dona perecta- 第17部分

〃Jacintillo！〃

〃Yes；　when　Rosarito　has　these　fits　of　melancholy；　the　only　one　who　can　divert　her　is　that　young　man。〃

〃But　I　will　go　upstairs〃

〃No；　you　must　not。〃

〃What　etiquette　there　is　in　this　house！〃

〃You　are　ridiculing　us。　Do　as　I　ask　you。〃

〃But　I　wish　to　see　her。〃

〃But　you　cannot　see　her。　How　little　you　know　the　girl！〃

〃I　thought　I　knew　her　well。　I　will　stay　here；　then。　But　this　solitude　is　horrible。〃

〃There　comes　the　notary。〃

〃Maledictions　upon　him！〃

〃And　I　think　the　attorney…general　has　just　come　in　toohe　is　an　excellent　person。〃

〃He　be　hanged　with　his　goodness！〃

〃But　business　affairs；　when　they　are　one's　own；　serve　as　a　distraction。　Some　one　is　coming。　I　think　it　is　the　agricultural　expert。　You　will　have　something　to　occupy　you　now　for　an　hour　or　two。〃

〃An　hour　or　two　of　hell！〃

〃Ah；　ha！　if　I　am　not　mistaken　Uncle　Licurgo　and　Uncle　Paso　Largo　have　just　entered。　Perhaps　they　have　come　to　propose　a　compromise　to　you。〃

〃I　would　throw　myself　into　the　pond　first！〃

〃How　unnatural　you　are！　For　they　are　all　very　fond　of　you。　Well；　so　that　nothing　may　be　wanting；　there　comes　the　constable　too。　He　is　coming　to　serve　a　summons　on　you。〃

〃To　crucify　me。〃

All　the　individuals　named　were　now　entering　the　parlor　one　by　one。

〃Good…by；　Pepe；　amuse　yourself；〃　said　Dona　Perfecta。

〃Earth；　open　and　swallow　me！〃　exclaimed　the　young　man　desperately。

〃Senor　Don　Jose。〃

〃My　dear　Don　Jose。〃

〃Esteemed　Don　Jose。〃

〃My　dearest　Don　Jose。〃

〃My　respected　friend；　Don　Jose。〃

Hearing　these　honeyed　and　insinuating　preliminaries；　Pepe　Rey　exhaled　a　deep　sigh　and　gave　himself　up。　He　gave　himself　up；　soul　and　body；　to　the　executioners；　who　brandished　horrible　leaves　of　stamped　paper　while　the　victim；　raising　his　eyes　to　heaven　with　a　look　of　Christian　meekness；　murmured：

〃Father；　why　hast　thou　forsaken　me？〃



CHAPTER　XII

HERE　WAS　TROY

Love；　friendship；　a　wholesome　moral　atmosphere；　spiritual　light；　sympathy；　an　easy　interchange　of　ideas　and　feelings；　these　were　what　Pepe　Rey's　nature　imperatively　demanded。　Deprived　of　them；　the　darkness　that　shrouded　his　soul　grew　deeper；　and　his　inward　gloom　imparted　a　tinge　of　bitterness　and　discontent　to　his　manner。　On　the　day　following　the　scenes　described　in　the　last　chapter；　what　vexed　him　more　than　any　thing　was　the　already　prolonged　and　mysterious　seclusion　of　his　cousin；　accounted　for　at　first　by　a　trifling　indisposition　and　then　by　caprices　and　nervous　feelings　difficult　of　explanation。

Rey　was　surprised　by　conduct　so　contrary　to　the　idea　which　he　had　formed　of　Rosarito。　Four　days　had　passed　during　which　he　had　not　seen　her；　and　certainly　it　was　not　because　he　did　not　desire　to　be　at　her　side；　and　his　situation　threatened　soon　to　become　humiliating　and　ridiculous；　if；　by　boldly　taking　the　initiative；　he　did　not　at　once　put　an　end　to　it。

〃Shall　I　not　see　my　cousin　to…day；　either？〃　he　said　to　his　aunt；　with　manifest　ill…humor；　when　they　had　finished　dining。

〃No；　not　to…day；　either。　Heaven　knows　how　sorry　I　am　for　it。　I　gave　her　a　good　talking　to　this　morning。　This　afternoon　we　will　see　what　can　be　done。〃

The　suspicion　that　in　this　unreasonable　seclusion　his　adorable　cousin　was　rather　the　helpless　victim　than　the　free　and　willing　agent；　induced　him　to　control　himself　and　to　wait。　Had　it　not　been　for　this　suspicion　he　would　have　left　Orbajosa　that　very　day。　He　had　no　doubt　whatever　that　Rosario　loved　him；　but　it　was　evident　that　some　unknown　influence　was　at　work　to　separate　them；　and　it　seemed　to　him　to　be　the　part　of　an　honorable　man　to　discover　whence　that　malign　influence　proceeded　and　to　oppose　it；　as　far　as　it　was　in　his　power　to　do　so。

〃I　hope　that　Rosarito's　obstinacy　will　not　continue　long；〃　he　said　to　Dona　Perfecta；　disguising　his　real　sentiments。

On　this　day　he　received　a　letter　from　his　father　in　which　the　latter　complained　of　having　received　none　from　Orbajosa；　a　circumstance　which　increased　the　engineer's　disquietude；　perplexing　him　still　further。　Finally；　after　wandering　about　alone　in　the　garden　for　a　long　time；　he　left　the　house　and　went　to　the　Casino。　He　entered　it　with　the　desperate　air　of　a　man　about　to　throw　himself　into　the　sea。

In　the　principal　rooms　he　found　various　people　talking　and　discussing　different　subjects。　In　one　group　they　were　solving　with　subtle　logic　difficult　problems　relating　to　bulls；　in　another；　they　were　discussing　the　relative　merits　of　different　breeds　of　donkeys　of　Orbajosa　and　Villahorrenda。　Bored　to　the　last　degree；　Pepe　Rey　turned　away　from　these　discussions　and　directed　his　steps　toward　the　reading…room；　where　he　looked　through　various　reviews　without　finding　any　distraction　in　the　reading；　and　a　little　later；　passing　from　room　to　room；　he　stopped；　without　knowing　why；　at　the　gaming…table。　For　nearly　two　hours　he　remained　in　the　clutches　of　the　horrible　yellow　demon；　whose　shining　eyes　of　gold　at　once　torture　and　charm。　But　not　even　the　excitement　of　play　had　power　to　lighten　the　gloom　of　his　soul；　and　the　same　tedium　which　had　impelled　him　toward　the　green　cloth　sent　him　away　from　it。　Shunning　the　noise；　he　found　himself　in　an　apartment　used　as　an　assembly…room；　in　which　at　the　time　there　was　not　a　living　soul；　and　here　he　seated　himself　wearily　at　a　window　overlooking　the　street。

This　was　very　narrow；　with　more　corners　and　salient　angles　than　houses；　and　was　overshaded　throughout　its　whole　extent　by　the　imposing　mass　of　the　cathedral　that　lifted　its　dark　and　time…corroded　walls　at　one　end　of　it。　Pepe　Rey　looked　up　and　down　and　in　every　direction；　no　sign　of　lifenot　a　footstep；　not　a　voice；　not　a　glance；　disturbed　the　stillness；　peaceful　as　that　of　a　tomb；　that　reigned　everywhere。　Suddenly　strange　sounds；　like　the　whispering　of　feminine　voices；　fell　on　his　ear；　and　then　the　rustling　of　curtains　that　were　being　drawn；　a　few　words；　and　finally　the　humming　of　a　song；　the　bark　of　a　lap…dog；　and　other　signs　of　social　life；　which　seemed　very　strange　in　such　a　place。　Observing　attentively；　Pepe　Rey　perceived　that　these　noises　proceeded　from　an　enormous　balcony　with　blinds　which　displayed　its　corpulent　bulk　in　front　of　the　window　at　which　he　was　sitting。　Before　he　had　concluded　his　observations；　a　member　of　the　Casino　suddenly　appeared　beside　him；　and　accosted　him　laughingly　in　this　manner：

〃Ah；　Senor　Don　Pepe！　what　a　rogue　you　are！　So　you　have　shut　yourself　in　here　to　ogle　the　girls；　eh？〃

The　speaker　was　Don　Juan　Tafetan；　a　very　amiable　man；　and　one　of　the　few　members　of　the　Casino　who　had　manifested　for　Pepe　Rey　cordial　friendship　and　genuine　admiration。　With　his　red　cheeks；　his　little　dyed　mustache；　his　restless　laughing　eyes；　his　insignificant　figure；　his　hair　carefully　combed　to　hide　his　baldness；　Don　Juan　Tafetan　was　far　from　being　an　Antinous　in　appearance；　but　he　was　very　witty　and　very　agreeable　and　he　had　a　happy　gift　for　telling　a　good　story。　He　was　much　given　to　laughter；　and　when　he　laughed　his　face；　from　his　forehead　to　his　chin；　became　one　mass　of　grotesque　wrinkles。　In　spite　of　these　qualities；　and　of　the　applause　which　might　have　stimulated　his　taste　for　spicy　jokes；　he　was　not　a　scandal…monger。　Every　one　liked　him；　and　Pepe　Rey　spent　with　him　many　pleasant　hours。　Poor　Tafetan；　formerly　an　employe　in　the　civil　department　of　the　government　of　the　capital　of　the　province；　now　lived　modestly　on　his　salary　as　a　clerk　in　the　bureau　of　charities；　eking　out　his　income　by　gallantly　playing　the　clarionet　in　the　processions；　in　the　solemnities　of　the　cathedral；　and　in　the　theatre；　whenever　some　desperate　company　of　players　made　their　appearance　in　those　parts　with　the　perfidious　design　of　giving　representations　in　Orbajosa。

But　the　most　curious　thing　about　Don　Juan　Tafetan　was　his　liking　for　pretty　girls。　He　himself；　in　the　days　when　he　did　not　hide　his　baldness　with　half　a　dozen　hairs　plastered　down　with　pomade；　when　he　did　not　dye　his　mustache；　when；　in　the　freedom　from　care　of　youthful　years；　he　walked　with　shoulders　unstooped　and　head　erect；　had　been　a　formidable　/Tenorio/。　To　hear　him　recount　his　conquests　was　something　to　make　one　die　laughing；　for　there　are　/Tenorios/　and　Tenorios/；　and　he　was　one　of　the　most　original。

〃What　girls？　I　don't　see　any　girls；〃　responded　Pepe　Rey。

〃Yes；　play　the　anchorite！〃

One　of　the　blinds　of　the　balcony　was　opened；　giving　a　glimpse　of　a　youthful　face；　lovely　and　smiling；　that　disappeared　instantly；　like　a　light　extinguished　by　the　wind。

〃Yes；　I　see　now。〃

〃Don't　you　know　them？〃

〃On　my　life　I　do　not。〃

〃They　are　the　Troyasthe　Troya　girls。　Then　you　don't　know　something　good。　Three　lovely　girls；　the　daughters　of　a　colonel　of　staff；　who　died　in　the　streets　of　Madrid　in　'54。〃

The　blind　opened　again；　and　two　faces　appeared。

〃They　are　laughing　at　me；〃　said　Tafetan；　making　a　friendly　sign　to　the　girls。

〃Do　you　know　them？〃

〃Why；　of　course　I　know　them。　The　poor　things　are　in　the　greatest　want。　I　don't　know　how　they　manage　to　live。　When　Don　Francisco　Troya　died　a　subscription　was　raised　for　them；　but　that　did　not　last　very　long。〃

〃Poor　girls！　I　imagine　they　are　not　models　of　virtue。〃

〃And　why　not？　I　do　not　believe　what　they　say　in　the　town　about　them。〃

Once　more　the　blinds　opened。

〃Good…afternoon；　girls！〃　cried　Don　Juan　Tafetan　to　the　three　girls；　who　appeared；　artistically　grouped；　at　the　window。　〃This　gentleman　says　that　good　things　ought　not　to　hide　themselves；　and　that　you　should　throw　open　the　blinds。〃

But　the　blind　was　closed　and　a　joyous　concert　of　laughter　diffused　a　strange　gayety　through　the　gloomy　street。　One　might　have　fancied　that　a　flock　of　birds　was　passing。

〃Shall　we　go　there？〃　said　Tafetan　suddenly。

His　eyes　sparkled　and　a　roguish　smile　played　on　his　discolored　lips。

〃But　what　sort　of　people　are　they；　then？〃

〃Don't　be　afraid；　Senor　de　Rey。　The　poor　things　are　honest。　Bah！　Why；　they　live　upon　air；　like　the　chameleons。　Tell　me；　can　any　one　who　doesn't　eat　sin？　The　poor　girls　are　virtuous　enough。　And　even　if　they　did　sin；　they　fast　enough　to　make　up　for　it。〃

〃Let　us　go；　then。〃

A　moment　later　Don　Juan　Tafetan　and　Pepe　Rey　were　entering　the　parlor　of　the　Troyas。　The　poverty　he　saw；　that　struggled　desperately　to　disguise　itself；　afflicted　the　young　man。　The　three