carmen(卡门)-第16章
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hadn't jogged his elbow。
〃To put it shortly; I won Carmen back that day; and my first words
were to tell her she was a widow。
〃When she knew how it had all happened
〃 'You'll always be a /lillipendi/;' she said。 'Garcia ought to have killed
you。 Your Navarrese guard is a pack of nonsense; and he has sent far more
skilful men than you into the darkness。 It was just that his time had come
and yours will come too。'
〃 'Ay; and yours too!if you're not a faithful /romi/ to me。'
〃 'So be it;' said she。 'I've read in the coffee grounds; more than once;
that you and I were to end our lives together。 Pshaw! what must be; will
be!' and she rattled her castanets; as was her way when she wanted to drive
away some worrying thought。
〃One runs on when one is talking about one's self。 I dare say all these
details bore you; but I shall soon be at the end of my story。 Our new life
lasted for some considerable time。 /El Dancaire/ and I gathered a few
comrades about us; who were more trustworthy than our earlier ones; and
we turned our attention to smuggling。 Occasionally; indeed; I must confess
we stopped travellers on the highways; but never unless we were at the last
extremity; and could not avoid doing so; and besides; we never ill…treated
the travellers; and confined ourselves to taking their money from them。
〃For some months I was very well satisfied with Carmen。 She still
served us in our smuggling operations; by giving us notice of any
opportunity of making a good haul。 She remained either at Malaga; at
Cordova; or at Granada; but at a word from me she would leave
everything; and come to meet me at some /venta/ or even in our lonely
camp。 Only onceit was at Malagashe caused me some uneasiness。 I
heard she had fixed her fancy upon a very rich merchant; with whom she
probably proposed to play her Gibraltar trick over again。 In spite of
everything /El Dancaire/ said to stop me; I started off; walked into Malaga
in broad daylight; sought for Carmen and carried her off instantly。 We had
a sharp altercation。
〃 'Do you know;' said she; 'now that you're my /rom/ for good and all; I
don't care for you so much as when you were my /minchorro/! I won't be
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worried; and above all; I won't be ordered about。 I choose to be free to do
as I like。 Take care you don't drive me too far; if you tire me out; I'll find
some good fellow who'll serve you just as you served /El Tuerto/。'
〃/El Dancaire/ patched it up between us; but we had said things to each
other that rankled in our hearts; and we were not as we had been before。
Shortly after that we had a misfortune: the soldiers caught us; /El
Dancaire/ and two of my comrades were killed; two others were taken。 I
was sorely wounded; and; but for my good horse; I should have fallen into
the soldiers' hands。 Half dead with fatigue; and with a bullet in my body; I
sought shelter in a wood; with my only remaining comrade。 When I got off
my horse I fainted away; and I thought I was going to die there in the
brushwood; like a shot hare。 My comrade carried me to a cave he knew of;
and then he sent to fetch Carmen。
〃She was at Granada; and she hurried to me at once。 For a whole
fortnight she never left me for a single instant。 She never closed her eyes;
she nursed me with a skill and care such as no woman ever showed to the
man she loved most tenderly。 As soon as I could stand on my feet; she
conveyed me with the utmost secrecy to Granada。 These gipsy women
find safe shelter everywhere; and I spent more than six weeks in a house
only two doors from that of the /Corregidor/ who was trying to arrest me。
More than once I saw him pass by; from behind the shutter。 At last I
recovered; but I had thought a great deal; on my bed of pain; and I had
planned to change my way of life。 I suggested to Carmen that we should
leave Spain; and seek an honest livelihood in the New World。 She laughed
in my face。
〃 'We were not born to plant cabbages;' she cried。 'Our fate is to live
/payllos/! Listen: I've arranged a business with Nathan Ben… Joseph at
Gibraltar。 He has cotton stuffs that he can not get through till you come to
fetch them。 He knows you're alive; and reckons upon you。 What would our
Gibraltar correspondents say if you failed them?'
〃I let myself by persuaded; and took up my vile trade once more。
〃While I was hiding at Granada there were bull…fights there; to which
Carmen went。 When she came back she talked a great deal about a skilful
/picador/ of the name of Lucas。 She knew the name of his horse; and how
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much his embroidered jacket had cost him。 I paid no attention to this; but a
few days later; Juanito; the only one of my comrades who was left; told me
he had seen Carmen with Lucas in a shop in the Zacatin。 Then I began to
feel alarmed。 I asked Carmen how and why she had made the /picador's/
acquaintance。
〃 'He's a man out of whom we may be able to get something;' said she。
'A noisy stream has either water in it or pebbles。 He has earned twelve
hundred reals at the bull…fights。 It must be one of two things: we must
either have his money; or else; as he is a good rider and a plucky fellow;
we can enroll him in our gang。 We have lost such an one an such an one;
you'll have to replace them。 Take this man with you!'
〃 'I want neither his money nor himself;' I replied; 'and I forbid you to
speak to him。'
〃 'Beware!' she retorted。 'If any one defies me to do a thing; it's very
quickly done。'
〃Luckily the /picador/ departed to Malaga; and I set about passing in
the Jew's cotton stuffs。 This expedition gave me a great deal to do; and
Carmen as well。 I forgot Lucas; and perhaps she forgot him too for the
moment; at all events。 It was just about that time; sir; that I met you; first
at Montilla; and then afterward at Cordova。 I won't talk about that last
interview。 You know more about it; perhaps; than I do。 Carmen stole your
watch from you; she wanted to have your money besides; and especially
that ring I see on your finger; and which she declared to be a magic ring;
the possession of which was very important to her。 We had a violent
quarrel; and I struck her。 She turned pale and began to cry。 It was the first
time I had ever seen her cry; and it affected me in the most painful manner。
I begged her to forgive me; but she sulked with me for a whole day; and
when I started back to Montilla she wouldn't kiss me。 My heart was still
very sore; when; three days later; she joined me with a smiling face and as
merry as a lark。 Everything was forgotten; and we were like a pair of
honeymoon lovers。 Just as we were parting she said; 'There's a /fete/ at
Cordova; I shall go and see it; and then I shall know what people will be
coming away with money; and I can warn you。'
〃I let her go。 When I was alone I thought about the /fete/; and about the
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chan