dona perecta-第42章

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〃Be　silent；　be　silent！〃　said　Dona　Perfecta；　with　vehemence。　〃Don't　mention　the　occurrence　of　the　night　before　last　to　me。　What　a　horrible　affair！　Maria　Remedios；　I　understand　now　how　anger　can　imperil　the　salvation　of　a　soul。　I　am　burning　with　rageunhappy　that　I　am；　to　see　such　things　and　not　to　be　a　man！　But　to　speak　the　truth　in　regard　to　the　occurrence　of　the　night　before　lastI　still　have　my　doubts。　Librada　vows　and　declares　that　Pinzon　was　the　man　who　came　into　the　house。　My　daughter　denies　every　thing；　my　daughter　has　never　told　me　a　lie！　I　persist　in　my　suspicions。　I　think　that　Pinzon　is　a　hypocritical　go…between；　but　nothing　more。〃

〃We　come　back　to　the　same　thingthat　the　author　of　all　the　trouble　is　the　blessed　mathematician。　Ah！　my　heart　did　not　deceive　me　when　I　first　saw　him。　Well；　then　senora！　resign　yourself　to　see　something　still　more　terrible；　unless　you　make　up　your　mind　to　call　Caballuco　and　say　to　him；　'Caballuco；　I　hope　that'　〃

〃The　same　thing　again；　what　a　simpleton　you　are！〃

〃Oh　yes！　I　know　I　am　a　great　simpleton；　but　how　can　I　help　it　if　I　am　not　any　wiser？　I　say　what　comes　into　my　head；　without　any　art。〃

〃What　you　think　ofthat　silly　and　vulgar　idea　of　the　beating　and　the　frightis　what　would　occur　to　any　one。　You　have　not　an　ounce　of　brains；　Remedios；　to　solve　a　serious　question　you　can　think　of　nothing　better　than　a　piece　of　folly　like　that。　I　have　thought　of　a　means　more　worthy　of　noble…minded　and　well…bred　persons。　A　beating！　What　stupidity！　Besides；　I　would　not　on　any　account　have　my　nephew　receive　even　so　much　as　a　scratch　by　an　order　of　mine。　God　will　send　him　his　punishment　through　some　one　of　the　wonderful　ways　which　he　knows　how　to　choose。　All　we　have　to　do　is　to　work　in　order　that　the　designs　of　God　may　find　no　obstacle。　Maria　Remedios；　it　is　necessary　in　matters　of　this　kind　to　go　directly　to　the　causes　of　things。　But　you　know　nothing　about　causesyou　can　see　only　trifles。〃

〃That　may　be　so；〃　said　the　priest's　niece；　with　humility。　〃I　wonder　why　God　made　me　so　foolish　that　I　can　understand　nothing　of　those　sublime　ideas！〃

〃It　is　necessary　to　go　to　the　bottomto　the　bottom；　Remedios。　Don't　you　understand　yet？〃

〃No。〃

〃My　nephew　is　not　my　nephew；　woman；　he　is　blasphemy；　sacrilege；　atheism；　demagogy。　Do　you　know　what　demagogy　is？〃

〃Something　relating　to　those　people　who　burned　Paris　with　petroleum；　and　those　who　pull　down　the　churches　and　fire　on　the　images。　So　far　I　understand　very　well。〃

〃Well；　my　nephew　is　all　that！　Ah！　if　he　were　alone　in　Orbajosabut　no；　child。　My　nephew；　through　a　series　of　fatalities；　which　are　trials；　the　transitory　evils　that　God　permits　for　our　chastisement；　is　equivalent　to　an　army；　is　equivalent　to　the　authority　of　the　government；　equivalent　to　the　alcalde；　equivalent　to　the　judge。　My　nephew　is　not　my　nephew；　he　is　the　official　nation；　Remediosthat　second　nation　composed　of　the　scoundrels　who　govern　in　Madrid；　and　who　have　made　themselves　masters　of　its　material　strength；　of　that　apparent　nation　for　the　real　nation　is　the　one　that　is　silent；　that　pays　and　suffers；　of　that　fictitious　nation　that　signs　decrees　and　pronounces　discourses　and　makes　a　farce　of　government；　and　a　farce　of　authority；　and　a　farce　of　every　thing。　That　is　what　my　nephew　is　to…day；　you　must　accustom　yourself　to　look　under　the　surface　of　things。　My　nephew　is　the　government；　the　brigadier；　the　new　alcalde；　the　new　judgefor　they　all　protect　him；　because　of　the　unanimity　of　their　ideas；　because　they　are　chips　of　the　same　block；　birds　of　a　feather。　Understand　it　well；　we　must　defend　ourselves　against　them　all；　for　they　are　all　one；　and　one　is　all；　we　must　attack　them　all　together；　and　not　by　beating　a　man　as　he　turns　a　corner；　but　as　our　forefathers　attacked　the　Moorsthe　Moors；　Remedios。　Understand　this　well；　child；　open　your　understanding　and　allow　an　idea　that　is　not　vulgar　to　enter　itrise　above　yourself；　think　lofty　thoughts；　Remedios！〃

Don　Inocencio's　niece　was　struck　dumb　by　so　much　loftiness　of　soul。　She　opened　her　mouth　to　say　something　that　should　be　in　consonance　with　so　sublime　an　idea；　but　she　only　breathed　a　sigh。

〃Like　the　Moors；〃　repeated　Dona　Perfecta。　〃It　is　a　question　of　Moors　and　Christians。　And　did　you　suppose　that　by　giving　a　fright　to　my　nephew　all　would　be　ended？　How　foolish　you　are！　Don't　you　see　that　his　friends　support　him？　Don't　you　see　that　you　are　at　the　mercy　of　that　rabble？　Don't　you　see　that　any　little　lieutenant　can　set　fire　to　my　house；　if　he　takes　it　into　his　head　to　do　so？　But　don't　you　know　this？　Don't　you　comprehend　that　it　is　necessary　to　go　to　the　bottom　of　things？　Don't　you　comprehend　how　vast；　how　tremendous　is　the　power　of　my　enemy；　who　is　not　a　man；　but　a　sect？　Don't　you　comprehend　that　my　nephew；　as　he　confronts　me　to…day；　is　not　a　calamity；　but　a　plague？　Against　this　plague；　dear　Remedios；　we　shall　have　here　a　battalion　sent　by　God　that　will　annihilate　the　infernal　militia　from　Madrid。　I　tell　you　that　this　is　going　to　be　great　and　glorious。〃

〃If　it　were　at　last　so！〃

〃But　do　you　doubt　it？　To…day　we　shall　see　terrible　things　here；〃　said　Dona　Perfecta；　with　great　impatience。　〃To…day；　to…day！　What　o'clock　is　it？　Seven？　So　late；　and　nothing　has　happened！〃

〃Perhaps　my　uncle　has　heard　something；　he　is　here　now；　I　hear　him　coming　upstairs。〃

〃Thank　God！〃　said　Dona　Perfecta；　rising　to　receive　the　Penitentiary。　〃He　will　have　good　news　for　us。〃

Don　Inocencio　entered　hastily。　His　altered　countenance　showed　that　his　soul；　consecrated　to　religion　and　to　the　study　of　the　classics；　was　not　as　tranquil　as　usual。

〃Bad　news！〃　he　said；　laying　his　hat　on　a　chair　and　loosening　the　cords　of　his　cloak。

Dona　Perfecta　turned　pale。

〃They　are　arresting　people；〃　added　Don　Inocencio；　lowering　his　voice；　as　if　there　was　a　soldier　hidden　under　every　chair。　〃They　suspect；　no　doubt；　that　the　people　here　would　not　put　up　with　their　high…handed　measures；　and　they　have　gone　from　house　to　house；　arresting　all　who　have　a　reputation　for　bravery。〃

Dona　Perfecta　threw　herself　into　an　easy　chair　and　clutched　its　arms　convulsively。

〃It　remains　to　be　seen　whether　they　have　allowed　themselves　to　be　arrested；〃　observed　Remedios。

〃Many　of　them　havea　great　many　of　them；〃　said　Don　Inocencio；　with　an　approving　look；　addressing　Dona　Perfecta；　〃have　had　time　to　escape；　and　have　gone　with　arms　and　horses　to　Villahorrenda。〃

〃And　Ramos？〃

〃They　told　me　in　the　cathedral　that　he　is　the　one　they　are　looking　for　most　eagerly。　Oh；　my　God！　to　arrest　innocent　people　in　that　way；　who　have　done　nothing　yet。　Well；　I　don't　know　how　good　Spaniards　can　have　patience　under　such　treatment。　Senora　Dona　Perfecta；　when　I　was　telling　you　about　the　arrests；　I　forgot　to　say　that　you　ought　to　go　home　at　once。〃

〃Yes；　I　will　go　at　once。　Have　those　bandits　searched　my　house？〃

〃It　is　possible。　Senora；　we　have　fallen　upon　evil　days；〃　said　Don　Inocencio；　in　solemn　and　feeling　accents。　〃May　God　have　pity　upon　us！〃

〃There　are　half　a　dozen　well…armed　men　in　my　house；〃　responded　the　lady；　greatly　agitated。　〃What　iniquity！　Would　they　be　capable　of　wanting　to　carry　them　off　too？〃

〃Assuredly　Senor　Pinzon　will　not　have　neglected　to　denounce　them。　Senora；　I　repeat　that　we　have　fallen　upon　evil　days。　But　God　will　protect　the　innocent。〃

〃I　am　going　now。　Don't　fail　to　stop　in　at　the　house。〃

〃Senora；　as　soon　as　the　lesson　is　overthough　I　imagine　that　with　the　excitement　that　there　is　in　the　town；　all　the　boys　will　play　truant　to…day　But　in　any　case　I　will　go　to　the　house　after　class　hours。　I　don't　wish　you　to　go　out　alone；　senora。　Those　vagabond　soldiers　are　strutting　about　the　streets　with　such　insolent　airs。　Jacinto；　Jacinto！〃

〃It　is　not　necessary。　I　will　go　alone。〃

〃Let　Jacinto　go　with　you；〃　said　the　young　man's　mother。　〃He　must　be　up　by　this　time。〃

They　heard　the　hurried　footsteps　of　the　little　doctor；　who　was　coming　down　the　stairs　in　the　greatest　haste。　He　entered　the　room　with　flushed　face　and　panting　for　breath。

〃What　is　the　matter？〃　asked　his　uncle。

〃In　the　Troyas'　house；〃　said　the　young　man；　〃in　the　house　of　those　those　girls〃

〃Finish　at　once！〃

〃Caballuco　is　there！〃

〃Up　there？　In　the　house　of　the　Troyas？〃

〃Yes；　senor。　He　spoke　to　me　from　th