don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第54部分

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thrown　into　confusion　by　Luscinda's　fainting；　and　as　her　mother　was
unlacing　her　to　give　her　air　a　sealed　paper　was　discovered　in　her
bosom　which　Don　Fernando　seized　at　once　and　began　to　read　by　the　light
of　one　of　the　torches。　As　soon　as　he　had　read　it　he　seated　himself
in　a　chair；　leaning　his　cheek　on　his　hand　in　the　attitude　of　one
deep　in　thought；　without　taking　any　part　in　the　efforts　that　were
being　made　to　recover　his　bride　from　her　fainting　fit。
　　〃Seeing　all　the　household　in　confusion；　I　ventured　to　come　out
regardless　whether　I　were　seen　or　not；　and　determined；　if　I　were；　to
do　some　frenzied　deed　that　would　prove　to　all　the　world　the
righteous　indignation　of　my　breast　in　the　punishment　of　the
treacherous　Don　Fernando；　and　even　in　that　of　the　fickle　fainting
traitress。　But　my　fate；　doubtless　reserving　me　for　greater　sorrows；　if
such　there　be；　so　ordered　it　that　just　then　I　had　enough　and　to
spare　of　that　reason　which　has　since　been　wanting　to　me；　and　so；
without　seeking　to　take　vengeance　on　my　greatest　enemies　（which
might　have　been　easily　taken；　as　all　thought　of　me　was　so　far　from
their　minds）；　I　resolved　to　take　it　upon　myself；　and　on　myself　to
inflict　the　pain　they　deserved；　perhaps　with　even　greater　severity
than　I　should　have　dealt　out　to　them　had　I　then　slain　them；　for　sudden
pain　is　soon　over；　but　that　which　is　protracted　by　tortures　is　ever
slaying　without　ending　life。　In　a　word；　I　quitted　the　house　and
reached　that　of　the　man　with　whom　I　had　left　my　mule；　I　made　him
saddle　it　for　me；　mounted　without　bidding　him　farewell；　and　rode　out
of　the　city；　like　another　Lot；　not　daring　to　turn　my　head　to　look　back
upon　it；　and　when　I　found　myself　alone　in　the　open　country；　screened
by　the　darkness　of　the　night；　and　tempted　by　the　stillness　to　give
vent　to　my　grief　without　apprehension　or　fear　of　being　heard　or
seen；　then　I　broke　silence　and　lifted　up　my　voice　in　maledictions　upon
Luscinda　and　Don　Fernando；　as　if　I　could　thus　avenge　the　wrong　they
had　done　me。　I　called　her　cruel；　ungrateful；　false；　thankless；　but
above　all　covetous；　since　the　wealth　of　my　enemy　had　blinded　the
eyes　of　her　affection；　and　turned　it　from　me　to　transfer　it　to　one
to　whom　fortune　had　been　more　generous　and　liberal。　And　yet；　in　the
midst　of　this　outburst　of　execration　and　upbraiding；　I　found　excuses
for　her；　saying　it　was　no　wonder　that　a　young　girl　in　the　seclusion　of
her　parents'　house；　trained　and　schooled　to　obey　them　always；　should
have　been　ready　to　yield　to　their　wishes　when　they　offered　her　for　a
husband　a　gentleman　of　such　distinction；　wealth；　and　noble　birth；　that
if　she　had　refused　to　accept　him　she　would　have　been　thought　out　of
her　senses；　or　to　have　set　her　affection　elsewhere；　a　suspicion
injurious　to　her　fair　name　and　fame。　But　then　again；　I　said；　had　she
declared　I　was　her　husband；　they　would　have　seen　that　in　choosing　me
she　had　not　chosen　so　ill　but　that　they　might　excuse　her；　for　before
Don　Fernando　had　made　his　offer；　they　themselves　could　not　have
desired；　if　their　desires　had　been　ruled　by　reason；　a　more　eligible
husband　for　their　daughter　than　I　was；　and　she；　before　taking　the　last
fatal　step　of　giving　her　hand；　might　easily　have　said　that　I　had
already　given　her　mine；　for　I　should　have　come　forward　to　support
any　assertion　of　hers　to　that　effect。　In　short；　I　came　to　the
conclusion　that　feeble　love；　little　reflection；　great　ambition；　and
a　craving　for　rank；　had　made　her　forget　the　words　with　which　she　had
deceived　me；　encouraged　and　supported　by　my　firm　hopes　and
honourable　passion。
　　〃Thus　soliloquising　and　agitated；　I　journeyed　onward　for　the
remainder　of　the　night；　and　by　daybreak　I　reached　one　of　the　passes　of
these　mountains；　among　which　I　wandered　for　three　days　more　without
taking　any　path　or　road；　until　I　came　to　some　meadows　lying　on　I
know　not　which　side　of　the　mountains；　and　there　I　inquired　of　some
herdsmen　in　what　direction　the　most　rugged　part　of　the　range　lay。　They
told　me　that　it　was　in　this　quarter；　and　I　at　once　directed　my
course　hither；　intending　to　end　my　life　here；　but　as　I　was　making　my
way　among　these　crags；　my　mule　dropped　dead　through　fatigue　and
hunger；　or；　as　I　think　more　likely；　in　order　to　have　done　with　such
a　worthless　burden　as　it　bore　in　me。　I　was　left　on　foot；　worn　out；
famishing；　without　anyone　to　help　me　or　any　thought　of　seeking　help：
and　so　thus　I　lay　stretched　on　the　ground；　how　long　I　know　not；
after　which　I　rose　up　free　from　hunger；　and　found　beside　me　some
goatherds；　who　no　doubt　were　the　persons　who　had　relieved　me　in　my
need；　for　they　told　me　how　they　had　found　me；　and　how　I　had　been
uttering　ravings　that　showed　plainly　I　had　lost　my　reason；　and　since
then　I　am　conscious　that　I　am　not　always　in　full　possession　of　it；　but
at　times　so　deranged　and　crazed　that　I　do　a　thousand　mad　things；
tearing　my　clothes；　crying　aloud　in　these　solitudes；　cursing　my
fate；　and　idly　calling　on　the　dear　name　of　her　who　is　my　enemy；　and
only　seeking　to　end　my　life　in　lamentation；　and　when　I　recover　my
senses　I　find　myself　so　exhausted　and　weary　that　I　can　scarcely
move。　Most　commonly　my　dwelling　is　the　hollow　of　a　cork　tree　large
enough　to　shelter　this　miserable　body；　the　herdsmen　and　goatherds
who　frequent　these　mountains；　moved　by　compassion；　furnish　me　with
food；　leaving　it　by　the　wayside　or　on　the　rocks；　where　they　think　I
may　perhaps　pass　and　find　it；　and　so；　even　though　I　may　be　then　out　of
my　senses；　the　wants　of　nature　teach　me　what　is　required　to　sustain
me；　and　make　me　crave　it　and　eager　to　take　it。　At　other　times；　so　they
tell　me　when　they　find　me　in　a　rational　mood；　I　sally　out　upon　the
road；　and　though　they　would　gladly　give　it　me；　I　snatch　food　by
force　from　the　shepherds　bringing　it　from　the　village　to　their　huts。
Thus　do　pass　the　wretched　life　that　remains　to　me；　until　it　be
Heaven's　will　to　bring　it　to　a　close；　or　so　to　order　my　memory　that
I　no　longer　recollect　the　beauty　and　treachery　of　Luscinda；　or　the
wrong　done　me　by　Don　Fernando；　for　if　it　will　do　this　without
depriving　me　of　life；　I　will　turn　my　thoughts　into　some　better
channel；　if　not；　I　can　only　implore　it　to　have　full　mercy　on　my
soul；　for　in　myself　I　feel　no　power　or　strength　to　release　my　body
from　this　strait　in　which　I　have　of　my　own　accord　chosen　to　place　it。
　　〃Such；　sirs；　is　the　dismal　story　of　my　misfortune：　say　if　it　be
one　that　can　be　told　with　less　emotion　than　you　have　seen　in　me；　and
do　not　trouble　yourselves　with　urging　or　pressing　upon　me　what
reason　suggests　as　likely　to　serve　for　my　relief；　for　it　will　avail　me
as　much　as　the　medicine　prescribed　by　a　wise　physician　avails　the　sick
man　who　will　not　take　it。　I　have　no　wish　for　health　without
Luscinda；　and　since　it　is　her　pleasure　to　be　another's；　when　she　is　or
should　be　mine；　let　it　be　mine　to　be　a　prey　to　misery　when　I　might
have　enjoyed　happiness。　She　by　her　fickleness　strove　to　make　my　ruin
irretrievable；　I　will　strive　to　gratify　her　wishes　by　seeking
destruction；　and　it　will　show　generations　to　come　that　I　alone　was
deprived　of　that　of　which　all　others　in　misfortune　have　a
superabundance；　for　to　them　the　impossibility　of　being　consoled　is
itself　a　consolation；　while　to　me　it　is　the　cause　of　greater　sorrows
and　sufferings；　for　I　think　that　even　in　death　there　will　not　be　an
end　of　them。〃
　　Here　Cardenio　brought　to　a　close　his　long　discourse　and　story；　as
full　of　misfortune　as　it　was　of　love；　but　just　as　the　curate　was　going
to　address　some　words　of　comfort　to　him；　he　was　stopped　by　a　voice
that　reached　his　ear；　saying　in　melancholy　tones　what　will　be　told
in　the　Fourth　Part　of　this　narrative；　for　at　this　point　the　sage　and
sagacious　historian；　Cide　Hamete　Benengeli；　brought　the　Third　to　a
conclusion。

　　CHAPTER　XXVIII
　　WHICH　TREATS　OF　THE　STRANGE　AND　DELIGHTFUL　ADVENTURE　THAT　BEFELL　THE
CURATE　AND　THE　BARBER　IN　THE　SAME　SIERRA

　　HAPPY　and　fortunate　were　the　times　when　that　most　daring　knight
Don　Quixote　of　La　Mancha　was　sent　into　the　world；　for　by　reason　of　his
having　formed　a　resolution　so　honourable　as　that　of　seeking　to
revive　and　restore　to　the　world　the　long…lost　and　almost　defunct　order
of　knight…errantry；　we　now　enjoy　in　this　age　of　ours；　so　poor　in　light
entertainment；　not　only　the　charm　of　his　veracious　history；　but　also
of　the　tales　and　episodes　contained　in　it　which　are；　in　a　measure；
no　less　pleasing；　ingenious；　and　truthful；　than　the　history　itself；
which；　resuming　its　thread；　carded；　spun；　and　wound；　relates　that　just
as　the　curate　was　going　to　offer　consolation　to　Cardenio；　he　was
interrupted　by　a　voice　that　fell　upon　his　ear　saying　in　plaintive
tones：
　　〃O　God！　is　it　possible　I　have　found　a　place　that　may　serve　as　a
secret　grave　for　the　weary　load　of　this　body　that　I　support　so
unwillingly？　If　the　solitude　these　mountains　promise　deceives　me
not；　it　is　so；　ah！　woe　is　me！　how　much　more　grateful　to　my　mind　will
be　the　society　of　these　rocks　and　brakes　that　permit　me　to　complain　of
my　misfortune　to　Heaven；　than　that　of　any　human　being；　for　there　is
none　on　earth　to　look　to　for　counsel　in　doubt；　comfort　in　sorrow；　or
relief　in　distress！〃
　　All　this　was　heard　distinctly　by　the　curate　and　those　with　him；
and