don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第49章

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probably　know　already；　is　a　grandee　of　Spain　who　has　his　seat　in　the
best　part　of　this　Andalusia。　I　took　and　read　the　letter；　which　was
couched　in　terms　so　flattering　that　even　I　myself　felt　it　would　be
wrong　in　my　father　not　to　comply　with　the　request　the　duke　made　in　it；
which　was　that　he　would　send　me　immediately　to　him；　as　he　wished　me　to
become　the　companion；　not　servant；　of　his　eldest　son；　and　would　take
upon　himself　the　charge　of　placing　me　in　a　position　corresponding　to
the　esteem　in　which　he　held　me。　On　reading　the　letter　my　voice
failed　me；　and　still　more　when　I　heard　my　father　say；　'Two　days
hence　thou　wilt　depart；　Cardenio；　in　accordance　with　the　duke's
wish；　and　give　thanks　to　God　who　is　opening　a　road　to　thee　by　which
thou　mayest　attain　what　I　know　thou　dost　deserve；　and　to　these　words
he　added　others　of　fatherly　counsel。　The　time　for　my　departure
arrived；　I　spoke　one　night　to　Luscinda；　I　told　her　all　that　had
occurred；　as　I　did　also　to　her　father；　entreating　him　to　allow　some
delay；　and　to　defer　the　disposal　of　her　hand　until　I　should　see　what
the　Duke　Ricardo　sought　of　me：　he　gave　me　the　promise；　and　she
confirmed　it　with　vows　and　swoonings　unnumbered。　Finally；　I
presented　myself　to　the　duke；　and　was　received　and　treated　by　him　so
kindly　that　very　soon　envy　began　to　do　its　work；　the　old　servants
growing　envious　of　me；　and　regarding　the　duke's　inclination　to　show　me
favour　as　an　injury　to　themselves。　But　the　one　to　whom　my　arrival　gave
the　greatest　pleasure　was　the　duke's　second　son；　Fernando　by　name；　a
gallant　youth；　of　noble；　generous；　and　amorous　disposition；　who　very
soon　made　so　intimate　a　friend　of　me　that　it　was　remarked　by
everybody；　for　though　the　elder　was　attached　to　me；　and　showed　me
kindness；　he　did　not　carry　his　affectionate　treatment　to　the　same
length　as　Don　Fernando。　It　so　happened；　then；　that　as　between
friends　no　secret　remains　unshared；　and　as　the　favour　I　enjoyed　with
Don　Fernando　had　grown　into　friendship；　he　made　all　his　thoughts　known
to　me；　and　in　particular　a　love　affair　which　troubled　his　mind　a
little。　He　was　deeply　in　love　with　a　peasant　girl；　a　vassal　of　his
father's；　the　daughter　of　wealthy　parents；　and　herself　so　beautiful；
modest；　discreet；　and　virtuous；　that　no　one　who　knew　her　was　able　to
decide　in　which　of　these　respects　she　was　most　highly　gifted　or　most
excelled。　The　attractions　of　the　fair　peasant　raised　the　passion　of
Don　Fernando　to　such　a　point　that；　in　order　to　gain　his　object　and
overcome　her　virtuous　resolutions；　he　determined　to　pledge　his　word　to
her　to　become　her　husband；　for　to　attempt　it　in　any　other　way　was　to
attempt　an　impossibility。　Bound　to　him　as　I　was　by　friendship；　I
strove　by　the　best　arguments　and　the　most　forcible　examples　I　could
think　of　to　restrain　and　dissuade　him　from　such　a　course；　but
perceiving　I　produced　no　effect　I　resolved　to　make　the　Duke　Ricardo；
his　father；　acquainted　with　the　matter；　but　Don　Fernando；　being
sharp…witted　and　shrewd；　foresaw　and　apprehended　this；　perceiving　that
by　my　duty　as　a　good　servant　I　was　bound　not　to　keep　concealed　a　thing
so　much　opposed　to　the　honour　of　my　lord　the　duke；　and　so；　to
mislead　and　deceive　me；　he　told　me　he　could　find　no　better　way　of
effacing　from　his　mind　the　beauty　that　so　enslaved　him　than　by
absenting　himself　for　some　months；　and　that　he　wished　the　absence　to
be　effected　by　our　going；　both　of　us；　to　my　father's　house　under　the
pretence；　which　he　would　make　to　the　duke；　of　going　to　see　and　buy
some　fine　horses　that　there　were　in　my　city；　which　produces　the　best
in　the　world。　When　I　heard　him　say　so；　even　if　his　resolution　had
not　been　so　good　a　one　I　should　have　hailed　it　as　one　of　the
happiest　that　could　be　imagined；　prompted　by　my　affection；　seeing　what
a　favourable　chance　and　opportunity　it　offered　me　of　returning　to
see　my　Luscinda。　With　this　thought　and　wish　I　commended　his　idea　and
encouraged　his　design；　advising　him　to　put　it　into　execution　as
quickly　as　possible；　as；　in　truth；　absence　produced　its　effect　in
spite　of　the　most　deeply　rooted　feelings。　But；　as　afterwards　appeared；
when　he　said　this　to　me　he　had　already　enjoyed　the　peasant　girl
under　the　title　of　husband；　and　was　waiting　for　an　opportunity　of
making　it　known　with　safety　to　himself；　being　in　dread　of　what　his
father　the　duke　would　do　when　he　came　to　know　of　his　folly。　It
happened；　then；　that　as　with　young　men　love　is　for　the　most　part
nothing　more　than　appetite；　which；　as　its　final　object　is　enjoyment；
comes　to　an　end　on　obtaining　it；　and　that　which　seemed　to　be　love
takes　to　flight；　as　it　cannot　pass　the　limit　fixed　by　nature；　which
fixes　no　limit　to　true　love…　what　I　mean　is　that　after　Don　Fernando
had　enjoyed　this　peasant　girl　his　passion　subsided　and　his　eagerness
cooled；　and　if　at　first　he　feigned　a　wish　to　absent　himself　in　order
to　cure　his　love；　he　was　now　in　reality　anxious　to　go　to　avoid　keeping
his　promise。
　　〃The　duke　gave　him　permission；　and　ordered　me　to　accompany　him；　we
arrived　at　my　city；　and　my　father　gave　him　the　reception　due　to　his
rank；　I　saw　Luscinda　without　delay；　and；　though　it　had　not　been　dead
or　deadened；　my　love　gathered　fresh　life。　To　my　sorrow　I　told　the
story　of　it　to　Don　Fernando；　for　I　thought　that　in　virtue　of　the　great
friendship　he　bore　me　I　was　bound　to　conceal　nothing　from　him。　I
extolled　her　beauty；　her　gaiety；　her　wit；　so　warmly；　that　my　praises
excited　in　him　a　desire　to　see　a　damsel　adorned　by　such　attractions。
To　my　misfortune　I　yielded　to　it；　showing　her　to　him　one　night　by
the　light　of　a　taper　at　a　window　where　we　used　to　talk　to　one　another。
As　she　appeared　to　him　in　her　dressing…gown；　she　drove　all　the
beauties　he　had　seen　until　then　out　of　his　recollection；　speech　failed
him；　his　head　turned；　he　was　spell…bound；　and　in　the　end　love…smitten；
as　you　will　see　in　the　course　of　the　story　of　my　misfortune；　and　to
inflame　still　further　his　passion；　which　he　hid　from　me　and　revealed
to　Heaven　alone；　it　so　happened　that　one　day　he　found　a　note　of　hers
entreating　me　to　demand　her　of　her　father　in　marriage；　so　delicate；　so
modest；　and　so　tender；　that　on　reading　it　he　told　me　that　in
Luscinda　alone　were　combined　all　the　charms　of　beauty　and
understanding　that　were　distributed　among　all　the　other　women　in　the
world。　It　is　true；　and　I　own　it　now；　that　though　I　knew　what　good
cause　Don　Fernando　had　to　praise　Luscinda；　it　gave　me　uneasiness　to
hear　these　praises　from　his　mouth；　and　I　began　to　fear；　and　with
reason　to　feel　distrust　of　him；　for　there　was　no　moment　when　he　was
not　ready　to　talk　of　Luscinda；　and　he　would　start　the　subject
himself　even　though　he　dragged　it　in　unseasonably；　a　circumstance　that
aroused　in　me　a　certain　amount　of　jealousy；　not　that　I　feared　any
change　in　the　constancy　or　faith　of　Luscinda；　but　still　my　fate　led　me
to　forebode　what　she　assured　me　against。　Don　Fernando　contrived　always
to　read　the　letters　I　sent　to　Luscinda　and　her　answers　to　me；　under
the　pretence　that　he　enjoyed　the　wit　and　sense　of　both。　It　so
happened；　then；　that　Luscinda　having　begged　of　me　a　book　of　chivalry
to　read；　one　that　she　was　very　fond　of；　Amadis　of　Gaul…〃
　　Don　Quixote　no　sooner　heard　a　book　of　chivalry　mentioned；　than　he
said：
　　〃Had　your　worship　told　me　at　the　beginning　of　your　story　that　the
Lady　Luscinda　was　fond　of　books　of　chivalry；　no　other　laudation
would　have　been　requisite　to　impress　upon　me　the　superiority　of　her
understanding；　for　it　could　not　have　been　of　the　excellence　you
describe　had　a　taste　for　such　delightful　reading　been　wanting；　so；
as　far　as　I　am　concerned；　you　need　waste　no　more　words　in　describing
her　beauty；　worth；　and　intelligence；　for；　on　merely　hearing　what　her
taste　was；　I　declare　her　to　be　the　most　beautiful　and　the　most
intelligent　woman　in　the　world；　and　I　wish　your　worship　had；　along
with　Amadis　of　Gaul；　sent　her　the　worthy　Don　Rugel　of　Greece；　for　I
know　the　Lady　Luscinda　would　greatly　relish　Daraida　and　Garaya；　and
the　shrewd　sayings　of　the　shepherd　Darinel；　and　the　admirable　verses
of　his　bucolics；　sung　and　delivered　by　him　with　such　sprightliness；
wit；　and　ease；　but　a　time　may　come　when　this　omission　can　be　remedied；
and　to　rectify　it　nothing