don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第244章

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he　said；　〃Be　not　so　cast　down；　good　man；　for　you　have　not　fallen
into　the　hands　of　any　inhuman　Busiris；　but　into　Roque　Guinart's；　which
are　more　merciful　than　cruel。〃
　　〃The　cause　of　my　dejection；〃　returned　Don　Quixote；　〃is　not　that　I
have　fallen　into　thy　hands；　O　valiant　Roque；　whose　fame　is　bounded
by　no　limits　on　earth；　but　that　my　carelessness　should　have　been　so
great　that　thy　soldiers　should　have　caught　me　unbridled；　when　it　is　my
duty；　according　to　the　rule　of　knight…errantry　which　I　profess；　to
be　always　on　the　alert　and　at　all　times　my　own　sentinel；　for　let　me
tell　thee；　great　Roque；　had　they　found　me　on　my　horse；　with　my　lance
and　shield；　it　would　not　have　been　very　easy　for　them　to　reduce　me
to　submission；　for　I　am　Don　Quixote　of　La　Mancha；　he　who　hath　filled
the　whole　world　with　his　achievements。〃
　　Roque　Guinart　at　once　perceived　that　Don　Quixote's　weakness　was　more
akin　to　madness　than　to　swagger；　and　though　he　had　sometimes　heard　him
spoken　of；　he　never　regarded　the　things　attributed　to　him　as　true；　nor
could　he　persuade　himself　that　such　a　humour　could　become　dominant
in　the　heart　of　man；　he　was　extremely　glad；　therefore；　to　meet　him　and
test　at　close　quarters　what　he　had　heard　of　him　at　a　distance；　so　he
said　to　him；　〃Despair　not；　valiant　knight；　nor　regard　as　an　untoward
fate　the　position　in　which　thou　findest　thyself；　it　may　be　that　by
these　slips　thy　crooked　fortune　will　make　itself　straight；　for
heaven　by　strange　circuitous　ways；　mysterious　and　incomprehensible
to　man；　raises　up　the　fallen　and　makes　rich　the　poor。〃
　　Don　Quixote　was　about　to　thank　him；　when　they　heard　behind　them　a
noise　as　of　a　troop　of　horses；　there　was；　however；　but　one；　riding
on　which　at　a　furious　pace　came　a　youth；　apparently　about　twenty　years
of　age；　clad　in　green　damask　edged　with　gold　and　breeches　and　a
loose　frock；　with　a　hat　looped　up　in　the　Walloon　fashion；
tight…fitting　polished　boots；　gilt　spurs；　dagger　and　sword；　and　in　his
hand　a　musketoon；　and　a　pair　of　pistols　at　his　waist。
　　Roque　turned　round　at　the　noise　and　perceived　this　comely　figure；
which　drawing　near　thus　addressed　him；　〃I　came　in　quest　of　thee；
valiant　Roque；　to　find　in　thee　if　not　a　remedy　at　least　relief　in　my
misfortune；　and　not　to　keep　thee　in　suspense；　for　I　see　thou　dost
not　recognise　me；　I　will　tell　thee　who　I　am；　I　am　Claudia　Jeronima；
the　daughter　of　Simon　Forte；　thy　good　friend；　and　special　enemy　of
Clauquel　Torrellas；　who　is　thine　also　as　being　of　the　faction
opposed　to　thee。　Thou　knowest　that　this　Torrellas　has　a　son　who　is
called；　or　at　least　was　not　two　hours　since；　Don　Vicente　Torrellas。
Well；　to　cut　short　the　tale　of　my　misfortune；　I　will　tell　thee　in　a
few　words　what　this　youth　has　brought　upon　me。　He　saw　me；　he　paid
court　to　me；　I　listened　to　him；　and；　unknown　to　my　father；　I　loved
him；　for　there　is　no　woman；　however　secluded　she　may　live　or　close　she
may　be　kept；　who　will　not　have　opportunities　and　to　spare　for
following　her　headlong　impulses。　In　a　word；　he　pledged　himself　to　be
mine；　and　I　promised　to　be　his；　without　carrying　matters　any
further。　Yesterday　I　learned　that；　forgetful　of　his　pledge　to　me；　he
was　about　to　marry　another；　and　that　he　was　to　go　this　morning　to
plight　his　troth；　intelligence　which　overwhelmed　and　exasperated　me；
my　father　not　being　at　home　I　was　able　to　adopt　this　costume　you
see；　and　urging　my　horse　to　speed　I　overtook　Don　Vicente　about　a
league　from　this；　and　without　waiting　to　utter　reproaches　or　hear
excuses　I　fired　this　musket　at　him；　and　these　two　pistols　besides；　and
to　the　best　of　my　belief　I　must　have　lodged　more　than　two　bullets　in
his　body；　opening　doors　to　let　my　honour　go　free；　enveloped　in　his
blood。　I　left　him　there　in　the　hands　of　his　servants；　who　did　not　dare
and　were　not　able　to　interfere　in　his　defence；　and　I　come　to　seek　from
thee　a　safe…conduct　into　France；　where　I　have　relatives　with　whom　I
can　live；　and　also　to　implore　thee　to　protect　my　father；　so　that　Don
Vicente's　numerous　kinsmen　may　not　venture　to　wreak　their　lawless
vengeance　upon　him。〃
　　Roque；　filled　with　admiration　at　the　gallant　bearing；　high　spirit；
comely　figure；　and　adventure　of　the　fair　Claudia；　said　to　her；
〃Come；　senora；　let　us　go　and　see　if　thy　enemy　is　dead；　and　then　we
will　consider　what　will　be　best　for　thee。〃　Don　Quixote；　who　had　been
listening　to　what　Claudia　said　and　Roque　Guinart　said　in　reply　to　her；
exclaimed；　〃Nobody　need　trouble　himself　with　the　defence　of　this　lady；
for　I　take　it　upon　myself。　Give　me　my　horse　and　arms；　and　wait　for
me　here；　I　will　go　in　quest　of　this　knight；　and　dead　or　alive　I　will
make　him　keep　his　word　plighted　to　so　great　beauty。〃
　　〃Nobody　need　have　any　doubt　about　that；〃　said　Sancho；　〃for　my　master
has　a　very　happy　knack　of　matchmaking；　it's　not　many　days　since　he
forced　another　man　to　marry；　who　in　the　same　way　backed　out　of　his
promise　to　another　maiden；　and　if　it　had　not　been　for　his
persecutors　the　enchanters　changing　the　man's　proper　shape　into　a
lacquey's　the　said　maiden　would　not　be　one　this　minute。〃
　　Roque；　who　was　paying　more　attention　to　the　fair　Claudia's　adventure
than　to　the　words　of　master　or　man；　did　not　hear　them；　and　ordering
his　squires　to　restore　to　Sancho　everything　they　had　stripped　Dapple
of；　he　directed　them　to　return　to　the　place　where　they　had　been
quartered　during　the　night；　and　then　set　off　with　Claudia　at　full
speed　in　search　of　the　wounded　or　slain　Don　Vicente。　They　reached
the　spot　where　Claudia　met　him；　but　found　nothing　there　save　freshly
spilt　blood；　looking　all　round；　however；　they　descried　some　people
on　the　slope　of　a　hill　above　them；　and　concluded；　as　indeed　it
proved　to　be；　that　it　was　Don　Vicente；　whom　either　dead　or　alive　his
servants　were　removing　to　attend　to　his　wounds　or　to　bury　him。　They
made　haste　to　overtake　them；　which；　as　the　party　moved　slowly；　they
were　able　to　do　with　ease。　They　found　Don　Vicente　in　the　arms　of　his
servants；　whom　he　was　entreating　in　a　broken　feeble　voice　to　leave　him
there　to　die；　as　the　pain　of　his　wounds　would　not　suffer　him　to　go　any
farther。　Claudia　and　Roque　threw　themselves　off　their　horses　and
advanced　towards　him；　the　servants　were　overawed　by　the　appearance
of　Roque；　and　Claudia　was　moved　by　the　sight　of　Don　Vicente；　and　going
up　to　him　half　tenderly　half　sternly；　she　seized　his　hand　and　said
to　him；　〃Hadst　thou　given　me　this　according　to　our　compact　thou
hadst　never　come　to　this　pass。〃
　　The　wounded　gentleman　opened　his　all　but　closed　eyes；　and
recognising　Claudia　said；　〃I　see　clearly；　fair　and　mistaken　lady；　that
it　is　thou　that　hast　slain　me；　a　punishment　not　merited　or　deserved　by
my　feelings　towards　thee；　for　never　did　I　mean　to；　nor　could　I；
wrong　thee　in　thought　or　deed。〃
　　〃It　is　not　true；　then；〃　said　Claudia；　〃that　thou　wert　going　this
morning　to　marry　Leonora　the　daughter　of　the　rich　Balvastro？〃
　　〃Assuredly　not；〃　replied　Don　Vicente；　〃my　cruel　fortune　must　have
carried　those　tidings　to　thee　to　drive　thee　in　thy　jealousy　to　take　my
life；　and　to　assure　thyself　of　this；　press　my　hands　and　take　me　for
thy　husband　if　thou　wilt；　I　have　no　better　satisfaction　to　offer
thee　for　the　wrong　thou　fanciest　thou　hast　received　from　me。〃
　　Claudia　wrung　his　hands；　and　her　own　heart　was　so　wrung　that　she　lay
fainting　on　the　bleeding　breast　of　Don　Vicente；　whom　a　death　spasm
seized　the　same　instant。　Roque　was　in　perplexity　and　knew　not　what
to　do；　the　servants　ran　to　fetch　water　to　sprinkle　their　faces；　and
brought　some　and　bathed　them　with　it。　Claudia　recovered　from　her
fainting　fit；　but　not　so　Don　Vicente　from　the　paroxysm　that　had
overtaken　him；　for　his　life　had　come　to　an　end。　On　perceiving　this；
Claudia；　when　she　had　convinced　herself　that　her　beloved　husband　was
no　more；　rent　the　air　with　her　sighs　and　made　the　heavens　ring　with
her　lamentations；　she　tore　her　hair　and　scattered　it　to　the　winds；　she
beat　her　face　with　her　hands　and　showed　all　the　signs　of　grief　and
sorrow　that　could　be　conceived　to　come　from　an　afflicted　heart。
〃Cruel；　reckless　woman！〃　she　cried；　〃how　easily　wert　thou　moved　to
carry　out　a　thought　so　wicked！　O　furious　force　of　jealousy；　to　what
desperate　lengths　dost　thou　lead　those　th