don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第139章

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for　me　to　drop　into　some　profitable　government　that　will　lift　us　out
of　the　mire；　and　marry　Mari…Sancha　to　whom　I　like；　and　you　yourself
will　find　yourself　called　'Dona　Teresa　Panza；'　and　sitting　in　church
on　a　fine　carpet　and　cushions　and　draperies；　in　spite　and　in
defiance　of　all　the　born　ladies　of　the　town？　No；　stay　as　you　are；
growing　neither　greater　nor　less；　like　a　tapestry　figure…　Let　us　say
no　more　about　it；　for　Sanchica　shall　be　a　countess；　say　what　you
will。〃
　　〃Are　you　sure　of　all　you　say；　husband？〃　replied　Teresa。　〃Well；　for
all　that；　I　am　afraid　this　rank　of　countess　for　my　daughter　will　be
her　ruin。　You　do　as　you　like；　make　a　duchess　or　a　princess　of　her；　but
I　can　tell　you　it　will　not　be　with　my　will　and　consent。　I　was　always　a
lover　of　equality；　brother；　and　I　can't　bear　to　see　people　give
themselves　airs　without　any　right。　They　called　me　Teresa　at　my
baptism；　a　plain；　simple　name；　without　any　additions　or　tags　or
fringes　of　Dons　or　Donas；　Cascajo　was　my　father's　name；　and　as　I　am
your　wife；　I　am　called　Teresa　Panza；　though　by　right　I　ought　to　he
called　Teresa　Cascajo；　but　'kings　go　where　laws　like；'　and　I　am
content　with　this　name　without　having　the　'Don'　put　on　top　of　it　to
make　it　so　heavy　that　I　cannot　carry　it；　and　I　don't　want　to　make
people　talk　about　me　when　they　see　me　go　dressed　like　a　countess　or
governor's　wife；　for　they　will　say　at　once；　'See　what　airs　the　slut
gives　herself！　Only　yesterday　she　was　always　spinning　flax；　and　used
to　go　to　mass　with　the　tail　of　her　petticoat　over　her　head　instead
of　a　mantle；　and　there　she　goes　to…day　in　a　hooped　gown　with　her
broaches　and　airs；　as　if　we　didn't　know　her！'　If　God　keeps　me　in　my
seven　senses；　or　five；　or　whatever　number　I　have；　I　am　not　going　to
bring　myself　to　such　a　pass；　go　you；　brother；　and　be　a　government　or
an　island　man；　and　swagger　as　much　as　you　like；　for　by　the　soul　of
my　mother；　neither　my　daughter　nor　I　are　going　to　stir　a　step　from　our
village；　a　respectable　woman　should　have　a　broken　leg　and　keep　at
home；　and　to　he　busy　at　something　is　a　virtuous　damsel's　holiday；　be
off　to　your　adventures　along　with　your　Don　Quixote；　and　leave　us　to
our　misadventures；　for　God　will　mend　them　for　us　according　as　we
deserve　it。　I　don't　know；　I'm　sure；　who　fixed　the　'Don'　to　him；　what
neither　his　father　nor　grandfather　ever　had。〃
　　〃I　declare　thou　hast　a　devil　of　some　sort　in　thy　body！〃　said　Sancho。
〃God　help　thee；　what　a　lot　of　things　thou　hast　strung　together；　one
after　the　other；　without　head　or　tail！　What　have　Cascajo；　and　the
broaches　and　the　proverbs　and　the　airs；　to　do　with　what　I　say？　Look
here；　fool　and　dolt　（for　so　I　may　call　you；　when　you　don't
understand　my　words；　and　run　away　from　good　fortune）；　if　I　had　said
that　my　daughter　was　to　throw　herself　down　from　a　tower；　or　go　roaming
the　world；　as　the　Infanta　Dona　Urraca　wanted　to　do；　you　would　be　right
in　not　giving　way　to　my　will；　but　if　in　an　instant；　in　less　than　the
twinkling　of　an　eye；　I　put　the　'Don'　and　'my　lady'　on　her　back；　and
take　her　out　of　the　stubble；　and　place　her　under　a　canopy；　on　a
dais；　and　on　a　couch；　with　more　velvet　cushions　than　all　the　Almohades
of　Morocco　ever　had　in　their　family；　why　won't　you　consent　and　fall　in
with　my　wishes？〃
　　〃Do　you　know　why；　husband？〃　replied　Teresa；　〃because　of　the
proverb　that　says　'who　covers　thee；　discovers　thee。'　At　the　poor　man
people　only　throw　a　hasty　glance；　on　the　rich　man　they　fix　their　eyes；
and　if　the　said　rich　man　was　once　on　a　time　poor；　it　is　then　there
is　the　sneering　and　the　tattle　and　spite　of　backbiters；　and　in　the
streets　here　they　swarm　as　thick　as　bees。〃
　　〃Look　here；　Teresa；〃　said　Sancho；　〃and　listen　to　what　I　am　now　going
to　say　to　you；　maybe　you　never　heard　it　in　all　your　life；　and　I　do　not
give　my　own　notions；　for　what　I　am　about　to　say　are　the　opinions　of
his　reverence　the　preacher；　who　preached　in　this　town　last　Lent；　and
who　said；　if　I　remember　rightly；　that　all　things　present　that　our　eyes
behold；　bring　themselves　before　us；　and　remain　and　fix　themselves　on
our　memory　much　better　and　more　forcibly　than　things　past。〃
　　These　observations　which　Sancho　makes　here　are　the　other　ones　on
account　of　which　the　translator　says　he　regards　this　chapter　as
apocryphal；　inasmuch　as　they　are　beyond　Sancho's　capacity。
　　〃Whence　it　arises；〃　he　continued；　〃that　when　we　see　any　person
well　dressed　and　making　a　figure　with　rich　garments　and　retinue　of
servants；　it　seems　to　lead　and　impel　us　perforce　to　respect　him；
though　memory　may　at　the　same　moment　recall　to　us　some　lowly　condition
in　which　we　have　seen　him；　but　which；　whether　it　may　have　been　poverty
or　low　birth；　being　now　a　thing　of　the　past；　has　no　existence；　while
the　only　thing　that　has　any　existence　is　what　we　see　before　us；　and　if
this　person　whom　fortune　has　raised　from　his　original　lowly　state
（these　were　the　very　words　the　padre　used）　to　his　present　height　of
prosperity；　be　well　bred；　generous；　courteous　to　all；　without
seeking　to　vie　with　those　whose　nobility　is　of　ancient　date；　depend
upon　it；　Teresa；　no　one　will　remember　what　he　was；　and　everyone　will
respect　what　he　is；　except　indeed　the　envious；　from　whom　no　fair
fortune　is　safe。〃
　　〃I　do　not　understand　you；　husband；〃　replied　Teresa；　〃do　as　you　like；
and　don't　break　my　head　with　any　more　speechifying　and　rethoric；　and
if　you　have　revolved　to　do　what　you　say…〃
　　〃Resolved；　you　should　say；　woman；〃　said　Sancho；　〃not　revolved。〃
　　〃Don't　set　yourself　to　wrangle　with　me；　husband；〃　said　Teresa；　〃I
speak　as　God　pleases；　and　don't　deal　in　out…of…the…way　phrases；　and
I　say　if　you　are　bent　upon　having　a　government；　take　your　son　Sancho
with　you；　and　teach　him　from　this　time　on　how　to　hold　a　government；
for　sons　ought　to　inherit　and　learn　the　trades　of　their　fathers。〃
　　〃As　soon　as　I　have　the　government；〃　said　Sancho；　〃I　will　send　for
him　by　post；　and　I　will　send　thee　money；　of　which　I　shall　have　no
lack；　for　there　is　never　any　want　of　people　to　lend　it　to　governors
when　they　have　not　got　it；　and　do　thou　dress　him　so　as　to　hide　what　he
is　and　make　him　look　what　he　is　to　be。〃
　　〃You　send　the　money；〃　said　Teresa；　〃and　I'll　dress　him　up　for　you　as
fine　as　you　please。〃
　　〃Then　we　are　agreed　that　our　daughter　is　to　be　a　countess；〃　said
Sancho。
　　〃The　day　that　I　see　her　a　countess；〃　replied　Teresa；　〃it　will　be　the
same　to　me　as　if　I　was　burying　her；　but　once　more　I　say　do　as　you
please；　for　we　women　are　born　to　this　burden　of　being　obedient　to
our　husbands；　though　they　be　dogs；〃　and　with　this　she　began　to　weep　in
earnest；　as　if　she　already　saw　Sanchica　dead　and　buried。
　　Sancho　consoled　her　by　saying　that　though　he　must　make　her　a
countess；　he　would　put　it　off　as　long　as　possible。　Here　their
conversation　came　to　an　end；　and　Sancho　went　back　to　see　Don
Quixote；　and　make　arrangements　for　their　departure。

　　CHAPTER　VI
　　OF　WHAT　TOOK　PLACE　BETWEEN　DON　QUIXOTE　AND　HIS　NIECE　AND
HOUSEKEEPER；　ONE　OF　THE　MOST　IMPORTANT　CHAPTERS　IN　THE　WHOLE　HISTORY

　　WHILE　Sancho　Panza　and　his　wife；　Teresa　Cascajo；　held　the　above
irrelevant　conversation；　Don　Quixote's　niece　and　housekeeper　were
not　idle；　for　by　a　thousand　signs　they　began　to　perceive　that　their
uncle　and　master　meant　to　give　them　the　slip　the　third　time；　and
once　more　betake　himself　to　his；　for　them；　ill…errant　chivalry。　They
strove　by　all　the　means　in　their　power　to　divert　him　from　such　an
unlucky　scheme；　but　it　was　all　preaching　in　the　desert　and　hammering
cold　iron。　Nevertheless；　among　many　other　representations　made　to　him；
the　housekeeper　said　to　him；　〃In　truth；　master；　if　you　do　not　keep
still　and　stay　quiet　at　home；　and　give　over　roaming　mountains　and
valleys　like　a　troubled　spirit；　looking　for　what　they　say　are　called
adventures；　but　what　I　call　misfortunes；　I　shall　have　to　make
complaint　to　God　and　the　king　with　loud　supplication　to　send　some
remedy。〃
　　To　which　Don　Quixote　replied；　〃What　answer　God　will　give　to　your
complaints；　housekeeper；　I　know　not；　nor　what　his　Majesty　will
answer　either；　I　only　know　that　if　I　were　king　I　should　decline　to
answer　the　numberless　silly　petitions　they　present　every　day；　for
one　of　the　greatest　among　the　many　troubles　kings　have　i