don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第99章

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they　came　for；　which　was　to　remain　on　Christian　ground；　and　that　it
was　to　this　end　they　joined　the　Turks　in　their　foray。　In　this　way　they
escape　the　consequences　of　the　first　outburst　and　make　their　peace
with　the　Church　before　it　does　them　any　harm；　and　then　when　they
have　the　chance　they　return　to　Barbary　to　become　what　they　were
before。　Others；　however；　there　are　who　procure　these　papers　and　make
use　of　them　honestly；　and　remain　on　Christian　soil。　This　friend　of
mine；　then；　was　one　of　these　renegades　that　I　have　described；　he　had
certificates　from　all　our　comrades；　in　which　we　testified　in　his
favour　as　strongly　as　we　could；　and　if　the　Moors　had　found　the
papers　they　would　have　burned　him　alive。
　　I　knew　that　he　understood　Arabic　very　well；　and　could　not　only　speak
but　also　write　it；　but　before　I　disclosed　the　whole　matter　to　him；　I
asked　him　to　read　for　me　this　paper　which　I　had　found　by　accident　in　a
hole　in　my　cell。　He　opened　it　and　remained　some　time　examining　it
and　muttering　to　himself　as　he　translated　it。　I　asked　him　if　he
understood　it；　and　he　told　me　he　did　perfectly　well；　and　that　if　I
wished　him　to　tell　me　its　meaning　word　for　word；　I　must　give　him　pen
and　ink　that　he　might　do　it　more　satisfactorily。　We　at　once　gave　him
what　he　required；　and　he　set　about　translating　it　bit　by　bit；　and　when
he　had　done　he　said：
　　〃All　that　is　here　in　Spanish　is　what　the　Moorish　paper　contains；　and
you　must　bear　in　mind　that　when　it　says　'Lela
Marien'　it　means　'Our　Lady　the　Virgin　Mary。'〃
　　We　read　the　paper　and　it　ran　thus：
　　〃When　I　was　a　child　my　father　had　a　slave　who　taught　me　to　pray
the　Christian　prayer　in　my　own　language；　and　told　me　many　things　about
Lela　Marien。　The　Christian　died；　and　I　know　that　she　did　not　go　to　the
fire；　but　to　Allah；　because　since　then　I　have　seen　her　twice；　and
she　told　me　to　go　to　the　land　of　the　Christians　to　see　Lela　Marien；
who　had　great　love　for　me。　I　know　not　how　to　go。　I　have　seen　many
Christians；　but　except　thyself　none　has　seemed　to　me　to　be　a
gentleman。　I　am　young　and　beautiful；　and　have　plenty　of　money　to
take　with　me。　See　if　thou　canst　contrive　how　we　may　go；　and　if　thou
wilt　thou　shalt　be　my　husband　there；　and　if　thou　wilt　not　it　will
not　distress　me；　for　Lela　Marien　will　find　me　some　one　to　marry　me。
I　myself　have　written　this：　have　a　care　to　whom　thou　givest　it　to
read：　trust　no　Moor；　for　they　are　all　perfidious。　I　am　greatly
troubled　on　this　account；　for　I　would　not　have　thee　confide　in　anyone；
because　if　my　father　knew　it　he　would　at　once　fling　me　down　a　well　and
cover　me　with　stones。　I　will　put　a　thread　to　the　reed；　tie　the
answer　to　it；　and　if　thou　hast　no　one　to　write　for　thee　in　Arabic；
tell　it　to　me　by　signs；　for　Lela　Marien　will　make　me　understand
thee。　She　and　Allah　and　this　cross；　which　I　often　kiss　as　the
captive　bade　me；　protect　thee。〃
　　Judge；　sirs；　whether　we　had　reason　for　surprise　and　joy　at　the　words
of　this　paper；　and　both　one　and　the　other　were　so　great；　that　the
renegade　perceived　that　the　paper　had　not　been　found　by　chance；　but
had　been　in　reality　addressed　to　some　one　of　us；　and　he　begged　us；
if　what　he　suspected　were　the　truth；　to　trust　him　and　tell　him　all；
for　he　would　risk　his　life　for　our　freedom；　and　so　saying　he　took
out　from　his　breast　a　metal　crucifix；　and　with　many　tears　swore　by　the
God　the　image　represented；　in　whom；　sinful　and　wicked　as　he　was；　he
truly　and　faithfully　believed；　to　be　loyal　to　us　and　keep　secret
whatever　we　chose　to　reveal　to　him；　for　he　thought　and　almost
foresaw　that　by　means　of　her　who　had　written　that　paper；　he　and　all　of
us　would　obtain　our　liberty；　and　he　himself　obtain　the　object　he　so
much　desired；　his　restoration　to　the　bosom　of　the　Holy　Mother
Church；　from　which　by　his　own　sin　and　ignorance　he　was　now　severed
like　a　corrupt　limb。　The　renegade　said　this　with　so　many　tears　and
such　signs　of　repentance；　that　with　one　consent　we　all　agreed　to
tell　him　the　whole　truth　of　the　matter；　and　so　we　gave　him　a　full
account　of　all；　without　hiding　anything　from　him。　We　pointed　out　to
him　the　window　at　which　the　reed　appeared；　and　he　by　that　means　took
note　of　the　house；　and　resolved　to　ascertain　with　particular　care
who　lived　in　it。　We　agreed　also　that　it　would　be　advisable　to　answer
the　Moorish　lady's　letter；　and　the　renegade　without　a　moment's　delay
took　down　the　words　I　dictated　to　him；　which　were　exactly　what　I　shall
tell　you；　for　nothing　of　importance　that　took　place　in　this　affair　has
escaped　my　memory；　or　ever　will　while　life　lasts。　This；　then；　was
the　answer　returned　to　the　Moorish　lady：
　　〃The　true　Allah　protect　thee；　Lady；　and　that　blessed　Marien　who　is
the　true　mother　of　God；　and　who　has　put　it　into　thy　heart　to　go　to　the
land　of　the　Christians；　because　she　loves　thee。　Entreat　her　that　she
be　pleased　to　show　thee　how　thou　canst　execute　the　command　she　gives
thee；　for　she　will；　such　is　her　goodness。　On　my　own　part；　and　on
that　of　all　these　Christians　who　are　with　me；　I　promise　to　do　all　that
we　can　for　thee；　even　to　death。　Fail　not　to　write　to　me　and　inform
me　what　thou　dost　mean　to　do；　and　I　will　always　answer　thee；　for　the
great　Allah　has　given　us　a　Christian　captive　who　can　speak　and　write
thy　language　well；　as　thou　mayest　see　by　this　paper；　without　fear；
therefore；　thou　canst　inform　us　of　all　thou　wouldst。　As　to　what　thou
sayest；　that　if　thou　dost　reach　the　land　of　the　Christians　thou　wilt
be　my　wife；　I　give　thee　my　promise　upon　it　as　a　good　Christian；　and
know　that　the　Christians　keep　their　promises　better　than　the　Moors。
Allah　and　Marien　his　mother　watch　over　thee；　my　Lady。〃
　　The　paper　being　written　and　folded　I　waited　two　days　until　the
bano　was　empty　as　before；　and　immediately　repaired　to　the　usual　walk
on　the　terrace　to　see　if　there　were　any　sign　of　the　reed；　which　was
not　long　in　making　its　appearance。　As　soon　as　I　saw　it；　although　I
could　not　distinguish　who　put　it　out；　I　showed　the　paper　as　a　sign
to　attach　the　thread；　but　it　was　already　fixed　to　the　reed；　and　to
it　I　tied　the　paper；　and　shortly　afterwards　our　star　once　more　made
its　appearance　with　the　white　flag　of　peace；　the　little　bundle。　It　was
dropped；　and　I　picked　it　up；　and　found　in　the　cloth；　in　gold　and
silver　coins　of　all　sorts；　more　than　fifty　crowns；　which　fifty　times
more　strengthened　our　joy　and　doubled　our　hope　of　gaining　our　liberty。
That　very　night　our　renegade　returned　and　said　he　had　learned　that　the
Moor　we　had　been　told　of　lived　in　that　house；　that　his　name　was
Hadji　Morato；　that　he　was　enormously　rich；　that　he　had　one　only
daughter　the　heiress　of　all　his　wealth；　and　that　it　was　the　general
opinion　throughout　the　city　that　she　was　the　most　beautiful　woman　in
Barbary；　and　that　several　of　the　viceroys　who　came　there　had　sought
her　for　a　wife；　but　that　she　had　been　always　unwilling　to　marry；　and
he　had　learned；　moreover；　that　she　had　a　Christian　slave　who　was　now
dead；　all　which　agreed　with　the　contents　of　the　paper。　We
immediately　took　counsel　with　the　renegade　as　to　what　means　would　have
to　be　adopted　in　order　to　carry　off　the　Moorish　lady　and　bring　us
all　to　Christian　territory；　and　in　the　end　it　was　agreed　that　for
the　present　we　should　wait　for　a　second　communication　from　Zoraida
（for　that　was　the　name　of　her　who　now　desires　to　be　called　Maria）；
because　we　saw　clearly　that　she　and　no　one　else　could　find　a　way　out
of　all　these　difficulties。　When　we　had　decided　upon　this　the
renegade　told　us　not　to　be　uneasy；　for　he　would　lose　his　life　or
restore　us　to　liberty。　For　four　days　the　bano　was　filled　with
people；　for　which　reason　the　reed　delayed　its　appearance　for　four
days；　but　at　the　end　of　that　time；　when　the　bano　was；　as　it
generally　was；　empty；　it　appeared　with　the　cloth　so　bulky　that　it
promised　a　happy　birth。　Reed　and　cloth　came　down　to　me；　and　I　found
another　paper　and　a　hundred　crowns　in　gold；　without　any　other　coin。
The　renegade　was　present；　and　in　our　cell　we　gave　him　the　paper　to
read；　which　was　to　this　effect：
　　〃I　cannot　think　of　a　plan；　senor；　for　our　going　to　Spain；　nor　has
Lela　Marien　shown　me　one；　though　I　have　asked　her。　All　that　can　be
done　is　for　me　to　give　you　plenty　of　money　in　gold　from　this　window。
With　it　ra