don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第126章

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the　villages　around…　but　why　do　I　say　the　villages　around；　merely；
when　it　spread　to　distant　cities；　and　even　made　its　way　into　the　halls
of　royalty　and　reached　the　ears　of　people　of　every　class；　who　came
from　all　sides　to　see　her　as　if　to　see　something　rare　and　curious；
or　some　wonder…working　image？
　　Her　father　watched　over　her　and　she　watched　over　herself；　for
there　are　no　locks；　or　guards；　or　bolts　that　can　protect　a　young
girl　better　than　her　own　modesty。　The　wealth　of　the　father　and　the
beauty　of　the　daughter　led　many　neighbours　as　well　as　strangers　to
seek　her　for　a　wife；　but　he；　as　one　might　well　be　who　had　the　disposal
of　so　rich　a　jewel；　was　perplexed　and　unable　to　make　up　his　mind　to
which　of　her　countless　suitors　he　should　entrust　her。　I　was　one
among　the　many　who　felt　a　desire　so　natural；　and；　as　her　father　knew
who　I　was；　and　I　was　of　the　same　town；　of　pure　blood；　in　the　bloom
of　life；　and　very　rich　in　possessions；　I　had　great　hopes　of　success。
There　was　another　of　the　same　place　and　qualifications　who　also　sought
her；　and　this　made　her　father's　choice　hang　in　the　balance；　for　he
felt　that　on　either　of　us　his　daughter　would　be　well　bestowed；　so　to
escape　from　this　state　of　perplexity　he　resolved　to　refer　the　matter
to　Leandra　（for　that　is　the　name　of　the　rich　damsel　who　has　reduced　me
to　misery）；　reflecting　that　as　we　were　both　equal　it　would　be　best
to　leave　it　to　his　dear　daughter　to　choose　according　to　her
inclination…　a　course　that　is　worthy　of　imitation　by　all　fathers　who
wish　to　settle　their　children　in　life。　I　do　not　mean　that　they　ought
to　leave　them　to　make　a　choice　of　what　is　contemptible　and　bad；　but
that　they　should　place　before　them　what　is　good　and　then　allow　them　to
make　a　good　choice　as　they　please。　I　do　not　know　which　Leandra
chose；　I　only　know　her　father　put　us　both　off　with　the　tender　age　of
his　daughter　and　vague　words　that　neither　bound　him　nor　dismissed
us。　My　rival　is　called　Anselmo　and　I　myself　Eugenio…　that　you　may　know
the　names　of　the　personages　that　figure　in　this　tragedy；　the　end　of
which　is　still　in　suspense；　though　it　is　plain　to　see　it　must　be
disastrous。
　　About　this　time　there　arrived　in　our　town　one　Vicente　de　la　Roca；
the　son　of　a　poor　peasant　of　the　same　town；　the　said　Vicente　having
returned　from　service　as　a　soldier　in　Italy　and　divers　other　parts。
A　captain　who　chanced　to　pass　that　way　with　his　company　had　carried
him　off　from　our　village　when　he　was　a　boy　of　about　twelve　years；
and　now　twelve　years　later　the　young　man　came　back　in　a　soldier's
uniform；　arrayed　in　a　thousand　colours；　and　all　over　glass　trinkets
and　fine　steel　chains。　To…day　he　would　appear　in　one　gay　dress；
to…morrow　in　another；　but　all　flimsy　and　gaudy；　of　little　substance
and　less　worth。　The　peasant　folk；　who　are　naturally　malicious；　and
when　they　have　nothing　to　do　can　be　malice　itself；　remarked　all
this；　and　took　note　of　his　finery　and　jewellery；　piece　by　piece；　and
discovered　that　he　had　three　suits　of　different　colours；　with
garters　and　stockings　to　match；　but　he　made　so　many　arrangements　and
combinations　out　of　them；　that　if　they　had　not　counted　them；　anyone
would　have　sworn　that　he　had　made　a　display　of　more　than　ten　suits
of　clothes　and　twenty　plumes。　Do　not　look　upon　all　this　that　I　am
telling　you　about　the　clothes　as　uncalled　for　or　spun　out；　for　they
have　a　great　deal　to　do　with　the　story。　He　used　to　seat　himself　on　a
bench　under　the　great　poplar　in　our　plaza；　and　there　he　would　keep
us　all　hanging　open…mouthed　on　the　stories　he　told　us　of　his　exploits。
There　was　no　country　on　the　face　of　the　globe　he　had　not　seen；　nor
battle　he　had　not　been　engaged　in；　he　had　killed　more　Moors　than　there
are　in　Morocco　and　Tunis；　and　fought　more　single　combats；　according　to
his　own　account；　than　Garcilaso；　Diego　Garcia　de　Paredes　and　a
thousand　others　he　named；　and　out　of　all　he　had　come　victorious
without　losing　a　drop　of　blood。　On　the　other　hand　he　showed　marks　of
wounds；　which；　though　they　could　not　be　made　out；　he　said　were　gunshot
wounds　received　in　divers　encounters　and　actions。　Lastly；　with
monstrous　impudence　he　used　to　say　〃you〃　to　his　equals　and　even
those　who　knew　what　he　was；　and　declare　that　his　arm　was　his　father
and　his　deeds　his　pedigree；　and　that　being　a　soldier　he　was　as　good　as
the　king　himself。　And　to　add　to　these　swaggering　ways　he　was　a
trifle　of　a　musician；　and　played　the　guitar　with　such　a　flourish
that　some　said　he　made　it　speak；　nor　did　his　accomplishments　end　here；
for　he　was　something　of　a　poet　too；　and　on　every　trifle　that
happened　in　the　town　he　made　a　ballad　a　league　long。
　　This　soldier；　then；　that　I　have　described；　this　Vicente　de　la
Roca；　this　bravo；　gallant；　musician；　poet；　was　often　seen　and
watched　by　Leandra　from　a　window　of　her　house　which　looked　out　on
the　plaza。　The　glitter　of　his　showy　attire　took　her　fancy；　his　ballads
bewitched　her　（for　he　gave　away　twenty　copies　of　every　one　he　made）；
the　tales　of　his　exploits　which　he　told　about　himself　came　to　her
ears；　and　in　short；　as　the　devil　no　doubt　had　arranged　it；　she　fell　in
love　with　him　before　the　presumption　of　making　love　to　her　had
suggested　itself　to　him；　and　as　in　love…affairs　none　are　more　easily
brought　to　an　issue　than　those　which　have　the　inclination　of　the
lady　for　an　ally；　Leandra　and　Vicente　came　to　an　understanding　without
any　difficulty；　and　before　any　of　her　numerous　suitors　had　any
suspicion　of　her　design；　she　had　already　carried　it　into　effect；
having　left　the　house　of　her　dearly　beloved　father　（for　mother　she　had
none）；　and　disappeared　from　the　village　with　the　soldier；　who　came
more　triumphantly　out　of　this　enterprise　than　out　of　any　of　the
large　number　he　laid　claim　to。　All　the　village　and　all　who　heard　of　it
were　amazed　at　the　affair；　I　was　aghast；　Anselmo　thunderstruck；　her
father　full　of　grief；　her　relations　indignant；　the　authorities　all
in　a　ferment；　the　officers　of　the　Brotherhood　in　arms。　They　scoured
the　roads；　they　searched　the　woods　and　all　quarters；　and　at　the　end　of
three　days　they　found　the　flighty　Leandra　in　a　mountain　cave；　stript
to　her　shift；　and　robbed　of　all　the　money　and　precious　jewels　she
had　carried　away　from　home　with　her。　They　brought　her　back　to　her
unhappy　father；　and　questioned　her　as　to　her　misfortune；　and　she
confessed　without　pressure　that　Vicente　de　la　Roca　had　deceived　her；
and　under　promise　of　marrying　her　had　induced　her　to　leave　her
father's　house；　as　he　meant　to　take　her　to　the　richest　and　most
delightful　city　in　the　whole　world；　which　was　Naples；　and　that　she；
ill…advised　and　deluded；　had　believed　him；　and　robbed　her　father；
and　handed　over　all　to　him　the　night　she　disappeared；　and　that　he
had　carried　her　away　to　a　rugged　mountain　and　shut　her　up　in　the
eave　where　they　had　found　her。　She　said；　moreover；　that　the　soldier；
without　robbing　her　of　her　honour；　had　taken　from　her　everything　she
had；　and　made　off；　leaving　her　in　the　cave；　a　thing　that　still　further
surprised　everybody。　It　was　not　easy　for　us　to　credit　the　young
man's　continence；　but　she　asserted　it　with　such　earnestness　that　it
helped　to　console　her　distressed　father；　who　thought　nothing　of　what
had　been　taken　since　the　jewel　that　once　lost　can　never　be　recovered
had　been　left　to　his　daughter。　The　same　day　that　Leandra　made　her
appearance　her　father　removed　her　from　our　sight　and　took　her　away
to　shut　her　up　in　a　convent　in　a　town　near　this；　in　the　hope　that　time
may　wear　away　some　of　the　disgrace　she　has　incurred。　Leandra's　youth
furnished　an　excuse　for　her　fault；　at　least　with　those　to　whom　it
was　of　no　consequence　whether　she　was　good　or　bad；　but　those　who
knew　her　shrewdness　and　intelligence　did　not　attribute　her
misdemeanour　to　ignorance　but　to　wantonness　and　the　natural
disposition　of　women；　which　is　for　the　most　part　flighty　and
ill…regulated。
　　Leandra　withdrawn　from　sight；　Anselmo's　eyes　grew　blind；　or　at　any
rate　found　nothing　to　look　at　that　gave　them　any　pleasure；　and　mine
were　in　darkness　without　a　ray　of　light　to　direct　them　to　anything
enjoyable　while　Leandra　was　away。　Our　melancholy　grew　greater；　our
patience　grew　less；　we　cursed　the　soldier's　finery　and　railed　at　the
careles