don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第142章

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nor　struggles；　nor　sceptres；　nor　mitres；　can　keep　it　back；　as　common
talk　and　report　say；　and　as　they　tell　us　from　the　pulpits　every　day。〃
　　〃All　that　is　very　true；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃but　I　cannot　make　out
what　thou　art　driving　at。〃
　　〃What　I　am　driving　at；〃　said　Sancho；　〃is　that　your　worship　settle
some　fixed　wages　for　me；　to　be　paid　monthly　while　I　am　in　your
service；　and　that　the　same　he　paid　me　out　of　your　estate；　for　I
don't　care　to　stand　on　rewards　which　either　come　late；　or　ill；　or
never　at　all；　God　help　me　with　my　own。　In　short；　I　would　like　to
know　what　I　am　to　get；　be　it　much　or　little；　for　the　hen　will　lay　on
one　egg；　and　many　littles　make　a　much；　and　so　long　as　one　gains
something　there　is　nothing　lost。　To　he　sure；　if　it　should　happen　（what
I　neither　believe　nor　expect）　that　your　worship　were　to　give　me　that
island　you　have　promised　me；　I　am　not　so　ungrateful　nor　so　grasping
but　that　I　would　be　willing　to　have　the　revenue　of　such　island
valued　and　stopped　out　of　my　wages　in　due　promotion。〃
　　〃Sancho；　my　friend；〃　replied　Don　Quixote；　〃sometimes　proportion
may　be　as　good　as　promotion。〃
　　〃I　see；〃　said　Sancho；　〃I'll　bet　I　ought　to　have　said　proportion；　and
not　promotion；　but　it　is　no　matter；　as　your　worship　has　understood
me。〃
　　〃And　so　well　understood；〃　returned　Don　Quixote；　〃that　I　have　seen
into　the　depths　of　thy　thoughts；　and　know　the　mark　thou　art　shooting
at　with　the　countless　shafts　of　thy　proverbs。　Look　here；　Sancho；　I
would　readily　fix　thy　wages　if　I　had　ever　found　any　instance　in　the
histories　of　the　knights…errant　to　show　or　indicate；　by　the
slightest　hint；　what　their　squires　used　to　get　monthly　or　yearly；
but　I　have　read　all　or　the　best　part　of　their　histories；　and　I
cannot　remember　reading　of　any　knight…errant　having　assigned　fixed
wages　to　his　squire；　I　only　know　that　they　all　served　on　reward；　and
that　when　they　least　expected　it；　if　good　luck　attended　their　masters；
they　found　themselves　recompensed　with　an　island　or　something
equivalent　to　it；　or　at　the　least　they　were　left　with　a　title　and
lordship。　If　with　these　hopes　and　additional　inducements　you；
Sancho；　please　to　return　to　my　service；　well　and　good；　but　to
suppose　that　I　am　going　to　disturb　or　unhinge　the　ancient　usage　of
knight…errantry；　is　all　nonsense。　And　so；　my　Sancho；　get　you　back　to
your　house　and　explain　my　intentions　to　your　Teresa；　and　if　she
likes　and　you　like　to　be　on　reward　with　me；　bene　quidem；　if　not；　we
remain　friends；　for　if　the　pigeon…house　does　not　lack　food；　it　will
not　lack　pigeons；　and　bear　in　mind；　my　son；　that　a　good　hope　is　better
than　a　bad　holding；　and　a　good　grievance　better　than　a　bad
compensation。　I　speak　in　this　way；　Sancho；　to　show　you　that　I　can
shower　down　proverbs　just　as　well　as　yourself；　and　in　short；　I　mean　to
say；　and　I　do　say；　that　if　you　don't　like　to　come　on　reward　with　me；
and　run　the　same　chance　that　I　run；　God　be　with　you　and　make　a　saint
of　you；　for　I　shall　find　plenty　of　squires　more　obedient　and
painstaking；　and　not　so　thickheaded　or　talkative　as　you　are。〃
　　When　Sancho　heard　his　master's　firm；　resolute　language；　a　cloud　came
over　the　sky　with　him　and　the　wings　of　his　heart　drooped；　for　he　had
made　sure　that　his　master　would　not　go　without　him　for　all　the
wealth　of　the　world；　and　as　he　stood　there　dumbfoundered　and　moody；
Samson　Carrasco　came　in　with　the　housekeeper　and　niece；　who　were
anxious　to　hear　by　what　arguments　he　was　about　to　dissuade　their
master　from　going　to　seek　adventures。　The　arch　wag　Samson　came
forward；　and　embracing　him　as　he　had　done　before；　said　with　a　loud
voice；　〃O　flower　of　knight…errantry！　O　shining　light　of　arms！　O　honour
and　mirror　of　the　Spanish　nation！　may　God　Almighty　in　his　infinite
power　grant　that　any　person　or　persons；　who　would　impede　or　hinder　thy
third　sally；　may　find　no　way　out　of　the　labyrinth　of　their　schemes；
nor　ever　accomplish　what　they　most　desire！〃　And　then；　turning　to　the
housekeeper；　he　said；　〃Mistress　housekeeper　may　just　as　well　give　over
saying　the　prayer　of　Santa　Apollonia；　for　I　know　it　is　the　positive
determination　of　the　spheres　that　Senor　Don　Quixote　shall　proceed　to
put　into　execution　his　new　and　lofty　designs；　and　I　should　lay　a　heavy
burden　on　my　conscience　did　I　not　urge　and　persuade　this　knight　not　to
keep　the　might　of　his　strong　arm　and　the　virtue　of　his　valiant
spirit　any　longer　curbed　and　checked；　for　by　his　inactivity　he　is
defrauding　the　world　of　the　redress　of　wrongs；　of　the　protection　of
orphans；　of　the　honour　of　virgins；　of　the　aid　of　widows；　and　of　the
support　of　wives；　and　other　matters　of　this　kind　appertaining；
belonging；　proper　and　peculiar　to　the　order　of　knight…errantry。　On；
then；　my　lord　Don　Quixote；　beautiful　and　brave；　let　your　worship　and
highness　set　out　to…day　rather　than　to…morrow；　and　if　anything　be
needed　for　the　execution　of　your　purpose；　here　am　I　ready　in　person
and　purse　to　supply　the　want；　and　were　it　requisite　to　attend　your
magnificence　as　squire；　I　should　esteem　it　the　happiest　good　fortune。〃
　　At　this；　Don　Quixote；　turning　to　Sancho；　said；　〃Did　I　not　tell　thee；
Sancho；　there　would　be　squires　enough　and　to　spare　for　me？　See　now　who
offers　to　become　one；　no　less　than　the　illustrious　bachelor　Samson
Carrasco；　the　perpetual　joy　and　delight　of　the　courts　of　the
Salamancan　schools；　sound　in　body；　discreet；　patient　under　heat　or
cold；　hunger　or　thirst；　with　all　the　qualifications　requisite　to
make　a　knight…errant's　squire！　But　heaven　forbid　that；　to　gratify　my
own　inclination；　I　should　shake　or　shatter　this　pillar　of　letters
and　vessel　of　the　sciences；　and　cut　down　this　towering　palm　of　the
fair　and　liberal　arts。　Let　this　new　Samson　remain　in　his　own
country；　and；　bringing　honour　to　it；　bring　honour　at　the　same　time
on　the　grey　heads　of　his　venerable　parents；　for　I　will　be　content　with
any　squire　that　comes　to　hand；　as　Sancho　does　not　deign　to　accompany
me。〃
　　〃I　do　deign；〃　said　Sancho；　deeply　moved　and　with　tears　in　his
eyes；　〃it　shall　not　be　said　of　me；　master　mine；〃　he　continued；　〃'the
bread　eaten　and　the　company　dispersed。'　Nay；　I　come　of　no　ungrateful
stock；　for　all　the　world　knows；　but　particularly　my　own　town；　who
the　Panzas　from　whom　I　am　descended　were；　and；　what　is　more；　I　know
and　have　learned；　by　many　good　words　and　deeds；　your　worship's
desire　to　show　me　favour；　and　if　I　have　been　bargaining　more　or　less
about　my　wages；　it　was　only　to　please　my　wife；　who；　when　she　sets
herself　to　press　a　point；　no　hammer　drives　the　hoops　of　a　cask　as
she　drives　one　to　do　what　she　wants；　but；　after　all；　a　man　must　be　a
man；　and　a　woman　a　woman；　and　as　I　am　a　man　anyhow；　which　I　can't
deny；　I　will　be　one　in　my　own　house　too；　let　who　will　take　it　amiss；
and　so　there's　nothing　more　to　do　but　for　your　worship　to　make　your
will　with　its　codicil　in　such　a　way　that　it　can't　be　provoked；　and　let
us　set　out　at　once；　to　save　Senor　Samson's　soul　from　suffering；　as
he　says　his　conscience　obliges　him　to　persuade　your　worship　to　sally
out　upon　the　world　a　third　time；　so　I　offer　again　to　serve　your
worship　faithfully　and　loyally；　as　well　and　better　than　all　the
squires　that　served　knights…errant　in　times　past　or　present。〃
　　The　bachelor　was　filled　with　amazement　when　he　heard　Sancho's
phraseology　and　style　of　talk；　for　though　he　had　read　the　first　part
of　his　master's　history　he　never　thought　that　he　could　be　so　droll
as　he　was　there　described；　but　now；　hearing　him　talk　of　a　〃will　and
codicil　that　could　not　be　provoked；〃　instead　of　〃will　and　codicil　that
could　not　be　revoked；〃　he　believed　all　he　had　read　of　him；　and　set　him
down　as　one　of　the　greatest　simpletons　of　modern　times；　and　he　said　to
himself　that　two　such　lunatics　as　master　and　man　the　world　had　never
seen。　In　fine；　Don　Quixote　and　Sancho　embraced　one　another　and　made
friends；　and　by　the　advice　and　with　the　approval　of　the　great
Carrasco；　who　was　now　their　oracle；　it　was　arranged　that　their
departure　should　take　place　three　days　thence；　by　which　time　they
could　have　all　that　was　requisite　for　the　journey　ready；　and　procure　a
closed　helmet；　which　Don　Quixote　said　he　must　by　all　means　take。
Samson　offered　him　one；　as　he　knew　a　friend　of　his　who　had　it　would
not