carmen-第13节

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〃　'Yes；'　he　answered；　looking　hard　at　me。

〃And　as　there　was　something　strange　about　me；　he　tried　to　make　me　talk。

〃　'It　seems　to　me　that　I　have　seen　you　somewhere；'　said　he。

〃I　laid　a　piastre　on　his　bench。

〃　'When　shall　you　say　the　mass？'　said　I。

〃　'In　half　an　hour。　The　son　of　the　innkeeper　yonder　is　coming　to　serve　it。　Tell　me；　young　man；　haven't　you　something　on　your　conscience　that　is　tormenting　you？　Will　you　listen　to　a　Christian's　counsel？'

〃I　could　hardly　restrain　my　tears。　I　told　him　I　would　come　back；　and　hurried　away。　I　went　and　lay　down　on　the　grass　until　I　heard　the　bell。　Then　I　went　back　to　the　chapel；　but　I　stayed　outside　it。　When　he　had　said　the　mass；　I　went　back　to　the　/venta/。　I　was　hoping　Carmen　would　have　fled。　She　could　have　taken　my　horse　and　ridden　away。　But　I　found　her　there　still。　She　did　not　choose　that　any　one　should　say　I　had　frightened　her。　While　I　had　been　away　she　had　unfastened　the　hem　of　her　gown　and　taken　out　the　lead　that　weighted　it；　and　now　she　was　sitting　before　a　table；　looking　into　a　bowl　of　water　into　which　she　had　just　thrown　the　lead　she　had　melted。　She　was　so　busy　with　her　spells　that　at　first　she　didn't　notice　my　return。　Sometimes　she　would　take　out　a　bit　of　lead　and　turn　it　round　every　way　with　a　melancholy　look。　Sometimes　she　would　sing　one　of　those　magic　songs；　which　invoke　the　help　of　Maria　Padella；　Don　Pedro's　mistress；　who　is　said　to　have　been　the　/Bari　Crallisa/the　great　gipsy　queen。*

*　　　Maria　Padella　was　accused　of　having　bewitched　Don　Pedro。　According　　　　　to　one　popular　tradition　she　presented　Queen　Blanche　of　Bourbon　　　　　with　a　golden　girdle　which；　in　the　eyes　of　the　bewitched　king；　　　　　took　on　the　appearance　of　a　living　snake。　Hence　the　repugnance　he　　　　　always　showed　toward　the　unhappy　princess。

〃　'Carmen；'　I　said　to　her；　'will　you　come　with　me？'　She　rose；　threw　away　her　wooden　bowl；　and　put　her　mantilla　over　her　head　ready　to　start。　My　horse　was　led　up；　she　mounted　behind　me；　and　we　rode　away。

〃After　we　had　gone　a　little　distance　I　said　to　her；　'So；　my　Carmen；　you　are　quite　ready　to　follow　me；　isn't　that　so？'

〃She　answered；　'Yes；　I'll　follow　you；　even　to　deathbut　I　won't　live　with　you　any　more。'

〃We　had　reached　a　lonely　gorge。　I　stopped　my　horse。

〃　'Is　this　the　place？'　she　said。

〃And　with　a　spring　she　reached　the　ground。　She　took　off　her　mantilla　and　threw　it　at　her　feet；　and　stood　motionless；　with　one　hand　on　her　hip；　looking　at　me　steadily。

〃　'You　mean　to　kill　me；　I　see　that　well；'　said　she。　'It　is　fate。　But　you'll　never　make　me　give　in。'

〃I　said　to　her：　'Be　rational；　I　implore　you；　listen　to　me。　All　the　past　is　forgotten。　Yet　you　know　it　is　you　who　have　been　my　ruinit　is　because　of　you　that　I　am　a　robber　and　a　murderer。　Carmen；　my　Carmen；　let　me　save　you；　and　save　myself　with　you。'

〃　'Jose；'　she　answered；　'what　you　ask　is　impossible。　I　don't　love　you　any　more。　You　love　me　still；　and　that　is　why　you　want　to　kill　me。　If　I　liked；　I　might　tell　you　some　other　lie；　but　I　don't　choose　to　give　myself　the　trouble。　Everything　is　over　between　us　two。　You　are　my　/rom/；　and　you　have　the　right　to　kill　your　/romi/；　but　Carmen　will　always　be　free。　A　/calli/　she　was　born；　and　a　/calli/　she'll　die。'

〃　'Then；　you　love　Lucas？'　I　asked。

〃　'Yes；　I　have　loved　himas　I　loved　youfor　an　instantless　than　I　loved　you；　perhaps。　But　now　I　don't　love　anything；　and　I　hate　myself　for　ever　having　loved　you。'

〃I　cast　myself　at　her　feet；　I　seized　her　hands；　I　watered　them　with　my　tears；　I　reminded　her　of　all　the　happy　moments　we　had　spent　together；　I　offered　to　continue　my　brigand's　life；　if　that　would　please　her。　Everything；　sir；　everythingI　offered　her　everything　if　she　would　only　love　me　again。

〃She　said：

〃　'Love　you　again？　That's　not　possible！　Live　with　you？　I　will　not　do　it！'

〃I　was　wild　with　fury。　I　drew　my　knife；　I　would　have　had　her　look　frightened；　and　sue　for　mercybut　that　woman　was　a　demon。

〃I　cried；　'For　the　last　time　I　ask　you。　Will　you　stay　with　me？'

〃　'No！　no！　no！'　she　said；　and　she　stamped　her　foot。

〃Then　she　pulled　a　ring　I　had　given　her　off　her　finger；　and　cast　it　into　the　brushwood。

〃I　struck　her　twice　overI　had　taken　Garcia's　knife；　because　I　had　broken　my　own。　At　the　second　thrust　she　fell　without　a　sound。　It　seems　to　me　that　I　can　still　see　her　great　black　eyes　staring　at　me。　Then　they　grew　dim　and　the　lids　closed。

〃For　a　good　hour　I　lay　there　prostrate　beside　her　corpse。　Then　I　recollected　that　Carmen　had　often　told　me　that　she　would　like　to　lie　buried　in　a　wood。　I　dug　a　grave　for　her　with　my　knife　and　laid　her　in　it。　I　hunted　about　a　long　time　for　her　ring；　and　I　found　it　at　last。　I　put　it　into　the　grave　beside　her；　with　a　little　crossperhaps　I　did　wrong。　Then　I　got　upon　my　horse；　galloped　to　Cordova；　and　gave　myself　up　at　the　nearest　guard…room。　I　told　them　I　had　killed　Carmen；　but　I　would　not　tell　them　where　her　body　was。　That　hermit　was　a　holy　man！　He　prayed　for　herhe　said　a　mass　for　her　soul。　Poor　child！　It's　the　/calle/　who　are　to　blame　for　having　brought　her　up　as　they　did。〃



CHAPTER　IV

Spain　is　one　of　the　countries　in　which　those　nomads；　scattered　all　over　Europe；　and　known　as　Bohemians；　Gitanas；　Gipsies；　Ziegeuner；　and　so　forth；　are　now　to　be　found　in　the　greatest　numbers。　Most　of　these　people　live；　or　rather　wander　hither　and　thither；　in　the　southern　and　eastern　provinces　of　Spain；　in　Andalusia；　and　Estramadura；　in　the　kingdom　of　Murcia。　There　are　a　great　many　of　them　in　Catalonia。　These　last　frequently　cross　over　into　France　and　are　to　be　seen　at　all　our　southern　fairs。　The　men　generally　call　themselves　grooms；　horse　doctors；　mule…clippers；　to　these　trades　they　add　the　mending　of　saucepans　and　brass　utensils；　not　to　mention　smuggling　and　other　illicit　practices。　The　women　tell　fortunes；　beg；　and　sell　all　sorts　of　drugs；　some　of　which　are　innocent；　while　some　are　not。　The　physical　characteristics　of　the　gipsies　are　more　easily　distinguished　then　described；　and　when　you　have　known　one；　you　should　be　able　to　recognise　a　member　of　the　race　among　a　thousand　other　men。　It　is　by　their　physiognomy　and　expression；　especially；　that　they　differ　from　the　other　inhabitants　of　the　same　country。　Their　complexion　is　exceedingly　swarthy；　always　darker　than　that　of　the　race　among　whom　they　live。　Hence　the　name　of　/cale/　（blacks）　which　they　frequently　apply　to　themselves。*　Their　eyes；　set　with　a　decided　slant；　are　large；　very　black；　and　shaded　by　long　and　heavy　lashes。　Their　glance　can　only　be　compared　to　that　of　a　wild　creature。　It　is　full　at　once　of　boldness　and　shyness；　and　in　this　respect　their　eyes　are　a　fair　indication　of　their　national　character；　which　is　cunning；　bold；　but　with　〃the　natural　fear　of　blows；〃　like　Panurge。　Most　of　the　men　are　strapping　fellows；　slight　and　active。　I　don't　think　I　ever　saw　a　gipsy　who　had　grown　fat。　In　Germany　the　gipsy　women　are　often　very　pretty；　but　beauty　is　very　uncommon　among　the　Spanish　gitanas。　When　very　young；　they　may　pass　as　being　attractive　in　their　ugliness；　but　once　they　have　reached　motherhood；　they　become　absolutely　repulsive。　The　filthiness　of　both　sexes　is　incredible；　and　no　one　who　has　not　seen　a　gipsy　matron's　hair　can　form　any　conception　of　what　it　is；　not　even　if　he　conjures　up　the　roughest；　the　greasiest；　and　the　dustiest　heads　imaginable。　In　some　of　the　large　Andalusian　towns　certain　of　the　gipsy　girls；　somewhat　better　looking　than　their　fellows；　will　take　more　care　of　their　personal　appearance。　These　go　out　and　earn　money　by　performing　dances　strongly　resembling　those　forbidden　at　our　public　balls　in　carnival　time。　An　English　missionary；　Mr。　Borrow；　the　author　of　two　very　interesting　works　on　the　Spanish　gipsies；　whom　he　undertook　to　convert　on　behalf　of　the　Bible　Society；　declares　there　is　no　instance　of　any　gitana　showing　the　smallest　weakness　for　a　man　not　belonging　to　her　own　race。　The　praise　he　bestows　upon　their　chastity　strikes　me　as　being　exceedingly　exaggerated。　In　the　first　place；　the　great　majority　are　in　the　position　of　the　ugly　woman　described　by　Ovid；　〃/Casta　quam　nemo　rogavit/。〃　As　for　the　pretty　ones；　they　are；　like　all　Spanish　women；　very　fastidious　in　choosing　their　lovers。　Their　fancy　must　be　taken；　and　their　favour　must　be　earned。　Mr。　Borrow　quotes；　in　proof　of　their　virtue；　one　trait　which　does　honour　to　his　own；　and　especially　to　his　simplicity：　he　declares　that　an　immoral　man　of　his　acquaintance　offered　several　gold　ounces　to　a　pretty　gitana；　and　offered　them　in　vain。　An　Andalusian；　to　whom　I　retailed　this　anecdote；　asserted　that　the　immoral　man　in　question　would　have　been　far　more　successful　if　he　had　shown　the　girl　two　or　three　piastres；　and　that　to　offer　gold　ounces　to　a　gipsy　was　as　poor　a　method　of　persuasion　as　to　promise　a　couple　of　millions　to　a　tavern　wench。　However　that　may　be；　it　is　certain　that　the　gitana　shows　the　most　extraordinary　devotion　to　her　husband。　There　is　no　danger　and　no　suffering　she　will　not　brave；　to　help　him　in　his　need。　One　of　the　names　which　the　gipsies　apply　to　themselves；　/Rome/；　or　〃the　married　couple；〃　seems　to　me　a　proof　of　their　racial　respect　for　the　married　state。　Speaking　generally；　it　may　be　asserted　that　their　chief　virtue　is　their　patriotismif　we　may　thus　describe　the　fidelity　they　obs