carmen-第13章

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；　and　let　us　fight　it　out。　He　saw　there　was　no　means　of　stopping　us；　so　he　stood　on　one　side。　Garcia　was　already　bent　double；　like　a　cat　ready　to　spring　upon　a　mouse。　He　held　his　hat　in　his　left　hand　to　parry　with；　and　his　knife　in　front　of　himthat's　their　Andalusian　guard。　I　stood　up　in　the　Navarrese　fashion；　with　my　left　arm　raised；　my　left　leg　forward；　and　my　knife　held　straight　along　my　right　thigh。　I　felt　I　was　stronger　than　any　giant。　He　flew　at　me　like　an　arrow。　I　turned　round　on　my　left　foot；　so　that　he　found　nothing　in　front　of　him。　But　I　thrust　him　in　the　throat；　and　the　knife　went　in　so　far　that　my　hand　was　under　his　chin。　I　gave　the　blade　such　a　twist　that　it　broke。　That　was　the　end。　The　blade　was　carried　out　of　the　wound　by　a　gush　of　blood　as　thick　as　my　arm；　and　he　fell　full　length　on　his　face。

〃　'What　have　you　done？'　said　/El　Dancaire/　to　me。

〃　'Hark　ye；'　said　I；　'we　couldn't　live　on　together。　I　love　Carmen　and　I　mean　to　be　the　only　one。　And　besides；　Garcia　was　a　villain。　I　remember　what　he　did　to　that　poor　/Remendado/。　There　are　only　two　of　us　left　now；　but　we　are　both　good　fellows。　Come；　will　you　have　me　for　your　friend；　for　life　or　death？'

〃/El　Dancaire/　stretched　out　his　hand。　He　was　a　man　of　fifty。

〃　'Devil　take　these　love　stories！'　he　cried。　'If　you'd　asked　him　for　Carmen　he'd　have　sold　her　to　you　for　a　piastre！　There　are　only　two　of　us　nowhow　shall　we　manage　for　to…morrow？'

〃　'I'll　manage　it　all　alone；'　I　answered。　'I　can　snap　my　fingers　at　the　whole　world　now。'

〃We　buried　Garcia；　and　we　moved　our　camp　two　hundred　paces　farther　on。　The　next　morning　Carmen　and　her　Englishman　came　along　with　two　muleteers　and　a　servant。　I　said　to　/El　Dancaire/：

〃　'I'll　look　after　the　Englishman；　you　frighten　the　othersthey're　not　armed！'

〃The　Englishman　was　a　plucky　fellow。　He'd　have　killed　me　if　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　comeand　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　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　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；　sh