don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第156章

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pocket；〃　and　putting　his　hand　into　his　right　pocket；　he　pulled　out　a
masquerade　nose　of　varnished　pasteboard　of　the　make　already　described；
and　Sancho；　examining　him　more　and　more　closely；　exclaimed　aloud　in
a　voice　of　amazement；　〃Holy　Mary　be　good　to　me！　Isn't　it　Tom　Cecial；
my　neighbour　and　gossip？〃
　　〃Why；　to　be　sure　I　am！〃　returned　the　now　unnosed　squire；　〃Tom　Cecial
I　am；　gossip　and　friend　Sancho　Panza；　and　I'll　tell　you　presently
the　means　and　tricks　and　falsehoods　by　which　I　have　been　brought　here；
but　in　the　meantime；　beg　and　entreat　of　your　master　not　to　touch；
maltreat；　wound；　or　slay　the　Knight　of　the　Mirrors　whom　he　has　at
his　feet；　because；　beyond　all　dispute；　it　is　the　rash　and
ill…advised　bachelor　Samson　Carrasco；　our　fellow　townsman。〃
　　At　this　moment　he　of　the　Mirrors　came　to　himself；　and　Don　Quixote
perceiving　it；　held　the　naked　point　of　his　sword　over　his　face；　and
said　to　him；　〃You　are　a　dead　man；　knight；　unless　you　confess　that
the　peerless　Dulcinea　del　Toboso　excels　your　Casildea　de　Vandalia　in
beauty；　and　in　addition　to　this　you　must　promise；　if　you　should
survive　this　encounter　and　fall；　to　go　to　the　city　of　El　Toboso　and
present　yourself　before　her　on　my　behalf；　that　she　deal　with　you
according　to　her　good　pleasure；　and　if　she　leaves　you　free　to　do
yours；　you　are　in　like　manner　to　return　and　seek　me　out　（for　the　trail
of　my　mighty　deeds　will　serve　you　as　a　guide　to　lead　you　to　where　I
may　be）；　and　tell　me　what　may　have　passed　between　you　and　her…
conditions　which；　in　accordance　with　what　we　stipulated　before　our
combat；　do　not　transgress　the　just　limits　of　knight…errantry。〃
　　〃I　confess；〃　said　the　fallen　knight；　〃that　the　dirty　tattered　shoe
of　the　lady　Dulcinea　del　Toboso　is　better　than　the　ill…combed　though
clean　beard　of　Casildea；　and　I　promise　to　go　and　to　return　from　her
presence　to　yours；　and　to　give　you　a　full　and　particular　account　of
all　you　demand　of　me。〃
　　〃You　must　also　confess　and　believe；〃　added　Don　Quixote；　〃that　the
knight　you　vanquished　was　not　and　could　not　be　Don　Quixote　of　La
Mancha；　but　some　one　else　in　his　likeness；　just　as　I　confess　and
believe　that　you；　though　you　seem　to　be　the　bachelor　Samson
Carrasco；　are　not　so；　but　some　other　resembling　him；　whom　my　enemies
have　here　put　before　me　in　his　shape；　in　order　that　I　may　restrain　and
moderate　the　vehemence　of　my　wrath；　and　make　a　gentle　use　of　the　glory
of　my　victory。〃
　　〃I　confess；　hold；　and　think　everything　to　be　as　you　believe；　hold；
and　think　it；〃　the　crippled　knight；　〃let　me　rise；　I　entreat　you；　if；
indeed；　the　shock　of　my　fall　will　allow　me；　for　it　has　left　me　in　a
sorry　plight　enough。〃
　　Don　Quixote　helped　him　to　rise；　with　the　assistance　of　his　squire
Tom　Cecial；　from　whom　Sancho　never　took　his　eyes；　and　to　whom　he　put
questions；　the　replies　to　which　furnished　clear　proof　that　he　was
really　and　truly　the　Tom　Cecial　he　said；　but　the　impression　made　on
Sancho's　mind　by　what　his　master　said　about　the　enchanters　having
changed　the　face　of　the　Knight　of　the　Mirrors　into　that　of　the
bachelor　Samson　Carrasco；　would　not　permit　him　to　believe　what　he
saw　with　his　eyes。　In　fine；　both　master　and　man　remained　under　the
delusion；　and；　down　in　the　mouth；　and　out　of　luck；　he　of　the　Mirrors
and　his　squire　parted　from　Don　Quixote　and　Sancho；　he　meaning　to　go
look　for　some　village　where　he　could　plaster　and　strap　his　ribs。　Don
Quixote　and　Sancho　resumed　their　journey　to　Saragossa；　and　on　it　the
history　leaves　them　in　order　that　it　may　tell　who　the　Knight　of　the

Mirrors　and　his　long…nosed　squire　were。

　　CHAPTER　XV
　　WHEREIN　IT　IS　TOLD　AND　KNOWN　WHO　THE　KNIGHT　OF　THE　MIRRORS　AND　HIS
SQUIRE　WERE

　　DON　QUIXOTE　went　off　satisfied；　elated；　and　vain…glorious　in　the
highest　degree　at　having　won　a　victory　over　such　a　valiant　knight　as
he　fancied　him　of　the　Mirrors　to　be；　and　one　from　whose　knightly
word　he　expected　to　learn　whether　the　enchantment　of　his　lady　still
continued；　inasmuch　as　the　said　vanquished　knight　was　bound；　under　the
penalty　of　ceasing　to　be　one；　to　return　and　render　him　an　account　of
what　took　place　between　him　and　her。　But　Don　Quixote　was　of　one
mind；　he　of　the　Mirrors　of　another；　for　he　just　then　had　no　thought　of
anything　but　finding　some　village　where　he　could　plaster　himself；　as
has　been　said　already。　The　history　goes　on　to　say；　then；　that　when　the
bachelor　Samson　Carrasco　recommended　Don　Quixote　to　resume　his
knight…errantry　which　he　had　laid　aside；　it　was　in　consequence　of
having　been　previously　in　conclave　with　the　curate　and　the　barber　on
the　means　to　be　adopted　to　induce　Don　Quixote　to　stay　at　home　in　peace
and　quiet　without　worrying　himself　with　his　ill…starred　adventures；　at
which　consultation　it　was　decided　by　the　unanimous　vote　of　all；　and　on
the　special　advice　of　Carrasco；　that　Don　Quixote　should　be　allowed
to　go；　as　it　seemed　impossible　to　restrain　him；　and　that　Samson　should
sally　forth　to　meet　him　as　a　knight…errant；　and　do　battle　with　him；
for　there　would　be　no　difficulty　about　a　cause；　and　vanquish　him；　that
being　looked　upon　as　an　easy　matter；　and　that　it　should　be　agreed
and　settled　that　the　vanquished　was　to　be　at　the　mercy　of　the
victor。　Then；　Don　Quixote　being　vanquished；　the　bachelor　knight　was　to
command　him　to　return　to　his　village　and　his　house；　and　not　quit　it
for　two　years；　or　until　he　received　further　orders　from　him；　all　which
it　was　clear　Don　Quixote　would　unhesitatingly　obey；　rather　than
contravene　or　fail　to　observe　the　laws　of　chivalry；　and　during　the
period　of　his　seclusion　he　might　perhaps　forget　his　folly；　or　there
might　be　an　opportunity　of　discovering　some　ready　remedy　for　his
madness。　Carrasco　undertook　the　task；　and　Tom　Cecial；　a　gossip　and
neighbour　of　Sancho　Panza's；　a　lively；　feather…headed　fellow；
offered　himself　as　his　squire。　Carrasco　armed　himself　in　the　fashion
described；　and　Tom　Cecial；　that　he　might　not　be　known　by　his　gossip
when　they　met；　fitted　on　over　his　own　natural　nose　the　false
masquerade　one　that　has　been　mentioned；　and　so　they　followed　the
same　route　Don　Quixote　took；　and　almost　came　up　with　him　in　time　to　be
present　at　the　adventure　of　the　cart　of　Death　and　finally
encountered　them　in　the　grove；　where　all　that　the　sagacious　reader　has
been　reading　about　took　place；　and　had　it　not　been　for　the
extraordinary　fancies　of　Don　Quixote；　and　his　conviction　that　the
bachelor　was　not　the　bachelor；　senor　bachelor　would　have　been
incapacitated　for　ever　from　taking　his　degree　of　licentiate；　all
through　not　finding　nests　where　he　thought　to　find　birds。
　　Tom　Cecial；　seeing　how　ill　they　had　succeeded；　and　what　a　sorry
end　their　expedition　had　come　to；　said　to　the　bachelor；　〃Sure
enough；　Senor　Samson　Carrasco；　we　are　served　right；　it　is　easy
enough　to　plan　and　set　about　an　enterprise；　but　it　is　often　a
difficult　matter　to　come　well　out　of　it。　Don　Quixote　a　madman；　and
we　sane；　he　goes　off　laughing；　safe；　and　sound；　and　you　are　left
sore　and　sorry！　I'd　like　to　know　now　which　is　the　madder；　he　who　is　so
because　he　cannot　help　it；　or　he　who　is　so　of　his　own　choice？〃
　　To　which　Samson　replied；　〃The　difference　between　the　two　sorts　of
madmen　is；　that　he　who　is　so　will　he　nil　he；　will　be　one　always；　while
he　who　is　so　of　his　own　accord　can　leave　off　being　one　whenever　he
likes。〃
　　〃In　that　case；〃　said　Tom　Cecial；　〃I　was　a　madman　of　my　own　accord
when　I　volunteered　to　become　your　squire；　and；　of　my　own　accord；
I'll　leave　off　being　one　and　go　home。〃
　　〃That's　your　affair；〃　returned　Samson；　〃but　to　suppose　that　I　am
going　home　until　I　have　given　Don　Quixote　a　thrashing　is　absurd；　and
it　is　not　any　wish　that　he　may　recover　his　senses　that　will　make　me
hunt　him　out　now；　but　a　wish　for　the　sore　pain　I　am　in　with　my　ribs
won't　let　me　entertain　more　charitable　thoughts。〃
　　Thus　discoursing；　the　pair　proceeded　until　they　reached　a　town　where
it　was　their　good　luck　to　find　a　bone…setter；　with　whose　help　the
unfortunate　Samson　was　cured。　Tom　Cecial　left　him　and　went　home；　while
he　stayed　behind　meditating　vengeance；　and　the　history　will　return
to　him　again　at　the　proper　time；　so　as　not　to　omit　making　merry　with
Don　Quixote　now。


　　CHAPTER　XVI
　　OF　WHAT　BEFELL　DON　QUIXOTE