don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第100章

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Lela　Marien　shown　me　one；　though　I　have　asked　her。　All　that　can　be
done　is　for　me　to　give　you　plenty　of　money　in　gold　from　this　window。
With　it　ransom　yourself　and　your　friends；　and　let　one　of　you　go　to　the
land　of　the　Christians；　and　there　buy　a　vessel　and　come　back　for　the
others；　and　he　will　find　me　in　my　father's　garden；　which　is　at　the
Babazon　gate　near　the　seashore；　where　I　shall　be　all　this　summer
with　my　father　and　my　servants。　You　can　carry　me　away　from　there　by
night　without　any　danger；　and　bring　me　to　the　vessel。　And　remember
thou　art　to　be　my　husband；　else　I　will　pray　to　Marien　to　punish
thee。　If　thou　canst　not　trust　anyone　to　go　for　the　vessel；　ransom
thyself　and　do　thou　go；　for　I　know　thou　wilt　return　more　surely　than
any　other；　as　thou　art　a　gentleman　and　a　Christian。　Endeavour　to
make　thyself　acquainted　with　the　garden；　and　when　I　see　thee　walking
yonder　I　shall　know　that　the　bano　is　empty　and　I　will　give　thee
abundance　of　money。　Allah　protect　thee；　senor。〃
　　These　were　the　words　and　contents　of　the　second　paper；　and　on
hearing　them；　each　declared　himself　willing　to　be　the　ransomed　one；
and　promised　to　go　and　return　with　scrupulous　good　faith；　and　I　too
made　the　same　offer；　but　to　all　this　the　renegade　objected；　saying
that　he　would　not　on　any　account　consent　to　one　being　set　free
before　all　went　together；　as　experience　had　taught　him　how　ill　those
who　have　been　set　free　keep　promises　which　they　made　in　captivity；　for
captives　of　distinction　frequently　had　recourse　to　this　plan；　paying
the　ransom　of　one　who　was　to　go　to　Valencia　or　Majorca　with　money　to
enable　him　to　arm　a　bark　and　return　for　the　others　who　had　ransomed
him；　but　who　never　came　back；　for　recovered　liberty　and　the　dread　of
losing　it　again　efface　from　the　memory　all　the　obligations　in　the
world。　And　to　prove　the　truth　of　what　he　said；　he　told　us　briefly　what
had　happened　to　a　certain　Christian　gentleman　almost　at　that　very
time；　the　strangest　case　that　had　ever　occurred　even　there；　where
astonishing　and　marvellous　things　are　happening　every　instant。　In
short；　he　ended　by　saying　that　what　could　and　ought　to　be　done　was
to　give　the　money　intended　for　the　ransom　of　one　of　us　Christians　to
him；　so　that　he　might　with　it　buy　a　vessel　there　in　Algiers　under
the　pretence　of　becoming　a　merchant　and　trader　at　Tetuan　and　along　the
coast；　and　when　master　of　the　vessel；　it　would　be　easy　for　him　to
hit　on　some　way　of　getting　us　all　out　of　the　bano　and　putting　us　on
board；　especially　if　the　Moorish　lady　gave；　as　she　said；　money
enough　to　ransom　all；　because　once　free　it　would　be　the　easiest
thing　in　the　world　for　us　to　embark　even　in　open　day；　but　the　greatest
difficulty　was　that　the　Moors　do　not　allow　any　renegade　to　buy　or
own　any　craft；　unless　it　be　a　large　vessel　for　going　on　roving
expeditions；　because　they　are　afraid　that　anyone　who　buys　a　small
vessel；　especially　if　he　be　a　Spaniard；　only　wants　it　for　the
purpose　of　escaping　to　Christian　territory。　This　however　he　could
get　over　by　arranging　with　a　Tagarin　Moor　to　go　shares　with　him　in　the
purchase　of　the　vessel；　and　in　the　profit　on　the　cargo；　and　under
cover　of　this　he　could　become　master　of　the　vessel；　in　which　case　he
looked　upon　all　the　rest　as　accomplished。　But　though　to　me　and　my
comrades　it　had　seemed　a　better　plan　to　send　to　Majorca　for　the
vessel；　as　the　Moorish　lady　suggested；　we　did　not　dare　to　oppose
him；　fearing　that　if　we　did　not　do　as　he　said　he　would　denounce　us；
and　place　us　in　danger　of　losing　all　our　lives　if　he　were　to
disclose　our　dealings　with　Zoraida；　for　whose　life　we　would　have　all
given　our　own。　We　therefore　resolved　to　put　ourselves　in　the　hands
of　God　and　in　the　renegade's；　and　at　the　same　time　an　answer　was　given
to　Zoraida；　telling　her　that　we　would　do　all　she　recommended；　for
she　had　given　as　good　advice　as　if　Lela　Marien　had　delivered　it；　and
that　it　depended　on　her　alone　whether　we　were　to　defer　the　business　or
put　it　in　execution　at　once。　I　renewed　my　promise　to　be　her　husband；
and　thus　the　next　day　that　the　bano　chanced　to　be　empty　she　at
different　times　gave　us　by　means　of　the　reed　and　cloth　two　thousand
gold　crowns　and　a　paper　in　which　she　said　that　the　next　Juma；　that
is　to　say　Friday；　she　was　going　to　her　father's　garden；　but　that
before　she　went　she　would　give　us　more　money；　and　if　it　were　not
enough　we　were　to　let　her　know；　as　she　would　give　us　as　much　as　we
asked；　for　her　father　had　so　much　he　would　not　miss　it；　and　besides
she　kept　all　the　keys。
　　We　at　once　gave　the　renegade　five　hundred　crowns　to　buy　the
vessel；　and　with　eight　hundred　I　ransomed　myself；　giving　the　money
to　a　Valencian　merchant　who　happened　to　be　in　Algiers　at　the　time；　and
who　had　me　released　on　his　word；　pledging　it　that　on　the　arrival　of
the　first　ship　from　Valencia　he　would　pay　my　ransom；　for　if　he　had
given　the　money　at　once　it　would　have　made　the　king　suspect　that　my
ransom　money　had　been　for　a　long　time　in　Algiers；　and　that　the
merchant　had　for　his　own　advantage　kept　it　secret。　In　fact　my　master
was　so　difficult　to　deal　with　that　I　dared　not　on　any　account　pay　down
the　money　at　once。　The　Thursday　before　the　Friday　on　which　the　fair
Zoraida　was　to　go　to　the　garden　she　gave　us　a　thousand　crowns　more；
and　warned　us　of　her　departure；　begging　me；　if　I　were　ransomed；　to
find　out　her　father's　garden　at　once；　and　by　all　means　to　seek　an
opportunity　of　going　there　to　see　her。　I　answered　in　a　few　words
that　I　would　do　so；　and　that　she　must　remember　to　commend　us　to　Lela
Marien　with　all　the　prayers　the　captive　had　taught　her。　This　having
been　done；　steps　were　taken　to　ransom　our　three　comrades；　so　as　to
enable　them　to　quit　the　bano；　and　lest；　seeing　me　ransomed　and
themselves　not；　though　the　money　was　forthcoming；　they　should　make　a
disturbance　about　it　and　the　devil　should　prompt　them　to　do
something　that　might　injure　Zoraida；　for　though　their　position　might
be　sufficient　to　relieve　me　from　this　apprehension；　nevertheless　I　was
unwilling　to　run　any　risk　in　the　matter；　and　so　I　had　them　ransomed　in
the　same　way　as　I　was；　handing　over　all　the　money　to　the　merchant　so
that　he　might　with　safety　and　confidence　give　security；　without；
however；　confiding　our　arrangement　and　secret　to　him；　which　might　have
been　dangerous。

　　CHAPTER　XLI
　　IN　WHICH　THE　CAPTIVE　STILL　CONTINUES　HIS　ADVENTURES

　　BEFORE　fifteen　days　were　over　our　renegade　had　already　purchased
an　excellent　vessel　with　room　for　more　than　thirty　persons；　and　to
make　the　transaction　safe　and　lend　a　colour　to　it；　he　thought　it
well　to　make；　as　he　did；　a　voyage　to　a　place　called　Shershel；　twenty
leagues　from　Algiers　on　the　Oran　side；　where　there　is　an　extensive
trade　in　dried　figs。　Two　or　three　times　he　made　this　voyage　in　company
with　the　Tagarin　already　mentioned。　The　Moors　of　Aragon　are　called
Tagarins　in　Barbary；　and　those　of　Granada　Mudejars；　but　in　the　Kingdom
of　Fez　they　call　the　Mudejars　Elches；　and　they　are　the　people　the　king
chiefly　employs　in　war。　To　proceed：　every　time　he　passed　with　his
vessel　he　anchored　in　a　cove　that　was　not　two　crossbow　shots　from
the　garden　where　Zoraida　was　waiting；　and　there　the　renegade；　together
with　the　two　Moorish　lads　that　rowed；　used　purposely　to　station
himself；　either　going　through　his　prayers；　or　else　practising　as　a
part　what　he　meant　to　perform　in　earnest。　And　thus　he　would　go　to
Zoraida's　garden　and　ask　for　fruit；　which　her　father　gave　him；　not
knowing　him；　but　though；　as　he　afterwards　told　me；　he　sought　to
speak　to　Zoraida；　and　tell　her　who　he　was；　and　that　by　my　orders　he
was　to　take　her　to　the　land　of　the　Christians；　so　that　she　might
feel　satisfied　and　easy；　he　had　never　been　able　to　do　so；　for　the
Moorish　women　do　not　allow　themselves　to　be　seen　by　any　Moor　or
Turk；　unless　their　husband　or　father　bid　them：　with　Christian　captives
they　permit　freedom　of　intercourse　and　communication；　even　more　than
might　be　considered　proper。　But　for　my　part　I　should　have　been　sorry
if　he　had　spoken　to　her；　for　perhaps　it　might　have　alarmed　her　to　find
her　affairs　talked　of　by　renegades。　But　God；　who　ordered　it　otherwise；
afforded　no　opportunity　for　our　renegade's　well…meant　purpose；　and　he；
see