don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第211部分

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desired　number；　and　that　thou　mayest　not　lose　by　a　card　too　much　or
too　little；　I　will　station　myself　apart　and　count　on　my　rosary　here
the　lashes　thou　givest　thyself。　May　heaven　help　thee　as　thy　good
intention　deserves。〃
　　〃'Pledges　don't　distress　a　good　payer；'〃　said　Sancho；　〃I　mean　to　lay
on　in　such　a　way　as　without　killing　myself　to　hurt　myself；　for　in
that；　no　doubt；　lies　the　essence　of　this　miracle。〃
　　He　then　stripped　himself　from　the　waist　upwards；　and　snatching　up
the　rope　he　began　to　lay　on　and　Don　Quixote　to　count　the　lashes。　He
might　have　given　himself　six　or　eight　when　he　began　to　think　the
joke　no　trifle；　and　its　price　very　low；　and　holding　his　hand　for　a
moment；　he　told　his　master　that　he　cried　off　on　the　score　of　a　blind
bargain；　for　each　of　those　lashes　ought　to　be　paid　for　at　the　rate
of　half　a　real　instead　of　a　quarter。
　　〃Go　on；　Sancho　my　friend；　and　be　not　disheartened；〃　said　Don
Quixote；　〃for　I　double　the　stakes　as　to　price。〃
　　〃In　that　case；〃　said　Sancho；　〃in　God's　hand　be　it；　and　let　it　rain
lashes。〃　But　the　rogue　no　longer　laid　them　on　his　shoulders；　but
laid　on　to　the　trees；　with　such　groans　every　now　and　then；　that　one
would　have　thought　at　each　of　them　his　soul　was　being　plucked　up　by
the　roots。　Don　Quixote；　touched　to　the　heart；　and　fearing　he　might
make　an　end　of　himself；　and　that　through　Sancho's　imprudence　he
might　miss　his　own　object；　said　to　him；　〃As　thou　livest；　my　friend；
let　the　matter　rest　where　it　is；　for　the　remedy　seems　to　me　a　very
rough　one；　and　it　will　he　well　to　have　patience；　'Zamora　was　not　won
in　an　hour。'　If　I　have　not　reckoned　wrong　thou　hast　given　thyself　over
a　thousand　lashes；　that　is　enough　for　the　present；　'for　the　ass；'　to
put　it　in　homely　phrase；　'bears　the　load；　but　not　the　overload。'〃
　　〃No；　no；　senor；〃　replied　Sancho；　〃it　shall　never　be　said　of　me；　'The
money　paid；　the　arms　broken；'　go　back　a　little　further；　your
worship；　and　let　me　give　myself　at　any　rate　a　thousand　lashes　more；
for　in　a　couple　of　bouts　like　this　we　shall　have　finished　off　the　lot；
and　there　will　be　even　cloth　to　spare。〃
　　〃As　thou　art　in　such　a　willing　mood；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃may
heaven　aid　thee；　lay　on　and　I'll　retire。〃
　　Sancho　returned　to　his　task　with　so　much　resolution　that　he　soon　had
the　bark　stripped　off　several　trees；　such　was　the　severity　with
which　he　whipped　himself；　and　one　time；　raising　his　voice；　and
giving　a　beech　a　tremendous　lash；　he　cried　out；　〃Here　dies　Samson；　and
all　with　him！〃
　　At　the　sound　of　his　piteous　cry　and　of　the　stroke　of　the　cruel　lash；
Don　Quixote　ran　to　him　at　once；　and　seizing　the　twisted　halter　that
served　him　for　a　courbash；　said　to　him；　〃Heaven　forbid；　Sancho　my
friend；　that　to　please　me　thou　shouldst　lose　thy　life；　which　is　needed
for　the　support　of　thy　wife　and　children；　let　Dulcinea　wait　for　a
better　opportunity；　and　I　will　content　myself　with　a　hope　soon　to　be
realised；　and　have　patience　until　thou　hast　gained　fresh　strength　so
as　to　finish　off　this　business　to　the　satisfaction　of　everybody。〃
　　〃As　your　worship　will　have　it　so；　senor；〃　said　Sancho；　〃so　be　it；
but　throw　your　cloak　over　my　shoulders；　for　I'm　sweating　and　I　don't
want　to　take　cold；　it's　a　risk　that　novice　disciplinants　run。〃
　　Don　Quixote　obeyed；　and　stripping　himself　covered　Sancho；　who
slept　until　the　sun　woke　him；　they　then　resumed　their　journey；　which
for　the　time　being　they　brought　to　an　end　at　a　village　that　lay
three　leagues　farther　on。　They　dismounted　at　a　hostelry　which　Don
Quixote　recognised　as　such　and　did　not　take　to　be　a　castle　with
moat；　turrets；　portcullis；　and　drawbridge；　for　ever　since　he　had
been　vanquished　he　talked　more　rationally　about　everything；　as　will　be
shown　presently。　They　quartered　him　in　a　room　on　the　ground　floor；
where　in　place　of　leather　hangings　there　were　pieces　of　painted
serge　such　as　they　commonly　use　in　villages。　On　one　of　them　was
painted　by　some　very　poor　hand　the　Rape　of　Helen；　when　the　bold
guest　carried　her　off　from　Menelaus；　and　on　the　other　was　the　story　of
Dido　and　AEneas；　she　on　a　high　tower；　as　though　she　were　making
signals　with　a　half　sheet　to　her　fugitive　guest　who　was　out　at　sea
flying　in　a　frigate　or　brigantine。　He　noticed　in　the　two　stories
that　Helen　did　not　go　very　reluctantly；　for　she　was　laughing　slyly　and
roguishly；　but　the　fair　Dido　was　shown　dropping　tears　the　size　of
walnuts　from　her　eyes。　Don　Quixote　as　he　looked　at　them　observed；
〃Those　two　ladies　were　very　unfortunate　not　to　have　been　born　in
this　age；　and　I　unfortunate　above　all　men　not　to　have　been　born　in
theirs。　Had　I　fallen　in　with　those　gentlemen；　Troy　would　not　have　been
burned　or　Carthage　destroyed；　for　it　would　have　been　only　for　me　to
slay　Paris；　and　all　these　misfortunes　would　have　been　avoided。〃
　　〃I'll　lay　a　bet；〃　said　Sancho；　〃that　before　long　there　won't　be　a
tavern；　roadside　inn；　hostelry；　or　barber's　shop　where　the　story　of
our　doings　won't　be　painted　up；　but　I'd　like　it　painted　by　the　hand　of
a　better　painter　than　painted　these。〃
　　〃Thou　art　right；　Sancho；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃for　this　painter　is
like　Orbaneja；　a　painter　there　was　at　Ubeda；　who　when　they　asked　him
what　he　was　painting；　used　to　say；　'Whatever　it　may　turn　out；　and　if
he　chanced　to　paint　a　cock　he　would　write　under　it；　'This　is　a
cock；'　for　fear　they　might　think　it　was　a　fox。　The　painter　or
writer；　for　it's　all　the　same；　who　published　the　history　of　this　new
Don　Quixote　that　has　come　out；　must　have　been　one　of　this　sort　I
think；　Sancho；　for　he　painted　or　wrote　'whatever　it　might　turn　out；'
or　perhaps　he　is　like　a　poet　called　Mauleon　that　was　about　the　Court
some　years　ago；　who　used　to　answer　at　haphazard　whatever　he　was　asked；
and　on　one　asking　him　what　Deum　de　Deo　meant；　he　replied　De　donde
diere。　But；　putting　this　aside；　tell　me；　Sancho；　hast　thou　a　mind　to
have　another　turn　at　thyself　to…night；　and　wouldst　thou　rather　have　it
indoors　or　in　the　open　air？〃
　　〃Egad；　senor；〃　said　Sancho；　〃for　what　I'm　going　to　give　myself；　it
comes　all　the　same　to　me　whether　it　is　in　a　house　or　in　the　fields；
still　I'd　like　it　to　be　among　trees；　for　I　think　they　are　company
for　me　and　help　me　to　bear　my　pain　wonderfully。〃
　　〃And　yet　it　must　not　be；　Sancho　my　friend；〃　said　Don　Quixote；
〃but；　to　enable　thee　to　recover　strength；　we　must　keep　it　for　our
own　village；　for　at　the　latest　we　shall　get　there　the　day　after
tomorrow。〃
　　Sancho　said　he　might　do　as　he　pleased；　but　that　for　his　own　part
he　would　like　to　finish　off　the　business　quickly　before　his　blood
cooled　and　while　he　had　an　appetite；　because　〃in　delay　there　is　apt　to
be　danger〃　very　often；　and　〃praying　to　God　and　plying　the　hammer；〃　and
〃one　take　was　better　than　two　I'll　give　thee's；〃　and　〃a　sparrow　in　the
hand　than　a　vulture　on　the　wing。〃
　　〃For　God's　sake；　Sancho；　no　more　proverbs！〃　exclaimed　Don　Quixote；
〃it　seems　to　me　thou　art　becoming　sicut　erat　again；　speak　in　a
plain；　simple；　straight…forward　way；　as　I　have　often　told　thee；　and
thou　wilt　find　the　good　of　it。〃
　　〃I　don't　know　what　bad　luck　it　is　of　mine；〃　argument　to　my　mind；
however；　I　mean　to　mend　said　Sancho；　〃but　I　can't　utter　a　word　without
a　proverb　that　is　not　as　good　as　an　argument　to　my　mind；　however；　I
mean　to　mend　if　I　can；〃　and　so　for　the　present　the　conversation　ended。


　　CHAPTER　LXXII
　　OF　HOW　DON　QUIXOTE　AND　SANCHO　REACHED　THEIR　VILLAGE

　　ALL　that　day　Don　Quixote　and　Sancho　remained　in　the　village　and
inn　waiting　for　night；　the　one　to　finish　off　his　task　of　scourging
in　the　open　country；　the　other　to　see　it　accomplished；　for　therein　lay
the　accomplishment　of　his　wishes。　Meanwhile　there　arrived　at　the
hostelry　a　traveller　on　horseback　with　three　or　four　servants；　one
of　whom　said　to　him　who　appeared　to　be　the　master；　〃Here；　Senor　Don
Alvaro　Tarfe；　your　worship　may　take　your　siesta　to…day；　the　quarters
seem　clean　and　cool。〃
　　When　he　heard　this　Don　Quixote　said　to　Sancho；　〃Look　here；　Sancho；
on　turning　over　the　leaves　of　that　book　of　the　Second　Part　of　my
history　I　think　I　came　casually　upon　this　name　of　Don　Alvaro　Tarfe。〃
　　〃Very　likely；〃　said　Sancho；　〃we　had　better　let　him　dismount；　and
by…and…by　we　can　ask　about　it。〃
　　The　gentleman　dismounted；　and　the　landlady　gave　him　a　room　on　the
ground　floor　opposite　Don　Quixote's　and　adorned　with　painted　serge
hangings　of　the　same　sort。　The　newly　arrived　gentleman　put　on　a　summer
coat；　and　coming　out　to　the　gateway　of　the　hostelry；　which　was　wide
and　cool；　addressing　Don　Quixote；　who　was　pacing　up　and　down　there；　he
asked；　〃In　what　direction　your　worship　bound；　gentle　sir？〃
　　〃To　a　village　near　this　which　is　my　own　village；〃　replied　Don
Quixote；　〃and　your　worship；　where　are　you　bound　for？〃
　　〃I　am　going　to　Granada；　senor；〃　said　the　gentleman；　〃to　my　own
country。〃
　　〃And　a　goodly　country；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃but　will　your　worship
do　me　the　favour　of　telling　me　your　name；　for　it　strikes　me　it　is　of
more　importance　to　me　to　know　it　than　I　can　tell　you。〃
　　〃My　name　is　Don　Alvaro　Tarfe；〃　replied　the　traveller。
　　To　which　Don　Quixote　returned；　〃I　have　no　doubt　whatever　that　your
worship　is　that　Don　Alvaro　Tarfe　who　appears　in　print　in　the　Second
Part　of　the　history　of　Don　Quixote　of　La　Mancha；　lately　printed　and
published　by　a　new　author。〃
　　〃I　am　the　same；〃　replied　the　gentleman；　〃and　that　same　Don
Quixote；　the　principal　personage　in　the　said　history；　was　a　very　great
friend　of　mine；　and　it　was　I　who　took　him　away　from　home；　or　at
least　induced　him　to　come　to　some　jousts　that　were　to　be　held　at
Saragossa；　whither　I　was　going　myself；　indeed；　I　showed　him　many
kindnesses；　and　saved　him　from　having　his　shoulders　touched　up　by
the　executioner　because　of　his　extreme　rashness。〃
　　Tell　me；　Senor　Don　Alvaro；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃am　I　at　all　like　that
Don　Quixote　you　talk　of？〃
　　〃No　indeed；〃　replied　the　traveller；　〃not　a　bit。〃
　　〃And　that　Don　Quixote…〃　said　our　one；　〃had　he　with　him　a　squire
called　Sancho　Panza？〃
　　〃He　had；〃　said　Don　Alvaro；　〃but　though　he　had　the　name　of　being　very
droll；　I　never　heard　him　say　anything　that　had　any　drollery　in　it。〃
　　〃That　I　can　well　believe；〃　said　Sancho　at　this；　〃for　to　come　out
with　drolleries　is　not　in　everybody's　line；　and　that　Sancho　your
worship　speaks　of；　gentle　sir；　m