don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第113章

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　　〃Do　as　I　bid　thee；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃it　cannot　be　that
everything　in　this　castle　goes　by　enchantment。〃
　　Sancho　hastened　to　where　the　basin　was；　and　brought　it　back　with
him；　and　when　Don　Quixote　saw　it；　he　took　hold　of　it　and　said：
　　〃Your　worships　may　see　with　what　a　face　this　squire　can　assert
that　this　is　a　basin　and　not　the　helmet　I　told　you　of；　and　I　swear
by　the　order　of　chivalry　I　profess；　that　this　helmet　is　the
identical　one　I　took　from　him；　without　anything　added　to　or　taken　from
it。〃
　　〃There　is　no　doubt　of　that；〃　said　Sancho；　〃for　from　the　time　my
master　won　it　until　now　he　has　only　fought　one　battle　in　it；　when　he
let　loose　those　unlucky　men　in　chains；　and　if　had　not　been　for　this
basin…helmet　he　would　not　have　come　off　over　well　that　time；　for　there
was　plenty　of　stone…throwing　in　that　affair。〃

　　CHAPTER　XLV
　　IN　WHICH　THE　DOUBTFUL　QUESTION　OF　MAMBRINO'S　HELMET　AND　THE
PACK…SADDLE　IS　FINALLY　SETTLED；　WITH　OTHER　ADVENTURES　THAT　OCCURRED　IN
TRUTH　AND　EARNEST

　　WHAT　do　you　think　now；　gentlemen；〃　said　the　barber；　〃of　what　these
gentles　say；　when　they　want　to　make　out　that　this　is　a　helmet？〃
　　〃And　whoever　says　the　contrary；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃I　will　let　him
know　he　lies　if　he　is　a　knight；　and　if　he　is　a　squire　that　he　lies
again　a　thousand　times。〃
　　Our　own　barber；　who　was　present　at　all　this；　and　understood　Don
Quixote's　humour　so　thoroughly；　took　it　into　his　head　to　back　up　his
delusion　and　carry　on　the　joke　for　the　general　amusement；　so
addressing　the　other　barber　he　said：
　　〃Senor　barber；　or　whatever　you　are；　you　must　know　that　I　belong　to
your　profession　too；　and　have　had　a　licence　to　practise　for　more
than　twenty　years；　and　I　know　the　implements　of　the　barber　craft；
every　one　of　them；　perfectly　well；　and　I　was　likewise　a　soldier　for
some　time　in　the　days　of　my　youth；　and　I　know　also　what　a　helmet　is；
and　a　morion；　and　a　headpiece　with　a　visor；　and　other　things
pertaining　to　soldiering；　I　meant　to　say　to　soldiers'　arms；　and　I　say…
saving　better　opinions　and　always　with　submission　to　sounder　judgments
…that　this　piece　we　have　now　before　us；　which　this　worthy　gentleman
has　in　his　hands；　not　only　is　no　barber's　basin；　but　is　as　far　from
being　one　as　white　is　from　black；　and　truth　from　falsehood；　I　say；
moreover；　that　this；　although　it　is　a　helmet；　is　not　a　complete
helmet。〃
　　〃Certainly　not；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃for　half　of　it　is　wanting；
that　is　to　say　the　beaver。〃
　　〃It　is　quite　true；〃　said　the　curate；　who　saw　the　object　of　his
friend　the　barber；　and　Cardenio；　Don　Fernando　and　his　companions
agreed　with　him；　and　even　the　Judge；　if　his　thoughts　had　not　been　so
full　of　Don　Luis's　affair；　would　have　helped　to　carry　on　the　joke；　but
he　was　so　taken　up　with　the　serious　matters　he　had　on　his　mind　that　he
paid　little　or　no　attention　to　these　facetious　proceedings。
　　〃God　bless　me！〃　exclaimed　their　butt　the　barber　at　this；　〃is　it
possible　that　such　an　honourable　company　can　say　that　this　is　not　a
basin　but　a　helmet？　Why；　this　is　a　thing　that　would　astonish　a　whole
university；　however　wise　it　might　be！　That　will　do；　if　this　basin　is　a
helmet；　why；　then　the　pack…saddle　must　be　a　horse's　caparison；　as　this
gentleman　has　said。〃
　　〃To　me　it　looks　like　a　pack…saddle；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃but　I　have
already　said　that　with　that　question　I　do　not　concern　myself。〃
　　〃As　to　whether　it　be　pack…saddle　or　caparison；〃　said　the　curate；　〃it
is　only　for　Senor　Don　Quixote　to　say；　for　in　these　matters　of　chivalry
all　these　gentlemen　and　I　bow　to　his　authority。〃
　　〃By　God；　gentlemen；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃so　many　strange　things
have　happened　to　me　in　this　castle　on　the　two　occasions　on　which　I
have　sojourned　in　it；　that　I　will　not　venture　to　assert　anything
positively　in　reply　to　any　question　touching　anything　it　contains；　for
it　is　my　belief　that　everything　that　goes　on　within　it　goes　by
enchantment。　The　first　time；　an　enchanted　Moor　that　there　is　in　it
gave　me　sore　trouble；　nor　did　Sancho　fare　well　among　certain　followers
of　his；　and　last　night　I　was　kept　hanging　by　this　arm　for　nearly　two
hours；　without　knowing　how　or　why　I　came　by　such　a　mishap。　So　that
now；　for　me　to　come　forward　to　give　an　opinion　in　such　a　puzzling
matter；　would　be　to　risk　a　rash　decision。　As　regards　the　assertion
that　this　is　a　basin　and　not　a　helmet　I　have　already　given　an
answer；　but　as　to　the　question　whether　this　is　a　pack…saddle　or　a
caparison　I　will　not　venture　to　give　a　positive　opinion；　but　will
leave　it　to　your　worships'　better　judgment。　Perhaps　as　you　are　not
dubbed　knights　like　myself；　the　enchantments　of　this　place　have
nothing　to　do　with　you；　and　your　faculties　are　unfettered；　and　you　can
see　things　in　this　castle　as　they　really　and　truly　are；　and　not　as
they　appear　to　me。〃
　　〃There　can　be　no　question；〃　said　Don　Fernando　on　this；　〃but　that
Senor　Don　Quixote　has　spoken　very　wisely；　and　that　with　us　rests　the
decision　of　this　matter；　and　that　we　may　have　surer　ground　to　go　on；　I
will　take　the　votes　of　the　gentlemen　in　secret；　and　declare　the　result
clearly　and　fully。〃
　　To　those　who　were　in　the　secret　of　Don　Quixote's　humour　all　this
afforded　great　amusement；　but　to　those　who　knew　nothing　about　it；　it
seemed　the　greatest　nonsense　in　the　world；　in　particular　to　the　four
servants　of　Don　Luis；　as　well　as　to　Don　Luis　himself；　and　to　three
other　travellers　who　had　by　chance　come　to　the　inn；　and　had　the
appearance　of　officers　of　the　Holy　Brotherhood；　as　indeed　they　were；
but　the　one　who　above　all　was　at　his　wits'　end；　was　the　barber
basin；　there　before　his　very　eyes；　had　been　turned　into　Mambrino's
helmet；　and　whose　pack…saddle　he　had　no　doubt　whatever　was　about　to
become　a　rich　caparison　for　a　horse。　All　laughed　to　see　Don　Fernando
going　from　one　to　another　collecting　the　votes；　and　whispering　to　them
to　give　him　their　private　opinion　whether　the　treasure　over　which
there　had　been　so　much　fighting　was　a　pack…saddle　or　a　caparison；
but　after　he　had　taken　the　votes　of　those　who　knew　Don　Quixote；　he
said　aloud；　〃The　fact　is；　my　good　fellow；　that　I　am　tired　collecting
such　a　number　of　opinions；　for　I　find　that　there　is　not　one　of　whom
I　ask　what　I　desire　to　know；　who　does　not　tell　me　that　it　is　absurd　to
say　that　this　is　the　pack…saddle　of　an　ass；　and　not　the　caparison　of　a
horse；　nay；　of　a　thoroughbred　horse；　so　you　must　submit；　for；　in　spite
of　you　and　your　ass；　this　is　a　caparison　and　no　pack…saddle；　and　you
have　stated　and　proved　your　case　very　badly。〃
　　〃May　I　never　share　heaven；〃　said　the　poor　barber；　〃if　your
worships　are　not　all　mistaken；　and　may　my　soul　appear　before　God　as
that　appears　to　me　a　pack…saddle　and　not　a　caparison；　but；　'laws　go；'…
I　say　no　more；　and　indeed　I　am　not　drunk；　for　I　am　fasting；　except
it　be　from　sin。〃
　　The　simple　talk　of　the　barber　did　not　afford　less　amusement　than　the
absurdities　of　Don　Quixote；　who　now　observed：
　　〃There　is　no　more　to　be　done　now　than　for　each　to　take　what
belongs　to　him；　and　to　whom　God　has　given　it；　may　St。　Peter　add　his
blessing。〃
　　But　said　one　of　the　four　servants；　〃Unless；　indeed；　this　is　a
deliberate　joke；　I　cannot　bring　myself　to　believe　that　men　so
intelligent　as　those　present　are；　or　seem　to　be；　can　venture　to
declare　and　assert　that　this　is　not　a　basin；　and　that　not　a
pack…saddle；　but　as　I　perceive　that　they　do　assert　and　declare　it；　I
can　only　come　to　the　conclusion　that　there　is　some　mystery　in　this
persistence　in　what　is　so　opposed　to　the　evidence　of　experience　and
truth　itself；　for　I　swear　by〃…　and　here　he　rapped　out　a　round　oath…
〃all　the　people　in　the　world　will　not　make　me　believe　that　this　is　not
a　barber's　basin　and　that　a　jackass's　pack…saddle。〃
　　〃It　might　easily　be　a　she…ass's；〃　observed　the　curate。
　　〃It　is　all　the　same；〃　said　the　servant；　〃that　is　not　the　point；
but　whether　it　is　or　is　not　a　pack…saddle；　as　your　worships　say。〃
　　On　hearing　this　one　of　the　newly　arrived　officers　of　the
Brotherhood；　who　had　been　listening　to　the　dispute　and　controversy；
unable　to　restrain　his　anger　and　impatience；　exclaimed；　〃It　is　a
pack…saddle　as　sure　as　my　father　is　my　father；　and　whoever　has　said　or
will　say　anything　else　must　be　drunk。〃
　　〃You　lie　like　a　rascally　clown；〃　r