don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第39部分

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grass；　and　the　others　did　the　same；　all　keeping　silence；　until　the
Ragged　One；　settling　himself　in　his　place；　said：
　　〃If　it　is　your　wish；　sirs；　that　I　should　disclose　in　a　few　words　the
surpassing　extent　of　my　misfortunes；　you　must　promise　not　to　break　the
thread　of　my　sad　story　with　any　question　or　other　interruption；　for
the　instant　you　do　so　the　tale　I　tell　will　come　to　an　end。〃
　　These　words　of　the　Ragged　One　reminded　Don　Quixote　of　the　tale　his
squire　had　told　him；　when　he　failed　to　keep　count　of　the　goats　that
had　crossed　the　river　and　the　story　remained　unfinished；　but　to　return
to　the　Ragged　One；　he　went　on　to　say：
　　〃I　give　you　this　warning　because　I　wish　to　pass　briefly　over　the
story　of　my　misfortunes；　for　recalling　them　to　memory　only　serves　to
add　fresh　ones；　and　the　less　you　question　me　the　sooner　shall　I　make
an　end　of　the　recital；　though　I　shall　not　omit　to　relate　anything　of
importance　in　order　fully　to　satisfy　your　curiosity。〃
　　Don　Quixote　gave　the　promise　for　himself　and　the　others；　and　with
this　assurance　he　began　as　follows：
　　〃My　name　is　Cardenio；　my　birthplace　one　of　the　best　cities　of　this
Andalusia；　my　family　noble；　my　parents　rich；　my　misfortune　so　great
that　my　parents　must　have　wept　and　my　family　grieved　over　it　without
being　able　by　their　wealth　to　lighten　it；　for　the　gifts　of　fortune　can
do　little　to　relieve　reverses　sent　by　Heaven。　In　that　same　country
there　was　a　heaven　in　which　love　had　placed　all　the　glory　I　could
desire；　such　was　the　beauty　of　Luscinda；　a　damsel　as　noble　and　as　rich
as　I；　but　of　happier　fortunes；　and　of　less　firmness　than　was　due　to　so
worthy　a　passion　as　mine。　This　Luscinda　I　loved；　worshipped；　and
adored　from　my　earliest　and　tenderest　years；　and　she　loved　me　in　all
the　innocence　and　sincerity　of　childhood。　Our　parents　were　aware　of
our　feelings；　and　were　not　sorry　to　perceive　them；　for　they　saw
clearly　that　as　they　ripened　they　must　lead　at　last　to　a　marriage
between　us；　a　thing　that　seemed　almost　prearranged　by　the　equality
of　our　families　and　wealth。　We　grew　up；　and　with　our　growth　grew　the
love　between　us；　so　that　the　father　of　Luscinda　felt　bound　for
propriety's　sake　to　refuse　me　admission　to　his　house；　in　this
perhaps　imitating　the　parents　of　that　Thisbe　so　celebrated　by　the
poets；　and　this　refusal　but　added　love　to　love　and　flame　to　flame；　for
though　they　enforced　silence　upon　our　tongues　they　could　not　impose　it
upon　our　pens；　which　can　make　known　the　heart's　secrets　to　a　loved　one
more　freely　than　tongues；　for　many　a　time　the　presence　of　the　object
of　love　shakes　the　firmest　will　and　strikes　dumb　the　boldest　tongue。
Ah　heavens！　how　many　letters　did　I　write　her；　and　how　many　dainty
modest　replies　did　I　receive！　how　many　ditties　and　love…songs　did　I
compose　in　which　my　heart　declared　and　made　known　its　feelings；
described　its　ardent　longings；　revelled　in　its　recollections　and
dallied　with　its　desires！　At　length　growing　impatient　and　feeling　my
heart　languishing　with　longing　to　see　her；　I　resolved　to　put　into
execution　and　carry　out　what　seemed　to　me　the　best　mode　of　winning
my　desired　and　merited　reward；　to　ask　her　of　her　father　for　my
lawful　wife；　which　I　did。　To　this　his　answer　was　that　he　thanked　me
for　the　disposition　I　showed　to　do　honour　to　him　and　to　regard
myself　as　honoured　by　the　bestowal　of　his　treasure；　but　that　as　my
father　was　alive　it　was　his　by　right　to　make　this　demand；　for　if　it
were　not　in　accordance　with　his　full　will　and　pleasure；　Luscinda　was
not　to　be　taken　or　given　by　stealth。　I　thanked　him　for　his　kindness；
reflecting　that　there　was　reason　in　what　he　said；　and　that　my　father
would　assent　to　it　as　soon　as　I　should　tell　him；　and　with　that　view
I　went　the　very　same　instant　to　let　him　know　what　my　desires　were。
When　I　entered　the　room　where　he　was　I　found　him　with　an　open　letter
in　his　hand；　which；　before　I　could　utter　a　word；　he　gave　me；　saying；
'By　this　letter　thou　wilt　see；　Cardenio；　the　disposition　the　Duke
Ricardo　has　to　serve　thee。'　This　Duke　Ricardo；　as　you；　sirs；
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　combi