don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第114章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


will　say　anything　else　must　be　drunk。〃
　　〃You　lie　like　a　rascally　clown；〃　returned　Don　Quixote；　and　lifting
his　pike；　which　he　had　never　let　out　of　his　hand；　he　delivered　such
a　blow　at　his　head　that；　had　not　the　officer　dodged　it；　it　would
have　stretched　him　at　full　length。　The　pike　was　shivered　in　pieces
against　the　ground；　and　the　rest　of　the　officers；　seeing　their　comrade
assaulted；　raised　a　shout；　calling　for　help　for　the　Holy
Brotherhood。　The　landlord；　who　was　of　the　fraternity；　ran　at　once　to
fetch　his　staff　of　office　and　his　sword；　and　ranged　himself　on　the
side　of　his　comrades；　the　servants　of　Don　Luis　clustered　round　him；
lest　he　should　escape　from　them　in　the　confusion；　the　barber；　seeing
the　house　turned　upside　down；　once　more　laid　hold　of　his　pack…saddle
and　Sancho　did　the　same；　Don　Quixote　drew　his　sword　and　charged　the
officers；　Don　Luis　cried　out　to　his　servants　to　leave　him　alone　and　go
and　help　Don　Quixote；　and　Cardenio　and　Don　Fernando；　who　were
supporting　him；　the　curate　was　shouting　at　the　top　of　his　voice；　the
landlady　was　screaming；　her　daughter　was　wailing；　Maritornes　was
weeping；　Dorothea　was　aghast；　Luscinda　terror…stricken；　and　Dona　Clara
in　a　faint。　The　barber　cudgelled　Sancho；　and　Sancho　pommelled　the
barber；　Don　Luis　gave　one　of　his　servants；　who　ventured　to　catch　him
by　the　arm　to　keep　him　from　escaping；　a　cuff　that　bathed　his　teeth
in　blood；　the　Judge　took　his　part；　Don　Fernando　had　got　one　of　the
officers　down　and　was　belabouring　him　heartily；　the　landlord　raised
his　voice　again　calling　for　help　for　the　Holy　Brotherhood；　so　that　the
whole　inn　was　nothing　but　cries；　shouts；　shrieks；　confusion；　terror；
dismay；　mishaps；　sword…cuts；　fisticuffs；　cudgellings；　kicks；　and
bloodshed；　and　in　the　midst　of　all　this　chaos；　complication；　and
general　entanglement；　Don　Quixote　took　it　into　his　head　that　he　had
been　plunged　into　the　thick　of　the　discord　of　Agramante's　camp；　and；
in　a　voice　that　shook　the　inn　like　thunder；　he　cried　out：
　　〃Hold　all；　let　all　sheathe　their　swords；　let　all　be　calm　and
attend　to　me　as　they　value　their　lives！〃
　　All　paused　at　his　mighty　voice；　and　he　went　on　to　say；　〃Did　I　not
tell　you；　sirs；　that　this　castle　was　enchanted；　and　that　a　legion　or
so　of　devils　dwelt　in　it？　In　proof　whereof　I　call　upon　you　to　behold
with　your　own　eyes　how　the　discord　of　Agramante's　camp　has　come
hither；　and　been　transferred　into　the　midst　of　us。　See　how　they　fight；
there　for　the　sword；　here　for　the　horse；　on　that　side　for　the　eagle；
on　this　for　the　helmet；　we　are　all　fighting；　and　all　at　cross
purposes。　Come　then；　you；　Senor　Judge；　and　you；　senor　curate；　let
the　one　represent　King　Agramante　and　the　other　King　Sobrino；　and
make　peace　among　us；　for　by　God　Almighty　it　is　a　sorry　business　that
so　many　persons　of　quality　as　we　are　should　slay　one　another　for
such　trifling　cause。〃
　The　officers；　who　did　not　understand　Don　Quixote's　mode　of
speaking；　and　found　themselves　roughly　handled　by　Don　Fernando；
Cardenio；　and　their　companions；　were　not　to　be　appeased；　the　barber
was；　however；　for　both　his　beard　and　his　pack…saddle　were　the　worse
for　the　struggle；　Sancho　like　a　good　servant　obeyed　the　slightest　word
of　his　master；　while　the　four　servants　of　Don　Luis　kept　quiet　when
they　saw　how　little　they　gained　by　not　being　so。　The　landlord　alone
insisted　upon　it　that　they　must　punish　the　insolence　of　this　madman；
who　at　every　turn　raised　a　disturbance　in　the　inn；　but　at　length　the
uproar　was　stilled　for　the　present；　the　pack…saddle　remained　a
caparison　till　the　day　of　judgment；　and　the　basin　a　helmet　and　the　inn
a　castle　in　Don　Quixote's　imagination。
　　All　having　been　now　pacified　and　made　friends　by　the　persuasion　of
the　Judge　and　the　curate；　the　servants　of　Don　Luis　began　again　to　urge
him　to　return　with　them　at　once；　and　while　he　was　discussing　the
matter　with　them；　the　Judge　took　counsel　with　Don　Fernando；
Cardenio；　and　the　curate　as　to　what　he　ought　to　do　in　the　case；
telling　them　how　it　stood；　and　what　Don　Luis　had　said　to　him。　It　was
agreed　at　length　that　Don　Fernando　should　tell　the　servants　of　Don
Luis　who　he　was；　and　that　it　was　his　desire　that　Don　Luis　should
accompany　him　to　Andalusia；　where　he　would　receive　from　the　marquis
his　brother　the　welcome　his　quality　entitled　him　to；　for；　otherwise；
it　was　easy　to　see　from　the　determination　of　Don　Luis　that　he　would
not　return　to　his　father　at　present；　though　they　tore　him　to　pieces。
On　learning　the　rank　of　Don　Fernando　and　the　resolution　of　Don　Luis
the　four　then　settled　it　between　themselves　that　three　of　them
should　return　to　tell　his　father　how　matters　stood；　and　that　the　other
should　remain　to　wait　upon　Don　Luis；　and　not　leave　him　until　they　came
back　for　him；　or　his　father's　orders　were　known。　Thus　by　the　authority
of　Agramante　and　the　wisdom　of　King　Sobrino　all　this　complication　of
disputes　was　arranged；　but　the　enemy　of　concord　and　hater　of　peace；
feeling　himself　slighted　and　made　a　fool　of；　and　seeing　how　little
he　had　gained　after　having　involved　them　all　in　such　an　elaborate
entanglement；　resolved　to　try　his　hand　once　more　by　stirring　up
fresh　quarrels　and　disturbances。
　　It　came　about　in　this　wise：　the　officers　were　pacified　on　learning
the　rank　of　those　with　whom　they　had　been　engaged；　and　withdrew　from
the　contest；　considering　that　whatever　the　result　might　be　they　were
likely　to　get　the　worst　of　the　battle；　but　one　of　them；　the　one　who
had　been　thrashed　and　kicked　by　Don　Fernando；　recollected　that　among
some　warrants　he　carried　for　the　arrest　of　certain　delinquents；　he　had
one　against　Don　Quixote；　whom　the　Holy　Brotherhood　had　ordered　to　be
arrested　for　setting　the　galley　slaves　free；　as　Sancho　had；　with
very　good　reason；　apprehended。　Suspecting　how　it　was；　then；　he
wished　to　satisfy　himself　as　to　whether　Don　Quixote's　features
corresponded；　and　taking　a　parchment　out　of　his　bosom　he　lit　upon　what
he　was　in　search　of；　and　setting　himself　to　read　it　deliberately；
for　he　was　not　a　quick　reader；　as　he　made　out　each　word　he　fixed　his
eyes　on　Don　Quixote；　and　went　on　comparing　the　description　in　the
warrant　with　his　face；　and　discovered　that　beyond　all　doubt　he　was　the
person　described　in　it。　As　soon　as　he　had　satisfied　himself；　folding
up　the　parchment；　he　took　the　warrant　in　his　left　hand　and　with　his
right　seized　Don　Quixote　by　the　collar　so　tightly　that　he　did　not
allow　him　to　breathe；　and　shouted　aloud；　〃Help　for　the　Holy
Brotherhood！　and　that　you　may　see　I　demand　it　in　earnest；　read　this
warrant　which　says　this　highwayman　is　to　be　arrested。〃
　　The　curate　took　the　warrant　and　saw　that　what　the　officer　said　was
true；　and　that　it　agreed　with　Don　Quixote's　appearance；　who；　on　his
part；　when　he　found　himself　roughly　handled　by　this　rascally　clown；
worked　up　to　the　highest　pitch　of　wrath；　and　all　his　joints　cracking
with　rage；　with　both　hands　seized　the　officer　by　the　throat　with　all
his　might；　so　that　had　he　not　been　helped　by　his　comrades　he　would
have　yielded　up　his　life　ere　Don　Quixote　released　his　hold。　The
landlord；　who　had　perforce　to　support　his　brother　officers；　ran　at
once　to　aid　them。　The　landlady；　when　she　saw　her　husband　engaged　in
a　fresh　quarrel；　lifted　up　her　voice　afresh；　and　its　note　was
immediately　caught　up　by　Maritornes　and　her　daughter；　calling　upon
heaven　and　all　present　for　help；　and　Sancho；　seeing　what　was　going　on；
exclaimed；　〃By　the　Lord；　it　is　quite　true　what　my　master　says　about
the　enchantments　of　this　castle；　for　it　is　impossible　to　live　an
hour　in　peace　in　it！〃
　　Don　Fernando　parted　the　officer　and　Don　Quixote；　and　to　their　mutual
contentment　made　them　relax　the　grip　by　which　they　held；　the　one　the
coat　collar；　the　other　the　throat　of　his　adversary；　for　all　this；
however；　the　officers　did　not　cease　to　demand　their　prisoner　and
call　on　them　to　help；　and　deliver　him　over　bound　into　their　power；
as　was　required　for　the　service　of　the　King　and　of　the　Holy
Brotherhood；　on　whose　behalf　they　again　demanded　aid　and　assistance　to
effect　the　capture　of　this　robber　and　footpad　of　the　highways。
　　Don　Quixote　smiled　when　he　heard　these　words；　and　said　very
calmly；　〃Come　now；　base；　ill…born　brood；　call　ye　it　highway　robbe