dona perecta-第14章

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cy　that　they　are　men　because　they　have　received　their　doctor's　degree。　Jacinto　had　a　round；　handsome　face　with　rosy　cheeks；　like　a　girl's；　and　without　any　beard　save　the　down　which　announced　its　coming。　In　person　he　was　plump　and　below　the　medium　height。　His　age　was　a　little　over　twenty。　He　had　been　educated　from　childhood　under　the　direction　of　his　excellent　and　learned　uncle；　which　is　the　same　as　saying　that　the　twig　had　not　become　crooked　in　the　growing。　A　severe　moral　training　had　kept　him　always　straight；　and　in　the　fulfilment　of　his　scholastic　duties　he　had　been　almost　above　reproach。　Having　concluded　his　studies　at　the　university　with　astonishing　success；　for　there　was　scarcely　a　class　in　which　he　did　not　take　the　highest　honors；　he　entered　on　the　practice　of　his　profession；　promising；　by　his　application　and　his　aptitude　for　the　law；　to　maintain　fresh　and　green　in　the　forum　the　laurels　of　the　lecture…hall。

At　times　he　was　as　mischievous　as　a　boy；　at　times　as　sedate　as　a　man。　In　very　truth；　if　Jacinto　had　not　had　a　little；　and　even　a　great　deal　of　liking　for　pretty　girls；　his　uncle　would　have　thought　him　perfect。　The　worthy　man　preached　to　him　unceasingly　on　this　point；　hastening　to　clip　the　wings　of　every　audacious　fancy。　But　not　even　this　mundane　inclination　of　the　young　man　could　cool　the　great　affection　which　our　worthy　canon　bore　the　charming　offspring　of　his　dear　niece；　Maria　Remedios。　Where　the　young　lawyer　was　concerned；　every　thing　else　must　give　way。　Even　the　grave　and　methodical　habits　of　the　worthy　ecclesiastic　were　altered　when　they　interfered　with　the　affairs　of　his　precocious　pupil。　That　order　and　regularity；　apparently　as　fixed　as　the　laws　of　a　planetary　system；　were　interrupted　whenever　Jacinto　was　ill　or　had　to　take　a　journey。　Useless　celibacy　of　the　clergy！　The　Council　of　Trent　prohibits　them　from　having　children　of　their　own；　but　Godand　not　the　Devil；　as　the　proverb　saysgives　them　nephews　and　nieces　in　order　that　they　may　know　the　tender　anxieties　of　paternity。

Examining　impartially　the　qualities　of　this　clever　boy；　it　was　impossible　not　to　recognize　that　he　was　not　wanting　in　merit。　His　character　was　in　the　main　inclined　to　uprightness；　and　noble　actions　awakened　a　frank　admiration　in　his　soul。　With　respect　to　his　intellectual　endowments　and　his　social　knowledge；　they　were　sufficient　to　enable　him　to　become　in　time　one　of　those　notabilities　of　whom　there　are　so　many　in　Spain；　he　might　be　what　we　take　delight　in　calling　hyperbolically　a　distinguished　patrician；　or　an　eminent　public　man；　species　which；　owing　to　their　great　abundance；　are　hardly　appreciated　at　their　just　value。　In　the　tender　age　in　which　the　university　degree　serves　as　a　sort　of　solder　between　boyhood　and　manhood；　few　young　men　especially　if　they　have　been　spoiled　by　their　mastersare　free　from　an　offensive　pedantry；　which；　if　it　gives　them　great　importance　beside　their　mamma's　arm…chair；　makes　them　very　ridiculous　when　they　are　among　grave　and　experienced　men。　Jacinto　had　this　defect；　which　was　excusable　in　him；　not　only　because　of　his　youth；　but　also　because　his　worthy　uncle　stimulated　his　puerile　vanity　by　injudicious　praise。

When　the　introduction　was　over　they　resumed　their　walk。　Jacinto　was　silent。　The　canon；　returning　to　the　interrupted　theme　of　the　/pyros/　which　were　to　be　grafted　and　the　/vites/　which　were　to　be　trimmed；　said：

〃I　am　already　aware　that　Senor　Don　Jose　is　a　great　agriculturist。〃

〃Not　at　all；　I　know　nothing　whatever　about　the　subject；〃　responded　the　young　man；　observing　with　no　little　annoyance　the　canon's　mania　of　supposing　him　to　be　learned　in　all　the　sciences。

〃Oh；　yes！　a　great　agriculturist；〃　continued　the　Penitentiary；　'but　on　agricultural　subjects；　don't　quote　the　latest　treatises　to　me。　For　me　the　whole　of　that　science；　Senor　de　Rey；　is　condensed　in　what　I　call　the　Bible　of　the　Field；　in　the　'Georgics'　of　the　immortal　Roman。　It　is　all　admirable；　from　that　grand　sentence；　/Nec　vero　terroe　ferre　omnes　omnia　possunt/that　is　to　say；　that　not　every　soil　is　suited　to　every　tree；　Senor　Don　Joseto　the　exhaustive　treatise　on　bees；　in　which　the　poet　describes　the　habits　of　those　wise　little　animals；　defining　the　drone　in　these　words：

　　　　　　　　　〃　'Ille　horridus　alter　　　Desidia；　latamque　trahens　inglorius　alvum。'

'Of　a　horrible　and　slothful　figure；　dragging　along　the　ignoble　weight　of　the　belly；'　Senor　Don　Jose。〃

〃You　do　well　to　translate　it　for　me；〃　said　Pepe；　〃for　I　know　very　little　Latin。〃

〃Oh；　why　should　the　men　of　the　present　day　spend　their　time　in　studying　things　that　are　out　of　date？〃　said　the　canon　ironically。　〃Besides；　only　poor　creatures　like　Virgil　and　Cicero　and　Livy　wrote　in　Latin。　I；　however；　am　of　a　different　way　of　thinking；　as　witness　my　nephew；　to　whom　I　have　taught　that　sublime　language。　The　rascal　knows　it　better　than　I　do。　The　worst　of　it　is；　that　with　his　modern　reading　he　is　forgetting　it；　and　some　fine　day；　without　ever　having　suspected　it；　he　will　find　out　that　he　is　an　ignoramus。　For；　Senor　Don　Jose；　my　nephew　has　taken　to　studying　the　newest　books　and　the　most　extravagant　theories；　and　it　is　Flammarion　here　and　Flammarion　there；　and　nothing　will　do　him　but　that　the　stars　are　full　of　people。　Come；　I　fancy　that　you　two　are　going　to　be　very　good　friends。　Jacinto；　beg　this　gentleman　to　teach　you　the　higher　mathematics；　to　instruct　you　concerning　the　German　philosophers；　and　then　you　will　be　a　man。〃

The　worthy　ecclesiastic　laughed　at　his　own　wit；　while　Jacinto；　delighted　to　see　the　conversation　turn　on　a　theme　so　greatly　to　his　taste；　after　excusing　himself　to　Pepe　Rey；　suddenly　hurled　this　question　at　him：

〃Tell　me；　Senor　Don　Jose；　what　do　you　think　of　Darwinism？〃

Our　hero　smiled　at　this　inopportune　pedantry；　and　he　felt　almost　tempted　to　encourage　the　young　man　to　continue　in　this　path　of　childish　vanity；　but；　judging　it　more　prudent　to　avoid　intimacy；　either　with　the　nephew　or　the　uncle；　he　answered　simply：

〃I　can　think　nothing　at　all　about　the　doctrines　of　Darwin；　for　I　know　scarcely　any　thing　about　him。　My　professional　labors　have　not　permitted　me　to　devote　much　of　my　time　to　those　studies。〃

〃Well；〃　said　the　canon；　laughing；　〃it　all　reduces　itself　to　this；　that　we　are　descended　from　monkeys。　If　he　had　said　that　only　in　the　case　of　certain　people　I　know；　he　would　have　been　right。〃

〃The　theory　of　natural　selection；〃　said　Jacinto　emphatically；　〃has；　they　say；　a　great　many　partisans　in　Germany。〃

〃I　do　not　doubt　it；〃　said　the　ecclesiastic。　〃In　Germany　they　would　have　no　reason　to　be　sorry　if　that　theory　were　true；　as　far　as　Bismarck　is　concerned。〃

Dona　Perfecta　and　Senor　Don　Cayetano　at　this　moment　made　their　appearance。

〃What　a　beautiful　evening！〃　said　the　former。　〃Well；　nephew；　are　you　getting　terribly　bored？〃

〃I　am　not　bored　in　the　least；〃　responded　the　young　man。

〃Don't　try　to　deny　it。　Cayetano　and　I　were　speaking　of　that　as　we　came　along。　You　are　bored；　and　you　are　trying　to　hide　it。　It　is　not　every　young　man　of　the　present　day　who　would　have　the　self…denial　to　spend　his　youth；　like　Jacinto；　in　a　town　where　there　are　neither　theatres；　nor　opera　bouffe；　nor　dancers；　nor　philosophers；　nor　athenaeums；　nor　magazines；　nor　congresses；　nor　any　other　kind　of　diversions　or　entertainments。〃

〃I　am　quite　contented　here；〃　responded　Pepe。　〃I　was　just　now　saying　to　Rosario　that　I　find　this　city　and　this　house　so　pleasant　that　I　would　like　to　live　and　die　here。〃

Rosario　turned　very　red　and　the　others　were　silent。　They　all　sat　down　in　a　summer…house；　Jacinto　hastening　to　take　the　seat　on　the　left　of　the　young　girl。

〃See　here；　nephew；　I　have　a　piece　of　advice　to　give　you；〃　said　Dona　Perfecta；　smiling　with　that　expression　of　kindness　that　seemed　to　emanate　from　her　soul；　like　the　aroma　from　the　flower。　〃But　don't　imagine　that　I　am　either　reproving　you　or　giving　you　a　lessonyou　are　not　a　child；　and　you　will　easily　understand　what　I　mean。〃

〃Scold　me；　dear　aunt；　for　no　doubt　I　deserve　it；〃　replied　Pepe；　who　was　beginning　to　accustom　himself　to　the　kindnesses　of　his　father's　sister。

〃No；　it　is　only　a　piece　of　advice。　These　gentlemen；　I　am　sure；　will　agree　that　I　am　in　the　right。〃

Rosario　was　listening　with　her　whole　soul。

〃It　is　only　this；〃　co