don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第71章

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they　were　his　own。　Sancho　saw　him　and　recognised　him；　and　the
instant　he　did　so　he　shouted　to　him；　〃Ginesillo；　you　thief；　give　up　my
treasure；　release　my　life；　embarrass　thyself　not　with　my　repose；
quit　my　ass；　leave　my　delight；　be　off；　rip；　get　thee　gone；　thief；
and　give　up　what　is　not　thine。〃
　　There　was　no　necessity　for　so　many　words　or　objurgations；　for　at　the
first　one　Gines　jumped　down；　and　at　a　like　racing　speed　made　off　and
got　clear　of　them　all。　Sancho　hastened　to　his　Dapple；　and　embracing
him　he　said；　〃How　hast　thou　fared；　my　blessing；　Dapple　of　my　eyes；
my　comrade？〃　all　the　while　kissing　him　and　caressing　him　as　if　he　were
a　human　being。　The　ass　held　his　peace；　and　let　himself　be　kissed　and
caressed　by　Sancho　without　answering　a　single　word。　They　all　came　up
and　congratulated　him　on　having　found　Dapple；　Don　Quixote
especially；　who　told　him　that　notwithstanding　this　he　would　not　cancel
the　order　for　the　three　ass…colts；　for　which　Sancho　thanked　him。
　　While　the　two　had　been　going　along　conversing　in　this　fashion；　the
curate　observed　to　Dorothea　that　she　had　shown　great　cleverness；　as
well　in　the　story　itself　as　in　its　conciseness；　and　the　resemblance　it
bore　to　those　of　the　books　of　chivalry。　She　said　that　she　had　many
times　amused　herself　reading　them；　but　that　she　did　not　know　the
situation　of　the　provinces　or　seaports；　and　so　she　had　said　at
haphazard　that　she　had　landed　at　Osuna。
　　〃So　I　saw；〃　said　the　curate；　〃and　for　that　reason　I　made　haste　to
say　what　I　did；　by　which　it　was　all　set　right。　But　is　it　not　a　strange
thing　to　see　how　readily　this　unhappy　gentleman　believes　all　these
figments　and　lies；　simply　because　they　are　in　the　style　and　manner
of　the　absurdities　of　his　books？〃
　　〃So　it　is；〃　said　Cardenio；　〃and　so　uncommon　and　unexampled；　that
were　one　to　attempt　to　invent　and　concoct　it　in　fiction；　I　doubt　if
there　be　any　wit　keen　enough　to　imagine　it。〃
　　〃But　another　strange　thing　about　it；〃　said　the　curate；　〃is　that；
apart　from　the　silly　things　which　this　worthy　gentleman　says　in
connection　with　his　craze；　when　other　subjects　are　dealt　with；　he
can　discuss　them　in　a　perfectly　rational　manner；　showing　that　his　mind
is　quite　clear　and　composed；　so　that；　provided　his　chivalry　is　not
touched　upon；　no　one　would　take　him　to　be　anything　but　a　man　of
thoroughly　sound　understanding。〃
　　While　they　were　holding　this　conversation　Don　Quixote　continued
his　with　Sancho；　saying：
　　〃Friend　Panza；　let　us　forgive　and　forget　as　to　our　quarrels；　and
tell　me　now；　dismissing　anger　and　irritation；　where；　how；　and　when
didst　thou　find　Dulcinea？　What　was　she　doing？　What　didst　thou　say　to
her？　What　did　she　answer？　How　did　she　look　when　she　was　reading　my
letter？　Who　copied　it　out　for　thee？　and　everything　in　the　matter
that　seems　to　thee　worth　knowing；　asking；　and　learning；　neither　adding
nor　falsifying　to　give　me　pleasure；　nor　yet　curtailing　lest　you　should
deprive　me　of　it。〃
　　〃Senor；〃　replied　Sancho；　〃if　the　truth　is　to　be　told；　nobody
copied　out　the　letter　for　me；　for　I　carried　no　letter　at　all。〃
　　〃It　is　as　thou　sayest；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃for　the　note…book　in
which　I　wrote　it　I　found　in　my　own　possession　two　days　after　thy
departure；　which　gave　me　very　great　vexation；　as　I　knew　not　what
thou　wouldst　do　on　finding　thyself　without　any　letter；　and　I　made　sure
thou　wouldst　return　from　the　place　where　thou　didst　first　miss　it。〃
　　〃So　I　should　have　done；〃　said　Sancho；　〃if　I　had　not　got　it　by
heart　when　your　worship　read　it　to　me；　so　that　I　repeated　it　to　a
sacristan；　who　copied　it　out　for　me　from　hearing　it；　so　exactly　that
he　said　in　all　the　days　of　his　life；　though　he　had　read　many　a
letter　of　excommunication；　he　had　never　seen　or　read　so　pretty　a
letter　as　that。〃
　　〃And　hast　thou　got　it　still　in　thy　memory；　Sancho？〃　said　Don
Quixote。
　　〃No；　senor；〃　replied　Sancho；　〃for　as　soon　as　I　had　repeated　it；
seeing　there　was　no　further　use　for　it；　I　set　about　forgetting　it；　and
if　I　recollect　any　of　it；　it　is　that　about　'Scrubbing；'I　mean　to　say
'Sovereign　Lady；'　and　the　end　'Yours　till　death；　the　Knight　of　the
Rueful　Countenance；'　and　between　these　two　I　put　into　it　more　than
three　hundred　'my　souls'　and　'my　life's'　and　'my　eyes。〃

　　CHAPTER　XXXI
　　OF　THE　DELECTABLE　DISCUSSION　BETWEEN　DON　QUIXOTE　AND　SANCHO　PANZA；
HIS　SQUIRE；　TOGETHER　WITH　OTHER　INCIDENTS

　　〃ALL　that　is　not　unsatisfactory　to　me；〃　said　Don　Quixote。　〃Go　on；
thou　didst　reach　her；　and　what　was　that　queen　of　beauty　doing？
Surely　thou　didst　find　her　stringing　pearls；　or　embroidering　some
device　in　gold　thread　for　this　her　enslaved　knight。〃
　　〃I　did　not；〃　said　Sancho；　〃but　I　found　her　winnowing　two　bushels
of　wheat　in　the　yard　of　her　house。〃
　　〃Then　depend　upon　it；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃the　grains　of　that　wheat
were　pearls　when　touched　by　her　hands；　and　didst　thou　look；　friend？
was　it　white　wheat　or　brown？〃
　　〃It　was　neither；　but　red；〃　said　Sancho。
　　〃Then　I　promise　thee；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃that；　winnowed　by　her
hands；　beyond　a　doubt　the　bread　it　made　was　of　the　whitest；　but　go　on；
when　thou　gavest　her　my　letter；　did　she　kiss　it？　Did　she　place　it　on
her　head？　Did　she　perform　any　ceremony　befitting　it；　or　what　did　she
do？〃
　　〃When　I　went　to　give　it　to　her；〃　replied　Sancho；　〃she　was　hard　at　it
swaying　from　side　to　side　with　a　lot　of　wheat　she　had　in　the　sieve；
and　she　said　to　me；　'Lay　the　letter；　friend；　on　the　top　of　that
sack；　for　I　cannot　read　it　until　I　have　done　sifting　all　this。〃
　　〃Discreet　lady！〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃that　was　in　order　to　read　it
at　her　leisure　and　enjoy　it；　proceed；　Sancho；　while　she　was　engaged　in
her　occupation　what　converse　did　she　hold　with　thee？　What　did　she
ask　about　me；　and　what　answer　didst　thou　give？　Make　haste；　tell　me
all；　and　let　not　an　atom　be　left　behind　in　the　ink…bottle。〃
　　〃She　asked　me　nothing；〃　said　Sancho；　〃but　I　told　her　how　your
worship　was　left　doing　penance　in　her　service；　naked　from　the　waist
up；　in　among　these　mountains　like　a　savage；　sleeping　on　the　ground；
not　eating　bread　off　a　tablecloth　nor　combing　your　beard；　weeping
and　cursing　your　fortune。〃
　　〃In　saying　I　cursed　my　fortune　thou　saidst　wrong；〃　said　Don　Quixote；
〃for　rather　do　I　bless　it　and　shall　bless　it　all　the　days　of　my　life
for　having　made　me　worthy　of　aspiring　to　love　so　lofty　a　lady　as
Dulcinea　del　Toboso。〃
　　〃And　so　lofty　she　is；〃　said　Sancho；　〃that　she　overtops　me　by　more
than　a　hand's…breadth。〃
　　〃What！　Sancho；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃didst　thou　measure　with　her？〃
　　〃I　measured　in　this　way；〃　said　Sancho；　〃going　to　help　her　to　put　a
sack　of　wheat　on　the　back　of　an　ass；　we　came　so　close　together　that
I　could　see　she　stood　more　than　a　good　palm　over　me。〃
　　〃Well！〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃and　doth　she　not　of　a　truth　accompany　and
adorn　this　greatness　with　a　thousand　million　charms　of　mind！　But　one
thing　thou　wilt　not　deny；　Sancho；　when　thou　camest　close　to　her
didst　thou　not　perceive　a　Sabaean　odour；　an　aromatic　fragrance；　a；　I
know　not　what；　delicious；　that　I　cannot　find　a　name　for；　I　mean　a
redolence；　an　exhalation；　as　if　thou　wert　in　the　shop　of　some　dainty
glover？〃
　　〃All　I　can　say　is；〃　said　Sancho；　〃that　I　did　perceive　a　little
odour；　something　goaty；　it　must　have　been　that　she　was　all　in　a
sweat　with　hard　work。〃
　　〃It　could　not　be　that；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃but　thou　must　have　been
suffering　from　cold　in　the　head；　or　must　have　smelt　thyself；　for　I
know　well　what　would　be　the　scent　of　that　rose　among　thorns；　that　lily
of　the　field；　that　dissolved　amber。〃
　　〃Maybe　so；〃　replied　Sancho；　〃there　often　comes　from　myself　that　same
odour　which　then　seemed　to　me　to　come　from　her　grace　the　lady
Dulcinea；　but　that's　no　wonder；　for　one　devil　is　like　another。〃
　　〃Well　then；〃　continued　Don　Quixote；　〃now　she　has　done　sifting　the
corn　and　sent　it　to　the　mill；　what　did　she　do　when　she　read　the
letter？〃
　　〃As　for　the　letter；〃　said　Sancho；　〃she　did　not　read　it；　for　she　said
she　could　neither　read　nor　write；　instead　of　that　she　tore　it　up
into　small　pieces；　saying　that　she　did　not　want　to　let　anyone　read
it　lest　her　secrets　should　become　known　in　the　village；　and　that
what　I　had　told　her　by　word　of　mouth　about　the　love　your　worship
bore　her；　and　the　extraordinary　penan