don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第178章

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said　in　a　loud　voice；　〃Senor　host；　have　you　room？　Here's　the
divining　ape　and　the　show　of　the　Release　of　Melisendra　just　coming。〃
　　〃Ods　body！〃　said　the　landlord；　〃why；　it's　Master　Pedro！　We're　in　for
a　grand　night！〃　I　forgot　to　mention　that　the　said　Master　Pedro　had　his
left　eye　and　nearly　half　his　cheek　covered　with　a　patch　of　green
taffety；　showing　that　something　ailed　all　that　side。　〃Your　worship
is　welcome；　Master　Pedro；〃　continued　the　landlord；　〃but　where　are
the　ape　and　the　show；　for　I　don't　see　them？〃　〃They　are　close　at　hand；〃
said　he　in　the　chamois　leather；　〃but　I　came　on　first　to　know　if
there　was　any　room。〃　〃I'd　make　the　Duke　of　Alva　himself　clear　out　to
make　room　for　Master　Pedro；〃　said　the　landlord；　〃bring　in　the　ape
and　the　show；　there's　company　in　the　inn　to…night　that　will　pay　to　see
that　and　the　cleverness　of　the　ape。〃　〃So　be　it　by　all　means；〃　said　the
man　with　the　patch；　〃I'll　lower　the　price；　and　he　well　satisfied　if
I　only　pay　my　expenses；　and　now　I'll　go　back　and　hurry　on　the　cart
with　the　ape　and　the　show；〃　and　with　this　he　went　out　of　the　inn。
　　Don　Quixote　at　once　asked　the　landlord　what　this　Master　Pedro　was；
and　what　was　the　show　and　what　was　the　ape　he　had　with　him；　which
the　landlord　replied；　〃This　is　a　famous　puppet…showman；　who　for　some
time　past　has　been　going　about　this　Mancha　de　Aragon；　exhibiting　a
show　of　the　release　of　Melisendra　by　the　famous　Don　Gaiferos；　one　of
the　best　and　best…represented　stories　that　have　been　seen　in　this　part
of　the　kingdom　for　many　a　year；　he　has　also　with　him　an　ape　with　the
most　extraordinary　gift　ever　seen　in　an　ape　or　imagined　in　a　human
being；　for　if　you　ask　him　anything；　he　listens　attentively　to　the
question；　and　then　jumps　on　his　master's　shoulder；　and　pressing
close　to　his　ear　tells　him　the　answer　which　Master　Pedro　then
delivers。　He　says　a　great　deal　more　about　things　past　than　about
things　to　come；　and　though　he　does　not　always　hit　the　truth　in　every
case；　most　times　he　is　not　far　wrong；　so　that　he　makes　us　fancy　he　has
got　the　devil　in　him。　He　gets　two　reals　for　every　question　if　the
ape　answers；　I　mean　if　his　master　answers　for　him　after　he　has
whispered　into　his　ear；　and　so　it　is　believed　that　this　same　Master
Pedro　is　very　rich。　He　is　a　'gallant　man'　as　they　say　in　Italy；　and
good　company；　and　leads　the　finest　life　in　the　world；　talks　more
than　six；　drinks　more　than　a　dozen；　and　all　by　his　tongue；　and　his
ape；　and　his　show。〃
　　Master　Pedro　now　came　back；　and　in　a　cart　followed　the　show　and
the　ape…　a　big　one；　without　a　tail　and　with　buttocks　as　bare　as
felt；　but　not　vicious…looking。　As　soon　as　Don　Quixote　saw　him；　he
asked　him；　〃Can　you　tell　me；　sir　fortune…teller；　what　fish　do　we
catch；　and　how　will　it　be　with　us？　See；　here　are　my　two　reals；〃　and　he
bade　Sancho　give　them　to　Master　Pedro；　but　he　answered　for　the　ape　and
said；　〃Senor；　this　animal　does　not　give　any　answer　or　information
touching　things　that　are　to　come；　of　things　past　he　knows　something；
and　more　or　less　of　things　present。〃
　　〃Gad；〃　said　Sancho；　〃I　would　not　give　a　farthing　to　be　told　what's
past　with　me；　for　who　knows　that　better　than　I　do　myself？　And　to　pay
for　being　told　what　I　know　would　be　mighty　foolish。　But　as　you　know
things　present；　here　are　my　two　reals；　and　tell　me；　most　excellent　sir
ape；　what　is　my　wife　Teresa　Panza　doing　now；　and　what　is　she　diverting
herself　with？〃
　　Master　Pedro　refused　to　take　the　money；　saying；　〃I　will　not
receive　payment　in　advance　or　until　the　service　has　been　first
rendered；〃　and　then　with　his　right　hand　he　gave　a　couple　of　slaps　on
his　left　shoulder；　and　with　one　spring　the　ape　perched　himself　upon
it；　and　putting　his　mouth　to　his　master's　ear　began　chattering　his
teeth　rapidly；　and　having　kept　this　up　as　long　as　one　would　be
saying　a　credo；　with　another　spring　he　brought　himself　to　the
ground；　and　the　same　instant　Master　Pedro　ran　in　great　haste　and
fell　upon　his　knees　before　Don　Quixote；　and　embracing　his　legs
exclaimed；　〃These　legs　do　I　embrace　as　I　would　embrace　the　two　pillars
of　Hercules；　O　illustrious　reviver　of　knight…errantry；　so　long
consigned　to　oblivion！　O　never　yet　duly　extolled　knight；　Don　Quixote
of　La　Mancha；　courage　of　the　faint…hearted；　prop　of　the　tottering；　arm
of　the　fallen；　staff　and　counsel　of　all　who　are　unfortunate！〃
　　Don　Quixote　was　thunderstruck；　Sancho　astounded；　the　cousin
staggered；　the　page　astonished；　the　man　from　the　braying　town　agape；
the　landlord　in　perplexity；　and；　in　short；　everyone　amazed　at　the
words　of　the　puppet…showman；　who　went　on　to　say；　〃And　thou；　worthy
Sancho　Panza；　the　best　squire　and　squire　to　the　best　knight　in　the
world！　Be　of　good　cheer；　for　thy　good　wife　Teresa　is　well；　and　she
is　at　this　moment　hackling　a　pound　of　flax；　and　more　by　token　she
has　at　her　left　hand　a　jug　with　a　broken　spout　that　holds　a　good
drop　of　wine；　with　which　she　solaces　herself　at　her　work。〃
　　〃That　I　can　well　believe；〃　said　Sancho。　〃She　is　a　lucky　one；　and
if　it　was　not　for　her　jealousy　I　would　not　change　her　for　the　giantess
Andandona；　who　by　my　master's　account　was　a　very　clever　and　worthy
woman；　my　Teresa　is　one　of　those　that　won't　let　themselves　want　for
anything；　though　their　heirs　may　have　to　pay　for　it。〃
　　〃Now　I　declare；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃he　who　reads　much　and　travels
much　sees　and　knows　a　great　deal。　I　say　so　because　what　amount　of
persuasion　could　have　persuaded　me　that　there　are　apes　in　the　world
that　can　divine　as　I　have　seen　now　with　my　own　eyes？　For　I　am　that
very　Don　Quixote　of　La　Mancha　this　worthy　animal　refers　to；　though
he　has　gone　rather　too　far　in　my　praise；　but　whatever　I　may　be；　I
thank　heaven　that　it　has　endowed　me　with　a　tender　and　compassionate
heart；　always　disposed　to　do　good　to　all　and　harm　to　none。〃
　　〃If　I　had　money；〃　said　the　page；　〃I　would　ask　senor　ape　what　will
happen　me　in　the　peregrination　I　am　making。〃
　　To　this　Master　Pedro；　who　had　by　this　time　risen　from　Don
Quixote's　feet；　replied；　〃I　have　already　said　that　this　little　beast
gives　no　answer　as　to　the　future；　but　if　he　did；　not　having　money
would　be　of　no　consequence；　for　to　oblige　Senor　Don　Quixote；　here
present；　I　would　give　up　all　the　profits　in　the　world。　And　now；
because　I　have　promised　it；　and　to　afford　him　pleasure；　I　will　set
up　my　show　and　offer　entertainment　to　all　who　are　in　the　inn；
without　any　charge　whatever。〃　As　soon　as　he　heard　this；　the
landlord；　delighted　beyond　measure；　pointed　out　a　place　where　the　show
might　be　fixed；　which　was　done　at　once。
　　Don　Quixote　was　not　very　well　satisfied　with　the　divinations　of
the　ape；　as　he　did　not　think　it　proper　that　an　ape　should　divine
anything；　either　past　or　future；　so　while　Master　Pedro　was　arranging
the　show；　he　retired　with　Sancho　into　a　corner　of　the　stable；　where；
without　being　overheard　by　anyone；　he　said　to　him；　〃Look　here；　Sancho；
I　have　been　seriously　thinking　over　this　ape's　extraordinary　gift；　and
have　come　to　the　conclusion　that　beyond　doubt　this　Master　Pedro；　his
master；　has　a　pact；　tacit　or　express；　with　the　devil。〃
　　〃If　the　packet　is　express　from　the　devil；〃　said　Sancho；　〃it　must
be　a　very　dirty　packet　no　doubt；　but　what　good　can　it　do　Master
Pedro　to　have　such　packets？〃
　　〃Thou　dost　not　understand　me；　Sancho；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃I　only
mean　he　must　have　made　some　compact　with　the　devil　to　infuse　this
power　into　the　ape；　that　he　may　get　his　living；　and　after　he　has　grown
rich　he　will　give　him　his　soul；　which　is　what　the　enemy　of　mankind
wants；　this　I　am　led　to　believe　by　observing　that　the　ape　only　answers
about　things　past　or　present；　and　the　devil's　knowledge　extends　no
further；　for　the　future　he　knows　only　by　guesswork；　and　that　not
always；　for　it　is　reserved　for　God　alone　to　know　the　times　and　the
seasons；　and　for　him　there　is　neither　past　nor　future；　all　is　present。
This　being　as　it　is；　it　is　clear　that　this　ape　speaks　by　the　spirit　of
the　devil；　and　I　am　astonished　they　have　not　denounced　him　to　the　Holy
Office；　and　put　him　to　the　question；　and　forced　it　out　of　him　by　whose
virtue　it　is　that　he　divines；　because　it　is　certain　this　ape　is　not　an
astrologer；　neither　his　master　nor　he　sets　up；　or　knows　how　to　set　up；
those　figures　they　cal