don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第193章

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right；　and　I　have　some　other　little　matters　in　reserve；　that　shall
be　produced　in　due　season　for　Sancho's　benefit　and　the　advantage　of
the　island　he　is　to　govern。〃
　　The　duke；　duchess；　and　Don　Quixote　had　reached　this　point　in　their
conversation；　when　they　heard　voices　and　a　great　hubbub　in　the　palace；
and　Sancho　burst　abruptly　into　the　room　all　glowing　with　anger；　with　a
straining…cloth　by　way　of　a　bib；　and　followed　by　several　servants；　or；
more　properly　speaking；　kitchen…boys　and　other　underlings；　one　of　whom
carried　a　small　trough　full　of　water；　that　from　its　colour　and
impurity　was　plainly　dishwater。　The　one　with　the　trough　pursued　him
and　followed　him　everywhere　he　went；　endeavouring　with　the　utmost
persistence　to　thrust　it　under　his　chin；　while　another　kitchen…boy
seemed　anxious　to　wash　his　beard。
　　〃What　is　all　this；　brothers？〃　asked　the　duchess。　〃What　is　it？　What
do　you　want　to　do　to　this　good　man？　Do　you　forget　he　is　a
governor…elect？〃
　　To　which　the　barber　kitchen…boy　replied；　〃The　gentleman　will　not　let
himself　be　washed　as　is　customary；　and　as　my　lord　the　and　the　senor
his　master　have　been。〃
　　〃Yes；　I　will；〃　said　Sancho；　in　a　great　rage；　〃but　I'd　like　it　to
be　with　cleaner　towels；　clearer　lye；　and　not　such　dirty　hands；　for
there's　not　so　much　difference　between　me　and　my　master　that　he　should
be　washed　with　angels'　water　and　I　with　devil's　lye。　The　customs　of
countries　and　princes'　palaces　are　only　good　so　long　as　they　give　no
annoyance；　but　the　way　of　washing　they　have　here　is　worse　than　doing
penance。　I　have　a　clean　beard；　and　I　don't　require　to　be　refreshed
in　that　fashion；　and　whoever　comes　to　wash　me　or　touch　a　hair　of　my
head；　I　mean　to　say　my　beard；　with　all　due　respect　be　it　said；　I'll
give　him　a　punch　that　will　leave　my　fist　sunk　in　his　skull；　for
cirimonies　and　soapings　of　this　sort　are　more　like　jokes　than　the
polite　attentions　of　one's　host。〃
　　The　duchess　was　ready　to　die　with　laughter　when　she　saw　Sancho's
rage　and　heard　his　words；　but　it　was　no　pleasure　to　Don　Quixote　to　see
him　in　such　a　sorry　trim；　with　the　dingy　towel　about　him；　and　the
hangers…on　of　the　kitchen　all　round　him；　so　making　a　low　bow　to　the
duke　and　duchess；　as　if　to　ask　their　permission　to　speak；　he　addressed
the　rout　in　a　dignified　tone：　〃Holloa；　gentlemen！　you　let　that　youth
alone；　and　go　back　to　where　you　came　from；　or　anywhere　else　if　you
like；　my　squire　is　as　clean　as　any　other　person；　and　those　troughs　are
as　bad　as　narrow　thin…necked　jars　to　him；　take　my　advice　and　leave　him
alone；　for　neither　he　nor　I　understand　joking。〃
　　Sancho　took　the　word　out　of　his　mouth　and　went　on；　〃Nay；　let　them
come　and　try　their　jokes　on　the　country　bumpkin；　for　it's　about　as
likely　I'll　stand　them　as　that　it's　now　midnight！　Let　them　bring　me
a　comb　here；　or　what　they　please；　and　curry　this　beard　of　mine；　and　if
they　get　anything　out　of　it　that　offends　against　cleanliness；　let　them
clip　me　to　the　skin。〃
　　Upon　this；　the　duchess；　laughing　all　the　while；　said；　〃Sancho
Panza　is　right；　and　always　will　be　in　all　he　says；　he　is　clean；　and；
as　he　says　himself；　he　does　not　require　to　be　washed；　and　if　our
ways　do　not　please　him；　he　is　free　to　choose。　Besides；　you　promoters
of　cleanliness　have　been　excessively　careless　and　thoughtless；　I　don't
know　if　I　ought　not　to　say　audacious；　to　bring　troughs　and　wooden
utensils　and　kitchen　dishclouts；　instead　of　basins　and　jugs　of　pure
gold　and　towels　of　holland；　to　such　a　person　and　such　a　beard；　but；
after　all；　you　are　ill…conditioned　and　ill…bred；　and　spiteful　as　you
are；　you　cannot　help　showing　the　grudge　you　have　against　the　squires
of　knights…errant。〃
　　The　impudent　servitors；　and　even　the　seneschal　who　came　with　them；
took　the　duchess　to　be　speaking　in　earnest；　so　they　removed　the
straining…cloth　from　Sancho's　neck；　and　with　something　like　shame
and　confusion　of　face　went　off　all　of　them　and　left　him；　whereupon　he；
seeing　himself　safe　out　of　that　extreme　danger；　as　it　seemed　to　him；
ran　and　fell　on　his　knees　before　the　duchess；　saying；　〃From　great
ladies　great　favours　may　be　looked　for；　this　which　your　grace　has　done
me　today　cannot　be　requited　with　less　than　wishing　I　was　dubbed　a
knight…errant；　to　devote　myself　all　the　days　of　my　life　to　the　service
of　so　exalted　a　lady。　I　am　a　labouring　man；　my　name　is　Sancho　Panza；　I
am　married；　I　have　children；　and　I　am　serving　as　a　squire；　if　in　any
one　of　these　ways　I　can　serve　your　highness；　I　will　not　he　longer　in
obeying　than　your　grace　in　commanding。〃
　　〃It　is　easy　to　see；　Sancho；〃　replied　the　duchess；　〃that　you　have
learned　to　he　polite　in　the　school　of　politeness　itself；　I　mean　to　say
it　is　easy　to　see　that　you　have　been　nursed　in　the　bosom　of　Senor
Don　Quixote；　who　is；　of　course；　the　cream　of　good　breeding　and
flower　of　ceremony…　or　cirimony；　as　you　would　say　yourself。　Fair　be
the　fortunes　of　such　a　master　and　such　a　servant；　the　one　the　cynosure
of　knight…errantry；　the　other　the　star　of　squirely　fidelity！　Rise；
Sancho；　my　friend；　I　will　repay　your　courtesy　by　taking　care　that　my
lord　the　duke　makes　good　to　you　the　promised　gift　of　the　government　as
soon　as　possible。〃
　　With　this；　the　conversation　came　to　an　end；　and　Don　Quixote
retired　to　take　his　midday　sleep；　but　the　duchess　begged　Sancho；
unless　he　had　a　very　great　desire　to　go　to　sleep；　to　come　and　spend
the　afternoon　with　her　and　her　damsels　in　a　very　cool　chamber。
Sancho　replied　that；　though　he　certainly　had　the　habit　of　sleeping
four　or　five　hours　in　the　heat　of　the　day　in　summer；　to　serve　her
excellence　he　would　try　with　all　his　might　not　to　sleep　even　one
that　day；　and　that　he　would　come　in　obedience　to　her　command；　and　with
that　he　went　off。　The　duke　gave　fresh　orders　with　respect　to
treating　Don　Quixote　as　a　knight…errant；　without　departing　even　in
smallest　particular　from　the　style　in　which；　as　the　stories　tell　us；
they　used　to　treat　the　knights　of　old。
　　

CHAPTER　XXXIII
　　OF　THE　DELECTABLE　DISCOURSE　WHICH　THE　DUCHESS　AND　HER　DAMSELS　HELD
WITH　SANCHO　PANZA；　WELL　WORTH　READING　AND　NOTING

　　THE　history　records　that　Sancho　did　not　sleep　that　afternoon；　but　in
order　to　keep　his　word　came；　before　he　had　well　done　dinner；　to
visit　the　duchess；　who；　finding　enjoyment　in　listening　to　him；　made
him　sit　down　beside　her　on　a　low　seat；　though　Sancho；　out　of　pure　good
breeding；　wanted　not　to　sit　down；　the　duchess；　however；　told　him　he
was　to　sit　down　as　governor　and　talk　as　squire；　as　in　both　respects　he
was　worthy　of　even　the　chair　of　the　Cid　Ruy　Diaz　the　Campeador。　Sancho
shrugged　his　shoulders；　obeyed；　and　sat　down；　and　all　the　duchess's
damsels　and　duennas　gathered　round　him；　waiting　in　profound　silence　to
hear　what　he　would　say。　It　was　the　duchess；　however；　who　spoke
first；　saying：
　　〃Now　that　we　are　alone；　and　that　there　is　nobody　here　to　overhear
us；　I　should　be　glad　if　the　senor　governor　would　relieve　me　of　certain
doubts　I　have；　rising　out　of　the　history　of　the　great　Don　Quixote　that
is　now　in　print。　One　is：　inasmuch　as　worthy　Sancho　never　saw　Dulcinea；
I　mean　the　lady　Dulcinea　del　Toboso；　nor　took　Don　Quixote's　letter
to　her；　for　it　was　left　in　the　memorandum　book　in　the　Sierra　Morena；
how　did　he　dare　to　invent　the　answer　and　all　that　about　finding　her
sifting　wheat；　the　whole　story　being　a　deception　and　falsehood；　and　so
much　to　the　prejudice　of　the　peerless　Dulcinea's　good　name；　a　thing
that　is　not　at　all　becoming　the　character　and　fidelity　of　a　good
squire？〃
　　At　these　words；　Sancho；　without　uttering　one　in　reply；　got　up　from
his　chair；　and　with　noiseless　steps；　with　his　body　bent　and　his　finger
on　his　lips；　went　all　round　the　room　lifting　up　the　hangings；　and　this
done；　he　came　back　to　his　seat　and　said；　〃Now；　senora；　that　I　have
seen　that　there　is　no　one　except　the　bystanders　listening　to　us　on　the
sly；　I　will　answer　what　you　have　asked　me；　and　all　you　may　ask　me；
without　fear　or　dread。　And　the　first　thing　I　have　got　to　say　is；
that　for　my　own　part　I　hold　my　master　Don　Quixote　to　be　stark　mad；
though　sometimes　he　says　things　that；　to　my　mind；　and　indeed
everybody's　that　listens　to　him；　are　so　wise；　and　run　in　such　a
straight　furrow；　that　Satan　himself　could　not　have　said　them