dona perecta-第32章

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s　been　happening　in　my　house　since　you　entered　it。〃

〃I　am　glad　that　you　are　conscious　of　it。〃

〃In　exchange；　you　are　a　saint。　Must　I　also　go　down　on　my　knees　to　your　grace　and　ask　your　pardon？〃

〃Senora；〃　said　Pepe　Rey　gravely；　laying　down　his　knife　and　fork；　〃I　entreat　you　not　to　mock　me　in　so　pitiless　a　manner。　I　cannot　meet　you　on　equal　ground。　All　I　have　said　is　that　I　came　to　Orbajosa　at　your　invitation。〃

〃And　it　is　true。　Your　father　and　I　arranged　that　you　should　marry　Rosario。　You　came　in　order　to　become　acquainted　with　her。　I　accepted　you　at　once　as　a　son。　You　pretended　to　love　Rosario〃

〃Pardon　me；〃　objected　Pepe；　〃I　loved　and　I　love　Rosario；　you　pretended　to　accept　me　as　a　son；　receiving　me　with　deceitful　cordiality；　you　employed　from　the　very　beginning　all　the　arts　of　cunning　to　thwart　me　and　to　prevent　the　fulfilment　of　the　proposals　made　to　my　father；　you　determined　from　the　first　day　to　drive　me　to　desperation；　to　tire　me　out；　and　with　smiles　and　affectionate　words　on　your　lips　you　have　been　killing　me；　roasting　me　at　the　slow　fire；　you　have　let　loose　upon　me　in　the　dark　and　from　behind　an　ambush　a　swarm　of　lawsuits；　you　have　deprived　me　of　the　official　commission　which　I　brought　to　Orbajosa；　you　have　brought　me　into　disrepute　in　the　town；　you　have　had　me　turned　out　of　the　cathedral；　you　have　kept　me　constantly　separated　from　the　chosen　of　my　heart；　you　have　tortured　your　daughter　with　an　inquisitorial　imprisonment　which　will　cause　her　death；　unless　God　interposes　to　prevent　it。〃

Dona　Perfecta　turned　scarlet。　But　the　flush　of　offended　pride　passed　away　quickly；　leaving　her　face　of　a　greenish　pallor。　Her　lips　trembled。　Throwing　down　the　knife　and　fork　with　which　she　had　been　eating；　she　rose　swiftly　to　her　feet。　Her　nephew　rose　also。

〃My　God！　Holy　Virgin　of　Succor！〃　she　cried；　raising　both　her　hands　to　her　head　and　pressing　it　between　them　with　the　gesture　indicative　of　desperation；　〃is　it　possible　that　I　deserve　such　atrocious　insults？　Pepe；　my　son；　is　it　you　who　speak　to　me　in　this　way？　If　I　have　done　what　you　say；　I　am　indeed　very　wicked。〃

She　sank　on　the　sofa　and　covered　her　face　with　her　hands。　Pepe；　approaching　her　slowly；　saw　that　his　aunt　was　sobbing　bitterly　and　shedding　abundant　tears。　In　spite　of　his　conviction　he　could　not　altogether　conquer　the　feeling　of　compassion　which　took　possession　of　him；　and　while　he　condemned　himself　for　his　cowardice　he　felt　something　of　remorse　for　the　severity　and　the　frankness　with　which　he　had　spoken。

〃My　dear　aunt；〃　he　said；　putting　his　hand　on　her　shoulder；　〃if　you　answer　me　with　tears　and　sighs；　you　will　not　convince　me。　Proofs；　not　emotions；　are　what　I　require。　Speak　to　me；　tell　me　that　I　am　mistaken　in　thinking　what　I　think；　then　prove　it　to　me；　and　I　will　acknowledge　my　error。〃

〃Leave　me；　you　are　not　my　brother's　son！　If　you　were；　you　would　not　insult　me　as　you　have　insulted　me。　So；　then；　I　am　an　intriguer；　an　actress；　a　hypocritical　harpy；　a　domestic　plotter？〃

As　she　spoke；　Dona　Perfecta　uncovered　her　face　and　looked　at　her　nephew　with　a　martyr…like　expression。　Pepe　was　perplexed。　The　tears　as　well　as　the　gentle　voice　of　his　father's　sister　could　not　be　insignificant　phenomena　for　the　mathematician's　soul。　Words　crowded　to　his　lips　to　ask　her　pardon。　A　man　of　great　firmness　generally；　any　appeal　to　his　emotions；　any　thing　which　touched　his　heart；　converted　him　at　once　into　a　child。　Weaknesses　of　a　mathematician！　It　is　said　that　Newton　was　the　same。

〃I　will　give　you　the　proofs　you　ask；〃　said　Dona　Perfecta；　motioning　him　to　a　seat　beside　her。　〃I　will　give　you　satisfaction。　You　shall　see　whether　I　am　kind；　whether　I　am　indulgent；　whether　I　am　humble。　Do　you　think　that　I　am　going　to　contradict　you；　to　deny　absolutely　the　acts　of　which　you　have　accused　me？　Well；　then；　no；　I　do　not　deny　them。〃

The　engineer　was　astounded。

〃I　do　not　deny　them；〃　continued　Dona　Perfecta。　〃What　I　deny　is　the　evil　intention　which　you　attribute　to　them。　By　what　right　do　you　undertake　to　judge　of　what　you　know　only　from　appearances　and　by　conjecture？　Have　you　the　supreme　intelligence　which　is　necessary　to　judge　justly　the　actions　of　others　and　pronounce　sentence　upon　them？　Are　you　God；　to　know　the　intentions？〃

Pepe　was　every　moment　more　amazed。

〃Is　it　not　allowable　at　times　to　employ　indirect　means　to　attain　a　good　and　honorable　end？　By　what　right　do　you　judge　actions　of　mine　that　you　do　not　clearly　understand？　I；　my　dear　nephew；　manifesting　a　sincerity　which　you　do　not　deserve；　confess　to　you　that　I　have　indeed　employed　subterfuges　to　attain　a　good　end；　to　attain　what　was　at　the　same　time　beneficial　to　you　and　to　my　daughter。　You　do　not　comprehend？　You　look　bewildered。　Ah！　your　great　mathematician's　and　German　philosopher's　intellect　is　not　capable　of　comprehending　these　artifices　of　a　prudent　mother。〃

〃I　am　more　and　more　astounded　every　moment；〃　said　the　engineer。

〃Be　as　astounded　as　you　choose；　but　confess　your　barbarity；〃　said　the　lady；　with　increasing　spirit；　〃acknowledge　your　hastiness　and　your　brutal　conduct　toward　me　in　accusing　me　as　you　have　done。　You　are　a　young　man　without　any　experience　or　any　other　knowledge　than　that　which　is　derived　from　books；　which　teach　nothing　about　the　world　or　the　human　heart。　All　you　know　is　how　to　make　roads　and　docks。　Ah；　my　young　gentleman！　one　does　not　enter　into　the　human　heart　through　the　tunnel　of　a　railroad；　or　descend　into　its　depths　through　the　shaft　of　a　mine。　You　cannot　read　in　the　conscience　of　another　with　the　microscope　of　a　naturalist；　nor　decide　the　question　of　another's　culpability　measuring　ideas　with　a　theodolite。〃

〃For　God's　sake；　dear　aunt！〃

〃Why　do　you　pronounce　the　name　of　God　when　you　do　not　believe　in　him？〃　said　Dona　Perfecta；　in　solemn　accents。　〃If　you　believed　in　him；　if　you　were　a　good　Christian；　you　would　not　dare　to　form　evil　judgments　about　my　conduct。　I　am　a　devout　woman；　do　you　understand？　I　have　a　tranquil　conscience；　do　you　understand？　I　know　what　I　am　doing　and　why　I　do　it；　do　you　understand？〃

〃I　understand；　I　understand；　I　understand！〃

〃God　in　whom　you　do　not　believe；　sees　what　you　do　not　see　and　what　you　cannot　seethe　intention。　I　will　say　no　more；　I　do　not　wish　to　enter　into　minute　explanations；　for　I　do　not　need　to　do　so。　Nor　would　you　understand　me　if　I　should　tell　you　that　I　desired　to　attain　my　object　without　scandal；　without　offending　your　father；　without　offending　you；　without　giving　cause　for　people　to　talk　by　an　explicit　refusalI　will　say　nothing　of　all　this　to　you；　for　you　would　not　understand　it；　either；　Pepe。　You　are　a　mathematician。　You　see　what　is　before　your　eyes；　and　nothing　more；　brute　matter　and　nothing　more。　You　see　the　effect；　and　not　the　cause。　God　is　the　supreme　intention　of　the　world。　He　who　does　not　know　this　must　necessarily　judge　things　as　you　judge　themfoolishly。　In　the　tempest；　for　instance；　he　sees　only　destruction；　in　the　conflagration；　ruin；　in　the　drought；　famine；　in　the　earthquake；　desolation；　and　yet；　arrogant　young　man；　in　all　those　apparent　calamities　we　are　to　seek　the　good　intentionsyes；　senor；　the　intention；　always　good；　of　Him　who　can　do　nothing　evil。〃

This　confused；　subtle；　and　mystic　logic　did　not　convince　Pepe　Rey；　but　he　did　not　wish　to　follow　his　aunt　in　the　tortuous　path　of　such　a　method　of　reasoning；　and　he　said　simply：

〃Well；　I　respect　intentions。〃

〃Now　that　you　seem　to　recognize　your　error；〃　continued　the　pious　lady；　with　ever…increasing　confidence；　〃I　will　make　another　confession　to　you；　and　that　is　that　I　see　now　that　I　did　wrong　in　adopting　the　course　I　did；　although　my　object　was　excellent。　In　view　of　your　impetuous　disposition；　in　view　of　your　incapacity　to　comprehend　me；　I　should　have　faced　the　situation　boldly　and　said　to　you；　'Nephew；　I　do　not　wish　that　you　should　be　my　daughter's　husband。'　〃

〃That　is　the　language　you　should　have　used　to　me　from　the　beginning；〃　said　the　engineer；　drawing　a　deep　breath；　as　if　his　mind　had　been　relieved　from　an　enormous　weight。　〃I　am　greatly　obliged　to　you　for　those　words。　After　having　been　stabbed　in　the　dark；　this　blow　on　the　face　in　the　light　of　day　is　a　great　satisfaction　to　me。〃

〃Well；　I　will　repeat　the　blow；　nephew；〃　declared　Dona　Perfecta；　with　as　much　e