don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第62章

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to　embrace　and　undeceive　his　wife　he　paused　as　he　saw　Leonela
returning；　leading　Lothario。　Camilla　when　she　saw　him；　drawing　a
long　line　in　front　of　her　on　the　floor　with　the　dagger；　said　to　him；
〃Lothario；　pay　attention　to　what　I　say　to　thee：　if　by　any　chance
thou　darest　to　cross　this　line　thou　seest；　or　even　approach　it；　the
instant　I　see　thee　attempt　it　that　same　instant　will　I　pierce　my　bosom
with　this　dagger　that　I　hold　in　my　hand；　and　before　thou　answerest
me　a　word　desire　thee　to　listen　to　a　few　from　me；　and　afterwards
thou　shalt　reply　as　may　please　thee。　First；　I　desire　thee　to　tell
me；　Lothario；　if　thou　knowest　my　husband　Anselmo；　and　in　what　light
thou　regardest　him；　and　secondly　I　desire　to　know　if　thou　knowest　me
too。　Answer　me　this；　without　embarrassment　or　reflecting　deeply　what
thou　wilt　answer；　for　they　are　no　riddles　I　put　to　thee。〃
　　Lothario　was　not　so　dull　but　that　from　the　first　moment　when　Camilla
directed　him　to　make　Anselmo　hide　himself　he　understood　what　she
intended　to　do；　and　therefore　he　fell　in　with　her　idea　so　readily
and　promptly　that　between　them　they　made　the　imposture　look　more
true　than　truth；　so　he　answered　her　thus：　〃I　did　not　think；　fair
Camilla；　that　thou　wert　calling　me　to　ask　questions　so　remote　from　the
object　with　which　I　come；　but　if　it　is　to　defer　the　promised　reward
thou　art　doing　so；　thou　mightst　have　put　it　off　still　longer；　for
the　longing　for　happiness　gives　the　more　distress　the　nearer　comes　the
hope　of　gaining　it；　but　lest　thou　shouldst　say　that　I　do　not　answer
thy　questions；　I　say　that　I　know　thy　husband　Anselmo；　and　that　we　have
known　each　other　from　our　earliest　years；　I　will　not　speak　of　what
thou　too　knowest；　of　our　friendship；　that　I　may　not　compel　myself　to
testify　against　the　wrong　that　love；　the　mighty　excuse　for　greater
errors；　makes　me　inflict　upon　him。　Thee　I　know　and　hold　in　the　same
estimation　as　he　does；　for　were　it　not　so　I　had　not　for　a　lesser　prize
acted　in　opposition　to　what　I　owe　to　my　station　and　the　holy　laws　of
true　friendship；　now　broken　and　violated　by　me　through　that　powerful
enemy；　love。〃
　　〃If　thou　dost　confess　that；〃　returned　Camilla；　〃mortal　enemy　of
all　that　rightly　deserves　to　be　loved；　with　what　face　dost　thou　dare
to　come　before　one　whom　thou　knowest　to　be　the　mirror　wherein　he　is
reflected　on　whom　thou　shouldst　look　to　see　how　unworthily　thou　him？
But；　woe　is　me；　I　now　comprehend　what　has　made　thee　give　so　little
heed　to　what　thou　owest　to　thyself；　it　must　have　been　some　freedom
of　mine；　for　I　will　not　call　it　immodesty；　as　it　did　not　proceed
from　any　deliberate　intention；　but　from　some　heedlessness　such　as
women　are　guilty　of　through　inadvertence　when　they　think　they　have
no　occasion　for　reserve。　But　tell　me；　traitor；　when　did　I　by　word　or
sign　give　a　reply　to　thy　prayers　that　could　awaken　in　thee　a　shadow　of
hope　of　attaining　thy　base　wishes？　When　were　not　thy　professions　of
love　sternly　and　scornfully　rejected　and　rebuked？　When　were　thy
frequent　pledges　and　still　more　frequent　gifts　believed　or　accepted？
But　as　I　am　persuaded　that　no　one　can　long　persevere　in　the　attempt　to
win　love　unsustained　by　some　hope；　I　am　willing　to　attribute　to　myself
the　blame　of　thy　assurance；　for　no　doubt　some　thoughtlessness　of
mine　has　all　this　time　fostered　thy　hopes；　and　therefore　will　I　punish
myself　and　inflict　upon　myself　the　penalty　thy　guilt　deserves。　And
that　thou　mayest　see　that　being　so　relentless　to　myself　I　cannot
possibly　be　otherwise　to　thee；　I　have　summoned　thee　to　be　a　witness　of
the　sacrifice　I　mean　to　offer　to　the　injured　honour　of　my　honoured
husband；　wronged　by　thee　with　all　the　assiduity　thou　wert　capable
of；　and　by　me　too　through　want　of　caution　in　avoiding　every
occasion；　if　I　have　given　any；　of　encouraging　and　sanctioning　thy　base
designs。　Once　more　I　say　the　suspicion　in　my　mind　that　some　imprudence
of　mine　has　engendered　these　lawless　thoughts　in　thee；　is　what
causes　me　most　distress　and　what　I　desire　most　to　punish　with　my　own
hands；　for　were　any　other　instrument　of　punishment　employed　my　error
might　become　perhaps　more　widely　known；　but　before　I　do　so；　in　my
death　I　mean　to　inflict　death；　and　take　with　me　one　that　will　fully
satisfy　my　longing　for　the　revenge　I　hope　for　and　have；　for　I　shall
see；　wheresoever　it　may　be　that　I　go；　the　penalty　awarded　by
inflexible；　unswerving　justice　on　him　who　has　placed　me　in　a
position　so　desperate。〃
　　As　she　uttered　these　words；　with　incredible　energy　and　swiftness　she
flew　upon　Lothario　with　the　naked　dagger；　so　manifestly　bent　on
burying　it　in　his　breast　that　he　was　almost　uncertain　whether　these
demonstrations　were　real　or　feigned；　for　he　was　obliged　to　have
recourse　to　all　his　skill　and　strength　to　prevent　her　from　striking
him；　and　with　such　reality　did　she　act　this　strange　farce　and
mystification　that；　to　give　it　a　colour　of　truth；　she　determined　to
stain　it　with　her　own　blood；　for　perceiving；　or　pretending；　that　she
could　not　wound　Lothario；　she　said；　〃Fate；　it　seems；　will　not　grant　my
just　desire　complete　satisfaction；　but　it　will　not　be　able　to　keep
me　from　satisfying　it　partially　at　least；〃　and　making　an　effort　to
free　the　hand　with　the　dagger　which　Lothario　held　in　his　grasp；　she
released　it；　and　directing　the　point　to　a　place　where　it　could　not
inflict　a　deep　wound；　she　plunged　it　into　her　left　side　high　up
close　to　the　shoulder；　and　then　allowed　herself　to　fall　to　the
ground　as　if　in　a　faint。
　　Leonela　and　Lothario　stood　amazed　and　astounded　at　the
catastrophe；　and　seeing　Camilla　stretched　on　the　ground　and　bathed
in　her　blood　they　were　still　uncertain　as　to　the　true　nature　of　the
act。　Lothario；　terrified　and　breathless；　ran　in　haste　to　pluck　out　the
dagger；　but　when　he　saw　how　slight　the　wound　was　he　was　relieved　of
his　fears　and　once　more　admired　the　subtlety；　coolness；　and　ready
wit　of　the　fair　Camilla；　and　the　better　to　support　the　part　he　had
to　play　he　began　to　utter　profuse　and　doleful　lamentations　over　her
body　as　if　she　were　dead；　invoking　maledictions　not　only　on　himself
but　also　on　him　who　had　been　the　means　of　placing　him　in　such　a
position：　and　knowing　that　his　friend　Anselmo　heard　him　he　spoke　in
such　a　way　as　to　make　a　listener　feel　much　more　pity　for　him　than
for　Camilla；　even　though　he　supposed　her　dead。　Leonela　took　her　up
in　her　arms　and　laid　her　on　the　bed；　entreating　Lothario　to　go　in
quest　of　some　one　to　attend　to　her　wound　in　secret；　and　at　the　same
time　asking　his　advice　and　opinion　as　to　what　they　should　say　to
Anselmo　about　his　lady's　wound　if　he　should　chance　to　return　before　it
was　healed。　He　replied　they　might　say　what　they　liked；　for　he　was
not　in　a　state　to　give　advice　that　would　be　of　any　use；　all　he　could
tell　her　was　to　try　and　stanch　the　blood；　as　he　was　going　where　he
should　never　more　be　seen；　and　with　every　appearance　of　deep　grief　and
sorrow　he　left　the　house；　but　when　he　found　himself　alone；　and　where
there　was　nobody　to　see　him；　he　crossed　himself　unceasingly；　lost　in
wonder　at　the　adroitness　of　Camilla　and　the　consistent　acting　of
Leonela。　He　reflected　how　convinced　Anselmo　would　be　that　he　had　a
second　Portia　for　a　wife；　and　he　looked　forward　anxiously　to　meeting
him　in　order　to　rejoice　together　over　falsehood　and　truth　the　most
craftily　veiled　that　could　be　imagined。
　　Leonela；　as　he　told　her；　stanched　her　lady's　blood；　which　was　no
more　than　sufficed　to　support　her　deception；　and　washing　the　wound
with　a　little　wine　she　bound　it　up　to　the　best　of　her　skill；　talking
all　the　time　she　was　tending　her　in　a　strain　that；　even　if　nothing
else　had　been　said　before；　would　have　been　enough　to　assure　Anselmo
that　he　had　in　Camilla　a　model　of　purity。　To　Leonela's　words　Camilla
added　her　own；　calling　herself　cowardly　and　wanting　in　spirit；　since
she　had　not　enough　at　the　time　she　had　most　need　of　it　to　rid
herself　of　the　life　she　so　much　loathed。　She　asked　her　attendant's
advice　as　to　whether　or　not　she　ought　to　inform　her　beloved　husband　of
all　that　had　happened；　but　the　other　bade　her　say　nothing　about　it；　as
she　would　lay　upon　him　the　obligation　of　taking　vengeance　on　Lothario；
which　he　could　not　do　but　at　great　risk　to　himself；　and　it　was　the
duty　of　a　true　wife　not　to　give　her　husband　provocation　to　quarrel；
but；　on　the　contrary；　to　remove　it　as　far　as　possible　from　him。
　　Camilla　replied　that　she　believed　she　was　right　and　that　she　would
follow　her　advice；　but　at　any　rate　it　would　be　well　to　consider　how
she　was　to　explain　the　wound　to　Anselmo；　for　he　could　not　help
seeing　it；　to　which　Leonela　answered　that　she　did　not　know　how　to　tell
a　lie　even　in　jest。
　　〃How　then　can　I　know；　my　dear？〃　said　Camilla；　〃for　I　should　not　dare
to　forge　or　keep　up　a　falsehood　if　my　life　depended　on　it。　If　we　can
think　of　no　escape　from　this　difficulty；　it　will　be　better　to　tell　him
the　plain　truth　than　that　he　should　find　us　out　in　an　untrue　story。〃
　　〃Be　not　uneasy；　senora；〃　said　Leonela；　〃between　this　and　to…morrow　I
will　think　of　what　we　must　say　to　him；　and　perhaps　the　wound　being
where　it　is　it　can　be　hidden　from　his　sight；　and　Heaven　will　be
pleased　to　aid　us　in　a　purpose　so　good　and　honourable。　Compose
yourself；　senora；　and　endeavour　to　calm　your　excitement　lest　my　lord
find　you　agitated；　and　leave　the　rest　to　my　care　and　God's；　who　always
supports　good　intentions。〃
　　Anselmo　had　with　the　deepest　attention　listened　to　and　seen　played
out　the　tragedy　of　the　death　of　his　honour；　which　the　performers　acted
with　such　wonderfully　effective　truth　that　it　seemed　as　if　they　had
become　the　realities　of　the　parts　they　played。　He　longed　for　night　and
an　opportunity　of　escaping　from　the　house　to　go　and　see　his　good
friend　Lothario；　and　with　him　give　vent　to　his　joy　over　the　precious
pearl　he　had　gained　in　having　established　his　wife's　purity。　Both
mistress　and　maid　took　care　to　give　him　time　and　opportunity　to　get
away；　and　taking　advantage　of　it　he　made　his　escape；　and　at　once
went　in　quest　of　Lothario；　and　it　would　be　impossible　to　describe
how　he　embraced　him　when　he　found　him；　and　the　things　he　said　to　him
in　the　joy　of　his　heart；　and　the　praises　he　bestowed　upon　Camilla；　all
which　Lothario　listened　to　without　being　able　to　show　any　pleasure；
for　he　could　not　forget　how　deceived　his　friend　was；　and　how
dishonourably　he　had　wronged　him；　and　though　Anselmo　could　see　that
Lothario　was　not　glad；　still　he　imagined　it　was　only　because　he　had
left　Camilla　wounded　and　had　been　himself　the　cause　of　it；　and　so
among　other　things　he　told　him　not　to　be　distressed　about　Camilla's
accident；　for；　as　they　had　agreed　to　hide　it　from　him；　the　wound　was
evidently　trifling；　and　that　being　so；　he　had　no　cause　for　fear；　but
should　henceforward　be　of　good　cheer　and　rejoice　with　him；　seeing　that
by　his　means　and　adroitness　he　found　himself　raised　to　the　greatest
height　of　happiness　that　he　could　have　ventured　to　hope　for；　and
desired　no　better　pastime　than　making　verses　in　praise　of　Camilla　that
would　preserve　her　name　for　all　time　to　come。　Lothario　commended　his
purpose；　and　promised　on　his　own　part　to　aid　him　in　raising　a　monument
so　glorious。
　　And　so　Anselmo　was　left　the　most　charmingly　hoodwinked　man　there
could　be　in　the　world。　He　himse