FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   >>  
't be mischief." "Nor where there are lights and it is bright," said the duchess; to which Sancho replied, "Fire gives light, and it's bright where there are bonfires, as we see by those that are all round us and perhaps may burn us; but music is a sign of mirth and merrymaking." "That remains to be seen," said Don Quixote, who was listening to all that passed; and he was right, as is shown in the following chapter. CHAPTER XXXV. WHEREIN IS CONTINUED THE INSTRUCTION GIVEN TO DON QUIXOTE TOUCHING THE DISENCHANTMENT OF DULCINEA, TOGETHER WITH OTHER MARVELLOUS INCIDENTS They saw advancing towards them, to the sound of this pleasing music, what they call a triumphal car, drawn by six grey mules with white linen housings, on each of which was mounted a penitent, robed also in white, with a large lighted wax taper in his hand. The car was twice or, perhaps, three times as large as the former ones, and in front and on the sides stood twelve more penitents, all as white as snow and all with lighted tapers, a spectacle to excite fear as well as wonder; and on a raised throne was seated a nymph draped in a multitude of silver-tissue veils with an embroidery of countless gold spangles glittering all over them, that made her appear, if not richly, at least brilliantly, apparelled. She had her face covered with thin transparent sendal, the texture of which did not prevent the fair features of a maiden from being distinguished, while the numerous lights made it possible to judge of her beauty and of her years, which seemed to be not less than seventeen but not to have yet reached twenty. Beside her was a figure in a robe of state, as they call it, reaching to the feet, while the head was covered with a black veil. But the instant the car was opposite the duke and duchess and Don Quixote the music of the clarions ceased, and then that of the lutes and harps on the car, and the figure in the robe rose up, and flinging it apart and removing the veil from its face, disclosed to their eyes the shape of Death itself, fleshless and hideous, at which sight Don Quixote felt uneasy, Sancho frightened, and the duke and duchess displayed a certain trepidation. Having risen to its feet, this living death, in a sleepy voice and with a tongue hardly awake, held forth as follows: I am that Merlin who the legends say The devil had for father, and the lie Hath gathered credence with the lapse of time. Of magic prince, of Zoroastri
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   >>  



Top keywords:
duchess
 

Quixote

 

lighted

 

figure

 

Sancho

 

bright

 
lights
 

covered

 

reached

 

twenty


Beside

 

reaching

 

instant

 

maiden

 
texture
 

sendal

 

prevent

 

transparent

 

richly

 

brilliantly


apparelled
 

features

 

opposite

 
seventeen
 
beauty
 

distinguished

 

numerous

 

Merlin

 

legends

 

sleepy


tongue

 

prince

 

Zoroastri

 

credence

 

father

 

gathered

 

living

 
removing
 

disclosed

 

flinging


ceased

 

displayed

 
trepidation
 
Having
 

frightened

 

uneasy

 
fleshless
 

hideous

 
clarions
 

spectacle