don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第191章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


jokes　of　that　sort！　By　my　faith；　I'm　certain　if　Reinaldos　of　Montalvan
had　heard　the　little　man's　words　he　would　have　given　him　such　a
spank　on　the　mouth　that　he　wouldn't　have　spoken　for　the　next　three
years；　ay；　let　him　tackle　them；　and　he'll　see　how　he'll　get　out　of
their　hands！〃
　　The　duchess；　as　she　listened　to　Sancho；　was　ready　to　die　with
laughter；　and　in　her　own　mind　she　set　him　down　as　droller　and　madder
than　his　master；　and　there　were　a　good　many　just　then　who　were　of
the　same　opinion。
　　Don　Quixote　finally　grew　calm；　and　dinner　came　to　an　end；　and　as　the
cloth　was　removed　four　damsels　came　in；　one　of　them　with　a　silver
basin；　another　with　a　jug　also　of　silver；　a　third　with　two　fine
white　towels　on　her　shoulder；　and　the　fourth　with　her　arms　bared　to
the　elbows；　and　in　her　white　hands　（for　white　they　certainly　were）　a
round　ball　of　Naples　soap。　The　one　with　the　basin　approached；　and　with
arch　composure　and　impudence；　thrust　it　under　Don　Quixote's　chin；　who；
wondering　at　such　a　ceremony；　said　never　a　word；　supposing　it　to　be
the　custom　of　that　country　to　wash　beards　instead　of　hands；　he
therefore　stretched　his　out　as　far　as　he　could；　and　at　the　same
instant　the　jug　began　to　pour　and　the　damsel　with　the　soap　rubbed
his　beard　briskly；　raising　snow…flakes；　for　the　soap　lather　was　no
less　white；　not　only　over　the　beard；　but　all　over　the　face；　and　over
the　eyes　of　the　submissive　knight；　so　that　they　were　perforce
obliged　to　keep　shut。　The　duke　and　duchess；　who　had　not　known　anything
about　this；　waited　to　see　what　came　of　this　strange　washing。　The
barber　damsel；　when　she　had　him　a　hand's　breadth　deep　in　lather；
pretended　that　there　was　no　more　water；　and　bade　the　one　with　the
jug　go　and　fetch　some；　while　Senor　Don　Quixote　waited。　She　did　so；　and
Don　Quixote　was　left　the　strangest　and　most　ludicrous　figure　that
could　be　imagined。　All　those　present；　and　there　were　a　good　many；　were
watching　him；　and　as　they　saw　him　there　with　half　a　yard　of　neck；
and　that　uncommonly　brown；　his　eyes　shut；　and　his　beard　full　of
soap；　it　was　a　great　wonder；　and　only　by　great　discretion；　that　they
were　able　to　restrain　their　laughter。　The　damsels；　the　concocters　of
the　joke；　kept　their　eyes　down；　not　daring　to　look　at　their　master　and
mistress；　and　as　for　them；　laughter　and　anger　struggled　within　them；
and　they　knew　not　what　to　do；　whether　to　punish　the　audacity　of　the
girls；　or　to　reward　them　for　the　amusement　they　had　received　from
seeing　Don　Quixote　in　such　a　plight。
　　At　length　the　damsel　with　the　jug　returned　and　they　made　an　end　of
washing　Don　Quixote；　and　the　one　who　carried　the　towels　very
deliberately　wiped　him　and　dried　him；　and　all　four　together　making　him
a　profound　obeisance　and　curtsey；　they　were　about　to　go；　when　the
duke；　lest　Don　Quixote　should　see　through　the　joke；　called　out　to
the　one　with　the　basin　saying；　〃Come　and　wash　me；　and　take　care　that
there　is　water　enough。〃　The　girl；　sharp…witted　and　prompt；　came　and
placed　the　basin　for　the　duke　as　she　had　done　for　Don　Quixote；　and
they　soon　had　him　well　soaped　and　washed；　and　having　wiped　him　dry
they　made　their　obeisance　and　retired。　It　appeared　afterwards　that　the
duke　had　sworn　that　if　they　had　not　washed　him　as　they　had　Don　Quixote
he　would　have　punished　them　for　their　impudence；　which　they　adroitly
atoned　for　by　soaping　him　as　well。
　　Sancho　observed　the　ceremony　of　the　washing　very　attentively；　and
said　to　himself；　〃God　bless　me；　if　it　were　only　the　custom　in　this
country　to　wash　squires'　beards　too　as　well　as　knights'。　For　by　God
and　upon　my　soul　I　want　it　badly；　and　if　they　gave　me　a　scrape　of
the　razor　besides　I'd　take　it　as　a　still　greater　kindness。〃
　　〃What　are　you　saying　to　yourself；　Sancho？〃　asked　the　duchess。
　　〃I　was　saying；　senora；〃　he　replied；　〃that　in　the　courts　of　other
princes；　when　the　cloth　is　taken　away；　I　have　always　heard　say　they
give　water　for　the　hands；　but　not　lye　for　the　beard；　and　that　shows　it
is　good　to　live　long　that　you　may　see　much；　to　be　sure；　they　say　too
that　he　who　lives　a　long　life　must　undergo　much　evil；　though　to
undergo　a　washing　of　that　sort　is　pleasure　rather　than　pain。〃
　　〃Don't　be　uneasy；　friend　Sancho；〃　said　the　duchess；　〃I　will　take
care　that　my　damsels　wash　you；　and　even　put　you　in　the　tub　if
necessary。〃
　　〃I'll　be　content　with　the　beard；〃　said　Sancho；　〃at　any　rate　for
the　present；　and　as　for　the　future；　God　has　decreed　what　is　to　be。〃
　　〃Attend　to　worthy　Sancho's　request；　seneschal；〃　said　the　duchess；
〃and　do　exactly　what　he　wishes。〃
　　The　seneschal　replied　that　Senor　Sancho　should　be　obeyed　in
everything；　and　with　that　he　went　away　to　dinner　and　took　Sancho　along
with　him；　while　the　duke　and　duchess　and　Don　Quixote　remained　at　table
discussing　a　great　variety　of　things；　but　all　bearing　on　the　calling
of　arms　and　knight…errantry。
　　The　duchess　begged　Don　Quixote；　as　he　seemed　to　have　a　retentive
memory；　to　describe　and　portray　to　her　the　beauty　and　features　of
the　lady　Dulcinea　del　Toboso；　for；　judging　by　what　fame　trumpeted
abroad　of　her　beauty；　she　felt　sure　she　must　be　the　fairest　creature
in　the　world；　nay；　in　all　La　Mancha。
　　Don　Quixote　sighed　on　hearing　the　duchess's　request；　and　said；　〃If　I
could　pluck　out　my　heart；　and　lay　it　on　a　plate　on　this　table　here
before　your　highness's　eyes；　it　would　spare　my　tongue　the　pain　of
telling　what　can　hardly　be　thought　of；　for　in　it　your　excellence　would
see　her　portrayed　in　full。　But　why　should　I　attempt　to　depict　and
describe　in　detail；　and　feature　by　feature；　the　beauty　of　the　peerless
Dulcinea；　the　burden　being　one　worthy　of　other　shoulders　than　mine；　an
enterprise　wherein　the　pencils　of　Parrhasius；　Timantes；　and　Apelles；
and　the　graver　of　Lysippus　ought　to　be　employed；　to　paint　it　in
pictures　and　carve　it　in　marble　and　bronze；　and　Ciceronian　and
Demosthenian　eloquence　to　sound　its　praises？〃
　　〃What　does　Demosthenian　mean；　Senor　Don　Quixote？〃　said　the
duchess；　〃it　is　a　word　I　never　heard　in　all　my　life。〃
　　〃Demosthenian　eloquence；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃means　the　eloquence
of　Demosthenes；　as　Ciceronian　means　that　of　Cicero；　who　were　the　two
most　eloquent　orators　in　the　world。〃
　　〃True；〃　said　the　duke；　〃you　must　have　lost　your　wits　to　ask　such　a
question。　Nevertheless；　Senor　Don　Quixote　would　greatly　gratify　us
if　he　would　depict　her　to　us；　for　never　fear；　even　in　an　outline　or
sketch　she　will　be　something　to　make　the　fairest　envious。〃
　　〃I　would　do　so　certainly；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃had　she　not　been
blurred　to　my　mind's　eye　by　the　misfortune　that　fell　upon　her　a
short　time　since；　one　of　such　a　nature　that　I　am　more　ready　to　weep
over　it　than　to　describe　it。　For　your　highnesses　must　know　that；　going
a　few　days　back　to　kiss　her　hands　and　receive　her　benediction；
approbation；　and　permission　for　this　third　sally；　I　found　her
altogether　a　different　being　from　the　one　I　sought；　I　found　her
enchanted　and　changed　from　a　princess　into　a　peasant；　from　fair　to
foul；　from　an　angel　into　a　devil；　from　fragrant　to　pestiferous；　from
refined　to　clownish；　from　a　dignified　lady　into　a　jumping　tomboy；　and；
in　a　word；　from　Dulcinea　del　Toboso　into　a　coarse　Sayago　wench。〃
　　〃God　bless　me！〃　said　the　duke　aloud　at　this；　〃who　can　have　done
the　world　such　an　injury？　Who　can　have　robbed　it　of　the　beauty　that
gladdened　it；　of　the　grace　and　gaiety　that　charmed　it；　of　the
modesty　that　shed　a　lustre　upon　it？〃
　　〃Who？〃　replied　Don　Quixote；　〃who　could　it　be　but　some　malignant
enchanter　of　the　many　that　persecute　me　out　of　envy…　that　accursed
race　born　into　the　world　to　obscure　and　bring　to　naught　the
achievements　of　the　good；　and　glorify　and　exalt　the　deeds　of　the
wicked？　Enchanters　have　persecuted　me；　enchanters　persecute　me
still；　and　enchanters　will　continue　to　persecute　me　until　they　have
sunk　me　and　my　lofty　chivalry　in　the　deep　abyss　of　oblivion；　and
they　injure　and　wound　me　where　they　know　I　feel　it　most。　For　to
deprive　a　knight…errant　of　his　lady　is　to　deprive　him　of　the　eyes　he
sees　with；　of　the　sun　that　gives　him　light；　of　the　food　whereby　he
lives。　Many　a　time　before　have　I　said　it；　and　I　say　it　now　once
more；　a　knight…errant　without　a　lady　is　like　a　tree　without　leaves；
a　building　without　a