登陆注册
4907800000052

第52章

"May that of the Lord not be wanting to me," said Pedro; "that is the one to have. To proceed; you must know that though the uncle put before his niece and described to her the qualities of each one in particular of the many who had asked her in marriage, begging her to marry and make a choice according to her own taste, she never gave any other answer than that she had no desire to marry just yet, and that being so young she did not think herself fit to bear the burden of matrimony. At these, to all appearance, reasonable excuses that she made, her uncle ceased to urge her, and waited till she was somewhat more advanced in age and could mate herself to her own liking. For, said he- and he said quite right- parents are not to settle children in life against their will. But when one least looked for it, lo and behold! one day the demure Marcela makes her appearance turned shepherdess; and, in spite of her uncle and all those of the town that strove to dissuade her, took to going a-field with the other shepherd-lasses of the village, and tending her own flock. And so, since she appeared in public, and her beauty came to be seen openly, I could not well tell you how many rich youths, gentlemen and peasants, have adopted the costume of Chrysostom, and go about these fields making love to her. One of these, as has been already said, was our deceased friend, of whom they say that he did not love but adore her. But you must not suppose, because Marcela chose a life of such liberty and independence, and of so little or rather no retirement, that she has given any occasion, or even the semblance of one, for disparagement of her purity and modesty; on the contrary, such and so great is the vigilance with which she watches over her honour, that of all those that court and woo her not one has boasted, or can with truth boast, that she has given him any hope however small of obtaining his desire. For although she does not avoid or shun the society and conversation of the shepherds, and treats them courteously and kindly, should any one of them come to declare his intention to her, though it be one as proper and holy as that of matrimony, she flings him from her like a catapult. And with this kind of disposition she does more harm in this country than if the plague had got into it, for her affability and her beauty draw on the hearts of those that associate with her to love her and to court her, but her scorn and her frankness bring them to the brink of despair; and so they know not what to say save to proclaim her aloud cruel and hard-hearted, and other names of the same sort which well describe the nature of her character; and if you should remain here any time, senor, you would hear these hills and valleys resounding with the laments of the rejected ones who pursue her. Not far from this there is a spot where there are a couple of dozen of tall beeches, and there is not one of them but has carved and written on its smooth bark the name of Marcela, and above some a crown carved on the same tree as though her lover would say more plainly that Marcela wore and deserved that of all human beauty. Here one shepherd is sighing, there another is lamenting; there love songs are heard, here despairing elegies. One will pass all the hours of the night seated at the foot of some oak or rock, and there, without having closed his weeping eyes, the sun finds him in the morning bemused and bereft of sense; and another without relief or respite to his sighs, stretched on the burning sand in the full heat of the sultry summer noontide, makes his appeal to the compassionate heavens, and over one and the other, over these and all, the beautiful Marcela triumphs free and careless. And all of us that know her are waiting to see what her pride will come to, and who is to be the happy man that will succeed in taming a nature so formidable and gaining possession of a beauty so supreme. All that I have told you being such well-established truth, I am persuaded that what they say of the cause of Chrysostom's death, as our lad told us, is the same. And so I advise you, senor, fail not to be present to-morrow at his burial, which will be well worth seeing, for Chrysostom had many friends, and it is not half a league from this place to where he directed he should be buried."

"I will make a point of it," said Don Quixote, "and I thank you for the pleasure you have given me by relating so interesting a tale."

"Oh," said the goatherd, "I do not know even the half of what has happened to the lovers of Marcela, but perhaps to-morrow we may fall in with some shepherd on the road who can tell us; and now it will be well for you to go and sleep under cover, for the night air may hurt your wound, though with the remedy I have applied to you there is no fear of an untoward result."

Sancho Panza, who was wishing the goatherd's loquacity at the devil, on his part begged his master to go into Pedro's hut to sleep. He did so, and passed all the rest of the night in thinking of his lady Dulcinea, in imitation of the lovers of Marcela. Sancho Panza settled himself between Rocinante and his ass, and slept, not like a lover who had been discarded, but like a man who had been soundly kicked.

同类推荐
  • 重楼玉钥续编

    重楼玉钥续编

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • THE FOOLISH VIRGIN

    THE FOOLISH VIRGIN

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 黄帝阴符经解义

    黄帝阴符经解义

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 于役志

    于役志

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 外科精义

    外科精义

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 唯愿余生安好

    唯愿余生安好

    或许一切天注定,对的人早晚会相遇女主杜若汐一路成长披荆斩棘虐渣揍婊,彪悍魁梧的同时,俘获了一个美男的芳心,以后的日子就是宠宠宠
  • 救赎,帝国的荣耀

    救赎,帝国的荣耀

    人类和兽族间的战争已经持续几百年。“赤武帝国”边境被兽族袭击,邢志明力挽狂澜、针对兽族进行数次强大打击,不过这时,更致命的危机却凸显出来......
  • 一说一笑,生活无压力(中文版)

    一说一笑,生活无压力(中文版)

    本书让读者在开心大笑的同时,能够记住故事中的精彩对话,也能掌握一个又一个生活必备的各个方面的英语单词,使这种新的英语学习方式走入你的生活。本书就是你枯燥生活的调味剂,压抑工作的轻松驿站,精神寄托的开心乐园。
  • 稚憬

    稚憬

    这是一个小姑娘的成长史;年少欢喜,兜兜转转,从始至终~
  • 快穿之真香定理

    快穿之真香定理

    从前她是痴心男主的炮灰女配,跟女主抢男人的是她,陷害女主的是她,女主被下药了也是她的锅。炮灰女配:这么多锅我不背!软萌系统:宿主你好,人家是你的霸总绑定系统哦!云萧:绑定你,对我有什么好处?软萌系统:可以狂虐白莲花,脚踩绿茶婊,成为一代霸总!曾经的日常……冷酷竹马:我是不会娶你的,我对你只有兄弟之情。清纯男神:你为什么总是不肯放过她!渣弟:你真是个恶毒的女人!然而当她绑定系统,决定成为一代霸总,开始壁咚其他男人。云萧:“宝贝儿,你好香!”于是异域圣子含羞带笑,冷酷竹马开始黑化病娇,连清纯白莲都开始占有欲爆棚!云萧:“我只要一个就够了……” 女强文!!!!
  • 侧妃转正有点难

    侧妃转正有点难

    乌龙穿越的陆瑰云挑了挑眉:听说太子殿下不满意这门婚事?太子殿下:退婚!退婚!老子才不要女人管!身为职业编剧的女主摇了摇头:现在退婚,戏剧张力还不足,人物过于扁平化,需要再等下一个情节点。太子殿下:……女主:要不然,我们谈个恋爱吧?欢喜冤家配一对,今朝有酒今朝醉!
  • 苍穹尊主

    苍穹尊主

    楚云修炼归来,无奈师门衰落,面临同门的挤压,开始脱颖而出,力压群雄。
  • 邪帝大人赖上我

    邪帝大人赖上我

    苏凉七,二十一世纪天才治愈师,无端穿越异世,捡神兽,盗灵宝,更有身娇体弱的美男等扑倒。苏凉七吞口水:那啥……不扑行不行?某妖孽轻笑:小捣蛋,还不过来……情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 爱是黑夜的灯

    爱是黑夜的灯

    美丽的清水河养育了清水河一方的百姓,同时也不断地滋润着独具特色的清水河地域文化。如果说文学形象是地域文化的代言人,那么《爱是黑夜的灯》就是独具特色的清水河地域文化的产儿。作品通过文学形象,形象化的语言,艺术地再现了清水河的山水之美、人文之美和人性之美。
  • 追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    青涩蜕变,如今她是能独当一面的女boss,爱了冷泽聿七年,也同样花了七年时间去忘记他。以为是陌路,他突然向他表白,扬言要娶她,她只当他是脑子抽风,他的殷勤她也全都无视。他帮她查她父母的死因,赶走身边情敌,解释当初拒绝她的告别,和故意对她冷漠都是无奈之举。突然爆出她父母的死居然和冷家有丝毫联系,还莫名跳出个公爵未婚夫,扬言要与她履行婚约。峰回路转,破镜还能重圆吗? PS:我又开新文了,每逢假期必书荒,新文《有你的世界遇到爱》,喜欢我的文的朋友可以来看看,这是重生类现言,对这个题材感兴趣的一定要收藏起来。