dona perecta-第3章

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e。

Before　the　caravan　had　put　itself　in　motion　the　train　had　started；　and　was　now　creeping　along　the　road　with　the　lazy　deliberation　of　a　way　train；　awakening；　as　it　receded　in　the　distance；　deep　subterranean　echoes。　As　it　entered　the　tunnel　at　kilometre　172；　the　steam　issued　from　the　steam　whistle　with　a　shriek　that　resounded　through　the　air。　From　the　dark　mouth　of　the　tunnel　came　volumes　of　whitish　smoke；　a　succession　of　shrill　screams　like　the　blasts　of　a　trumpet　followed；　and　at　the　sound　of　its　stentorian　voice　villages；　towns；　the　whole　surrounding　country　awoke。　Here　a　cock　began　to　crow；　further　on　another。　Day　was　beginning　to　dawn。



CHAPTER　II

A　JOURNEY　IN　THE　HEART　OF　SPAIN

When　they　had　proceeded　some　distance　on　their　way　and　had　left　behind　them　the　hovels　of　Villahorrenda；　the　traveller；　who　was　young　and　handsome　spoke　thus：

〃Tell　me；　Senor　Solon…？

〃Licurgo；　at　your　service。〃

〃Senor　Licurgo；　I　mean。　But　I　was　right　in　giving　you　the　name　of　a　wise　legislator　of　antiquity。　Excuse　the　mistake。　But　to　come　to　the　point。　Tell　me；　how　is　my　aunt？〃

〃As　handsome　as　ever；〃　answered　the　peasant；　pushing　his　beast　forward　a　little。　〃Time　seems　to　stand　still　with　Senora　Dona　Perfecta。　They　say　that　God　gives　long　life　to　the　good；　and　if　that　is　so　that　angel　of　the　Lord　ought　to　live　a　thousand　years。　If　all　the　blessings　that　are　showered　on　her　in　this　world　were　feathers；　the　senora　would　need　no　other　wings　to　go　up　to　heaven　with。〃

〃And　my　cousin；　Senorita　Rosario？〃

〃The　senora　over　again！〃　said　the　peasant。　〃What　more　can　I　tell　you　of　Dona　Rosarito　but　that　that　she　is　the　living　image　of　her　mother？　You　will　have　a　treasure；　Senor　Don　Jose；　if　it　is　true；　as　I　hear；　that　you　have　come　to　be　married　to　her。　She　will　be　a　worthy　mate　for　you；　and　the　young　lady　will　have　nothing　to　complain　of；　either。　Between　Pedro　and　Pedro　the　difference　is　not　very　great。〃

〃And　Senor　Don　Cayetano？〃

〃Buried　in　his　books　as　usual。　He　has　a　library　bigger　than　the　cathedral；　and　he　roots　up　the　earth；　besides；　searching　for　stones　covered　with　fantastical　scrawls；　that　were　written；　they　say；　by　the　Moors。〃

〃How　soon　shall　we　reach　Orbajosa？〃

〃By　nine　o'clock；　God　willing。　How　delighted　the　senora　will　be　when　she　sees　her　nephew！　And　yesterday；　Senorita　Rosario　was　putting　the　room　you　are　to　have　in　order。　As　they　have　never　seen　you；　both　mother　and　daughter　think　of　nothing　else　but　what　Senor　Don　Jose　is　like；　or　is　not　like。　The　time　has　now　come　for　letters　to　be　silent　and　tongues　to　talk。　The　young　lady　will　see　her　cousin　and　all　will　be　joy　and　merry…making。　If　God　wills；　all　will　end　happily；　as　the　saying　is。〃

〃As　neither　my　aunt　nor　my　cousin　has　yet　seen　me；〃　said　the　traveller　smiling；　〃it　is　not　wise　to　make　plans。〃

〃That's　true；　for　that　reason　it　was　said　that　the　bay　horse　is　of　one　mind　and　he　who　saddles　him　of　another；〃　answered　the　peasant。　〃But　the　face　does　not　lie。　What　a　jewel　you　are　getting！　and　she；　what　a　handsome　man！〃

The　young　man　did　not　hear　Uncle　Licurgo's　last　words；　for　he　was　preoccupied　with　his　own　thoughts。　Arrived　at　a　bend　in　the　road；　the　peasant　turned　his　horse's　head　in　another　direction；　saying：

〃We　must　follow　this　path　now。　The　bridge　is　broken；　and　the　river　can　only　be　forded　at　the　Hill　of　the　Lilies。〃

〃The　Hill　of　the　Lilies；〃　repeated　the　cavalier；　emerging　from　his　revery。　〃How　abundant　beautiful　names　are　in　these　unattractive　localities！　Since　I　have　been　travelling　in　this　part　of　the　country　the　terrible　irony　of　the　names　is　a　constant　surprise　to　me。　Some　place　that　is　remarkable　for　its　barren　aspect　and　the　desolate　sadness　of　the　landscape　is　called　Valleameno　（Pleasant　Valley）。　Some　wretched　mud…walled　village　stretched　on　a　barren　plain　and　proclaiming　its　poverty　in　diverse　ways　has　the　insolence　to　call　itself　Villarica　（Rich　Town）；　and　some　arid　and　stony　ravine；　where　not　even　the　thistles　can　find　nourishment；　calls　itself；　nevertheless；　Valdeflores　（Vale　of　Flowers）。　That　hill　in　front　of　us　is　the　Hill　of　the　Lilies？　But　where；　in　Heaven's　name；　are　the　lilies？　I　see　nothing　but　stones　and　withered　grass。　Call　it　Hill　of　Desolation；　and　you　will　be　right。　With　the　exception　of　Villahorrenda；　whose　appearance　corresponds　with　its　name；　all　is　irony　here。　Beautiful　words；　a　prosaic　and　mean　reality。　The　blind　would　be　happy　in　this　country；　which　for　the　tongue　is　a　Paradise　and　for　the　eyes　a　hell。〃

Senor　Licurgo　either　did　not　hear　the　young　man's　words；　or；　hearing；　he　paid　no　attention　to　them。　When　they　had　forded　the　river；　which；　turbid　and　impetuous；　hurried　on　with　impatient　haste；　as　if　fleeing　from　its　own　hands；　the　peasant　pointed　with　outstretched　arm　to　some　barren　and　extensive　fields　that　were　to　be　seen　on　the　left；　and　said：

〃Those　are　the　Poplars　of　Bustamante。〃

〃My　lands！〃　exclaimed　the　traveller　joyfully；　gazing　at　the　melancholy　fields　illumined　by　the　early　morning　light。　〃For　the　first　time；　I　see　the　patrimony　which　I　inherited　from　my　mother。　The　poor　woman　used　to　praise　this　country　so　extravagantly；　and　tell　me　so　many　marvellous　things　about　it　when　I　was　a　child；　that　I　thought　that　to　be　here　was　to　be　in　heaven。　Fruits；　flowers；　game；　large　and　small；　mountains；　lakes；　rivers；　romantic　streams；　pastoral　hills；　all　were　to　be　found　in　the　Poplars　of　Bustamante；　in　this　favored　land；　the　best　and　most　beautiful　on　the　earth。　But　what　is　to　be　said？　The　people　of　this　place　live　in　their　imaginations。　If　I　had　been　brought　here　in　my　youth；　when　I　shared　the　ideas　and　the　enthusiasm　of　my　dear　mother；　I　suppose　that　I；　too；　would　have　been　enchanted　with　these　bare　hills；　these　arid　or　marshy　plains；　these　dilapidated　farmhouses；　these　rickety　norias；　whose　buckets　drip　water　enough　to　sprinkle　half　a　dozen　cabbages；　this　wretched　and　barren　desolation　that　surrounds　me。〃

〃It　is　the　best　land　in　the　country；〃　said　Senor　Licurgo；　〃and　for　the　chick…pea；　there　is　no　other　like　it。〃

〃I　am　delighted　to　hear　it；　for　since　they　came　into　my　possession　these　famous　lands　have　never　brought　me　a　penny。〃

The　wise　legislator　of　Sparta　scratched　his　ear　and　gave　a　sigh。

〃But　I　have　been　told；〃　continued　the　young　man；　〃that　some　of　the　neighboring　proprietors　have　put　their　ploughs　in　these　estates　of　mine；　and　that；　little　by　little；　they　are　filching　them　from　me。　Here　there　are　neither　landmarks　nor　boundaries；　nor　real　ownership；　Senor　Licurgo。〃

The　peasant；　after　a　pause；　during　which　his　subtle　intellect　seemed　to　be　occupied　in　profound　disquisitions；　expressed　himself　as　follows：

〃Uncle　Paso　Largo；　whom；　for　his　great　foresight；　we　call　the　Philosopher；　set　his　plough　in　the　Poplars；　above　the　hermitage；　and　bit　by　bit；　he　has　gobbled　up　six　fanegas。〃

〃What　an　incomparable　school！〃　exclaimed　the　young　man；　smiling。　〃I　wager　that　he　has　not　been　the　onlyphilosopher？〃

〃It　is　a　true　saying　that　one　should　talk　only　about　what　one　knows；　and　that　if　there　is　food　in　the　dove…cote；　doves　won't　be　wanting。　But　you；　Senor　Don　Jose；　can　apply　to　your　own　cause　the　saying　that　the　eye　of　the　master　fattens　the　ox；　and　now　that　you　are　here；　try　and　recover　your　property。〃

〃Perhaps　that　would　not　be　so　easy；　Senor　Licurgo；〃　returned　the　young　man；　just　as　they　were　entering　a　path　bordered　on　either　side　by　wheat…fields；　whose　luxuriance　and　early　ripeness　gladdened　the　eye。　〃This　field　appears　to　be　better　cultivated。　I　see　that　all　is　not　dreariness　and　misery　in　the　Poplars。〃

The　peasant　assumed　a　melancholy　look；　and；　affecting　something　of　disdain　for　the　fields　that　had　been　praised　by　the　traveller；　said　in　the　humblest　of　tones：

〃Senor；　this　is　mine。〃

〃I　beg　your　pardon；〃　replied　the　gentleman　quickly；　〃now　I　was　going　to　put　my　sickle　in　your　field。　Apparently　the　philosophy　of　this　place　is　contagious。〃

They　now　descended　into　a　canebrake；　which　formed　the　bed　of　a　shallow　and　stagnant　brook；　and；　crossing　it；　they　entered　a　field　full　of　stones　and　without　the　slightest　trace　of　vegetation。

〃This　ground　is　very　bad；〃　said　the　young　man；　turning　round　to　look　at　his　companion　and　guide；　who　had　remained　a　little　behind。　〃You　wi