贝壳电子书 > 英文原著电子书 > carmen(卡门) >

第16章

carmen(卡门)-第16章

小说: carmen(卡门) 字数: 每页4000字

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!





… Page 48…

                                         CARMEN 



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 



                                                48 


… Page 49…

                                         CARMEN 



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 



                                               49 


… Page 50…

                                         CARMEN 



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 



                                                50 


… Page 51…

                                          CARMEN 



chan

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 2 2

你可能喜欢的