　given　thyself　over
a　thousand　lashes；　that　is　enough　for　the　present；　'for　the　ass；'　to
put　it　in　homely　phrase；　'bears　the　load；　but　not　the　overload。'〃
　　〃No；　no；　senor；〃　replied　Sancho；　〃it　shall　never　be　said　of　me；　'The
money　paid；　the　arms　broken；'　go　back　a　little　further；　your
worship；　and　let　me　give　myself　at　any　rate　a　thousand　lashes　more；
for　in　a　couple　of　bouts　like　this　we　shall　have　finished　off　the　lot；
and　there　will　be　even　cloth　to　spare。〃
　　〃As　thou　art　in　such　a　willing　mood；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃may
heaven　aid　thee；　lay　on　and　I'll　retire。〃
　　Sancho　returned　to　his　task　with　so　much　resolution　that　he　soon　had
the　bark　stripped　off　several　trees；　such　was　the　severity　with
which　he　whipped　himself；　and　one　time；　raising　his　voice；　and
giving　a　beech　a　tremendous　lash；　he　cried　out；　〃Here　dies　Samson；　and
all　with　him！〃
　　At　the　sound　of　his　piteous　cry　and　of　the　stroke　of　the　cruel　lash；
Don　Quixote　ran　to　him　at　once；　and　seizing　the　twisted　halter　that
served　him　for　a　courbash；　said　to　him；　〃Heaven　forbid；　Sancho　my
friend；　that　to　please　me　thou　shouldst　lose　thy　life；　which　is　needed
for　the　support　of　thy　wife　and　children；　let　Dulcinea　wait　for　a
better　opportunity；　and　I　will　content　myself　with　a　hope　soon　to　be
realised；　and　have　patience　until　thou　hast　gained　fresh　strength　so
as　to　finish　off　this　business　to　the　satisfaction　of　everybody。〃
　　〃As　your　worship　will　have　it　so；　senor；〃　said　Sancho；　〃so　be　it；
but　throw　your　cloak　over　my　shoulders；　for　I'm　sweating　and　I　don't
want　to　take　cold；　it's　a　risk　that　novice　disciplinants　run。〃
　　Don　Quixote　obeyed；　and　stripping　himself　covered　Sancho；　who
slept　until　the　sun　woke　him；　they　then　resumed　their　journey；　which
for　the　time　being　they　brought　to　an　end　at　a　village　that　lay
three　leagues　farther　on。　They　dismounted　at　a　hostelry　which　Don
Quixote　recognised　as　such　and　did　not　take　to　be　a　castle　with
moat；　turrets；　portcullis；　and　drawbridge；　for　ever　since　he　had
been　vanquished　he　talked　more　rationally　about　everything；　as　will　be
shown　presently。　They　quartered　him　in　a　room　on　the　ground　floor；
where　in　place　of　leather　hangings　there　were　pieces　of　painted
serge　such　as　they　commonly　use　in　villages。　On　one　of　them　was
painted　by　some　very　poor　hand　the　Rape　of　Helen；　when　the　bold
guest　carried　her　off　from　Menelaus；　and　on　the　other　was　the　story　of
Dido　and　AEneas；　she　on　a　high　tower；　as　though　she　were　making
signals　with　a　half　sheet　to　her　fugitive　guest　who　was　out　at　sea
flying　in　a　frigate　or　brigantine。　He　noticed　in　the　two　stories
that　Helen　did　not　go　very　reluctantly；　for　she　was　laughing　slyly　and
roguishly；　but　the　fair　Dido　was　shown　dropping　tears　the　size　of
walnuts　from　her　eyes。　Don　Quixote　as　he　looked　at　them　observed；
〃Those　two　ladies　were　very　unfortunate　not　to　have　been　born　in
this　age；　and　I　unfortunate　above　all　men　not　to　have　been　born　in
theirs。　Had　I　fallen　in　with　those　gentlemen；　Troy　would　not　have　been
burned　or　Carthage　destroyed；　for　it　would　have　been　only　for　me　to
slay　Paris；　and　all　these　misfortunes　would　have　been　avoided。〃
　　〃I'll　lay　a　bet；〃　said　Sancho；　〃that　before　long　there　won't　be　a
tavern；　roadside　inn；　hostelry；　or　barber's　shop　where　the　story　of
our　doings　won't　be　painted　up；　but　I'd　like　it　painted　by　the　hand　of
a　better　painter　than　painted　these。〃
　　〃Thou　art　right；　Sancho；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃for　this　painter　is
like　Orbaneja；　a　painter　there　was　at　Ubeda；　who　when　they　asked　him
what　he　was　painting；　used　to　say；　'Whatever　it　may　turn　out；　and　if
he　chanced　to　paint　a　cock　he　would　write　under　it；　'This　is　a
cock；'　for　fear　they　might　think　it　was　a　fox。　The　painter　or
writer；　for　it's　all　the　same；　who　published　the　history　of　this　new
Don　Quixote　that　has　come　out；　must　have　been　one　of　this　sort　I
think；　Sancho；　for　he　painted　or　wrote　'whatever　it　might　turn　out；'
or　perhaps　he　is　like　a　poet　called　Mauleon　that　was　about　the　Court
some　years　ago；　who　used　to　answer　at　haphazard　whatever　he　was　asked；
and　on　one　asking　him　what　Deum　de　Deo　meant；　he　replied　De　donde
diere。　But；　putting　this　aside；　tell　me；　Sancho；　hast　thou　a　mind　to
have　another　turn　at　thyself　to…night；　and　wouldst　thou　rather　have　it
indoors　or　in　the　open　air？〃
　　〃Egad；　senor；〃　said　Sancho；　〃for　what　I'm　going　to　give　myself；　it
comes　all　the　same　to　me　whether　it　is　in　a　house　or　in　the　fields；
still　I'd　like　it　to　be　among　trees；　for　I　think　they　are　company
for　me　and　help　me　to　bear　my　pain