don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第54章

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the　critical。〃
　　〃I　say　that　your　worship　is　entirely　right；〃　said　Sancho；　〃and
that　I　am　an　ass。　But　I　know　not　how　the　name　of　ass　came　into　my
mouth；　for　a　rope　is　not　to　be　mentioned　in　the　house　of　him　who　has
been　hanged；　but　now　for　the　letter；　and　then；　God　be　with　you；　I　am
off。〃
　　Don　Quixote　took　out　the　note…book；　and；　retiring　to　one　side；
very　deliberately　began　to　write　the　letter；　and　when　he　had
finished　it　he　called　to　Sancho；　saying　he　wished　to　read　it　to　him；
so　that　he　might　commit　it　to　memory；　in　case　of　losing　it　on　the
road；　for　with　evil　fortune　like　his　anything　might　be　apprehended。　To
which　Sancho　replied；　〃Write　it　two　or　three　times　there　in　the　book
and　give　it　to　me；　and　I　will　carry　it　very　carefully；　because　to
expect　me　to　keep　it　in　my　memory　is　all　nonsense；　for　I　have　such　a
bad　one　that　I　often　forget　my　own　name；　but　for　all　that　repeat　it　to
me；　as　I　shall　like　to　hear　it；　for　surely　it　will　run　as　if　it　was　in
print。〃
　　〃Listen；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃this　is　what　it　says：

　　　　　　　　〃DON　QUIXOTE'S　LETTER　TO　DULCINEA　DEL　TOBOSO

　　〃Sovereign　and　exalted　Lady；…　The　pierced　by　the　point　of　absence；
the　wounded　to　the　heart's　core；　sends　thee；　sweetest　Dulcinea　del
Toboso；　the　health　that　he　himself　enjoys　not。　If　thy　beauty
despises　me；　if　thy　worth　is　not　for　me；　if　thy　scorn　is　my
affliction；　though　I　be　sufficiently　long…suffering；　hardly　shall　I
endure　this　anxiety；　which；　besides　being　oppressive；　is　protracted。
My　good　squire　Sancho　will　relate　to　thee　in　full；　fair　ingrate；
dear　enemy；　the　condition　to　which　I　am　reduced　on　thy　account：　if
it　be　thy　pleasure　to　give　me　relief；　I　am　thine；　if　not；　do　as　may　be
pleasing　to　thee；　for　by　ending　my　life　I　shall　satisfy　thy　cruelty
and　my　desire。
　　〃Thine　till　death；

　　　　　　　　　　　　〃The　Knight　of　the　Rueful　Countenance。〃

　　〃By　the　life　of　my　father；〃　said　Sancho；　when　he　heard　the　letter；
〃it　is　the　loftiest　thing　I　ever　heard。　Body　of　me！　how　your　worship
says　everything　as　you　like　in　it！　And　how　well　you　fit　in　'The　Knight
of　the　Rueful　Countenance'　into　the　signature。　I　declare　your
worship　is　indeed　the　very　devil；　and　there　is　nothing　you　don't
know。〃
　　〃Everything　is　needed　for　the　calling　I　follow；〃　said　Don　Quixote。
　　〃Now　then；〃　said　Sancho；　〃let　your　worship　put　the　order　for　the
three　ass…colts　on　the　other　side；　and　sign　it　very　plainly；　that　they
may　recognise　it　at　first　sight。〃
　　〃With　all　my　heart；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　and　as　he　had　written　it　he
read　it　to　this　effect：
　　〃Mistress　Niece；…　By　this　first　of　ass…colts　please　pay　to　Sancho
Panza；　my　squire；　three　of　the　five　I　left　at　home　in　your　charge：
said　three　ass…colts　to　be　paid　and　delivered　for　the　same　number
received　here　in　hand；　which　upon　this　and　upon　his　receipt　shall　be
duly　paid。　Done　in　the　heart　of　the　Sierra　Morena；　the
twenty…seventh　of　August　of　this　present　year。〃
　　〃That　will　do；〃　said　Sancho；　〃now　let　your　worship　sign　it。〃
　　〃There　is　no　need　to　sign　it；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃but　merely　to
put　my　flourish；　which　is　the　same　as　a　signature；　and　enough　for
three　asses；　or　even　three　hundred。〃
　　〃I　can　trust　your　worship；〃　returned　Sancho；　〃let　me　go　and　saddle
Rocinante；　and　be　ready　to　give　me　your　blessing；　for　I　mean　to　go
at　once　without　seeing　the　fooleries　your　worship　is　going　to　do；　I'll
say　I　saw　you　do　so　many　that　she　will　not　want　any　more。〃
　　〃At　any　rate；　Sancho；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃I　should　like…　and　there
is　reason　for　it…　I　should　like　thee；　I　say；　to　see　me　stripped　to　the
skin　and　performing　a　dozen　or　two　of　insanities；　which　I　can　get　done
in　less　than　half　an　hour；　for　having　seen　them　with　thine　own　eyes；
thou　canst　then　safely　swear　to　the　rest　that　thou　wouldst　add；　and
I　promise　thee　thou　wilt　not　tell　of　as　many　as　I　mean　to　perform。〃
　　〃For　the　love　of　God；　master　mine；〃　said　Sancho；　〃let　me　not　see
your　worship　stripped；　for　it　will　sorely　grieve　me；　and　I　shall　not
be　able　to　keep　from　tears；　and　my　head　aches　so　with　all　I　shed
last　night　for　Dapple；　that　I　am　not　fit　to　begin　any　fresh　weeping；
but　if　it　is　your　worship's　pleasure　that　I　should　see　some
insanities；　do　them　in　your　clothes；　short　ones；　and　such　as　come
readiest　to　hand；　for　I　myself　want　nothing　of　the　sort；　and；　as　I
have　said；　it　will　be　a　saving　of　time　for　my　return；　which　will　be
with　the　news　your　worship　desires　and　deserves。　If　not；　let　the
lady　Dulcinea　look　to　it；　if　she　does　not　answer　reasonably；　I　swear
as　solemnly　as　I　can　that　I　will　fetch　a　fair　answer　out　of　her
stomach　with　kicks　and　cuffs；　for　why　should　it　be　borne　that　a
knight…errant　as　famous　as　your　worship　should　go　mad　without　rhyme　or
reason　for　a　…？　Her　ladyship　had　best　not　drive　me　to　say　it；　for　by
God　I　will　speak　out　and　let　off　everything　cheap；　even　if　it
doesn't　sell：　I　am　pretty　good　at　that！　she　little　knows　me；　faith；　if
she　knew　me　she'd　be　in　awe　of　me。〃
　　〃In　faith；　Sancho；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃to　all　appearance　thou　art　no
sounder　in　thy　wits　than　I。〃
　　〃I　am　not　so　mad；〃　answered　Sancho；　〃but　I　am　more　peppery；　but
apart　from　all　this；　what　has　your　worship　to　eat　until　I　come　back？
Will　you　sally　out　on　the　road　like　Cardenio　to　force　it　from　the
shepherds？〃
　　〃Let　not　that　anxiety　trouble　thee；〃　replied　Don　Quixote；　〃for
even　if　I　had　it　I　should　not　eat　anything　but　the　herbs　and　the
fruits　which　this　meadow　and　these　trees　may　yield　me；　the　beauty　of
this　business　of　mine　lies　in　not　eating；　and　in　performing　other
mortifications。〃
　　〃Do　you　know　what　I　am　afraid　of？〃　said　Sancho　upon　this；　〃that　I
shall　not　be　able　to　find　my　way　back　to　this　spot　where　I　am
leaving　you；　it　is　such　an　out…of…the…way　place。〃
　　〃Observe　the　landmarks　well；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃for　I　will　try
not　to　go　far　from　this　neighbourhood；　and　I　will　even　take　care　to
mount　the　highest　of　these　rocks　to　see　if　I　can　discover　thee
returning；　however；　not　to　miss　me　and　lose　thyself；　the　best　plan
will　be　to　cut　some　branches　of　the　broom　that　is　so　abundant　about
here；　and　as　thou　goest　to　lay　them　at　intervals　until　thou　hast
come　out　upon　the　plain；　these　will　serve　thee；　after　the　fashion　of
the　clue　in　the　labyrinth　of　Theseus；　as　marks　and　signs　for　finding
me　on　thy　return。〃
　　〃So　I　will；〃　said　Sancho　Panza；　and　having　cut　some；　he　asked　his
master's　blessing；　and　not　without　many　tears　on　both　sides；　took
his　leave　of　him；　and　mounting　Rocinante；　of　whom　Don　Quixote
charged　him　earnestly　to　have　as　much　care　as　of　his　own　person；　he
set　out　for　the　plain；　strewing　at　intervals　the　branches　of　broom
as　his　master　had　recommended　him；　and　so　he　went　his　way；　though
Don　Quixote　still　entreated　him　to　see　him　do　were　it　only　a　couple　of
mad　acts。　He　had　not　gone　a　hundred　paces；　however；　when　he　returned
and　said：
　　〃I　must　say；　senor；　your　worship　said　quite　right；　that　in　order
to　be　able　to　swear　without　a　weight　on　my　conscience　that　I　had
seen　you　do　mad　things；　it　would　be　well　for　me　to　see　if　it　were　only
one；　though　in　your　worship's　remaining　here　I　have　seen　a　very
great　one。〃
　　〃Did　I　not　tell　thee　so？〃　said　Don　Quixote。　〃Wait；　Sancho；　and　I
will　do　them　in　the　saying　of　a　credo；〃　and　pulling　off　his　breeches
in　all　haste　he　stripped　himself　to　his　skin　and　his　shirt；　and
then；　without　more　ado；　he　cut　a　couple　of　gambados　in　the　air；　and
a　couple　of　somersaults；　heels　over　head；　making　such　a　display
that；　not　to　see　it　a　second　time；　Sancho　wheeled　Rocinante　round；　and
felt　easy；　and　satisfied　in　his　mind　that　he　could　swear　he　had　left
his　master　mad；　and　so　we　will　leave　him　to　follow　his　road　until
his　return；　which　was　a　quick　one。

　　CHAPTER　XXVI
　　IN　WHICH　ARE　CONTINUED　THE　REFINEMENTS　WHEREWITH　DON　QUIXOTE
PLAYED　THE　PART　OF　A　LOVER　IN　THE　SIERRA　MORENA

　　RETURNING　to　the　proceedings　of　him　of　the　Rueful　Countenance　when
he　found　himself　alone；　the　history　says　that　when　Don　Quixote　had
completed　the　performance　of　the　somersaults　or　capers；　naked　from　the
waist　down　and　clothed　from　the　waist　up；　and　saw　that　Sancho　had　gone
off　without　waiting　to　see　any　more　crazy　feats；　he　climbed　up　to
the　top　of　a　high　rock；　and　there　set　himself