carmen-第4节

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〃If　you　notice　people's　accent　so　closely；　you　must　be　able　to　guess　what　I　am。〃

〃I　think　you　are　from　the　country　of　Jesus；　two　paces　out　of　Paradise。〃

I　had　learned　the　metaphor；　which　stands　for　Andalusia；　from　my　friend　Francisco　Sevilla；　a　well…known　/picador/。

〃Pshaw！　The　people　here　say　there　is　no　place　in　Paradise　for　us！〃

〃Then　perhaps　you　are　of　Moorish　bloodor〃　I　stopped；　not　venturing　to　add　〃a　Jewess。〃

〃Oh　come！　You　must　see　I'm　a　gipsy！　Wouldn't　you　like　me　to　tell　you　/la　baji/？*　Did　you　never　hear　tell　of　Carmencita？　That's　who　I　am！〃

*　　　Your　fortune。

I　was　such　a　miscreant　in　those　daysnow　fifteen　years　agothat　the　close　proximity　of　a　sorceress　did　not　make　me　recoil　in　horror。　〃So　be　it！〃　I　thought。　〃Last　week　I　ate　my　supper　with　a　highway　robber。　To…day　I'll　go　and　eat　ices　with　a　servant　of　the　devil。　A　traveller　should　see　everything。〃　I　had　yet　another　motive　for　prosecuting　her　acquaintance。　When　I　left　collegeI　acknowledge　it　with　shameI　had　wasted　a　certain　amount　of　time　in　studying　occult　science；　and　had　even　attempted；　more　than　once；　to　exorcise　the　powers　of　darkness。　Though　I　had　been　cured；　long　since；　of　my　passion　for　such　investigations；　I　still　felt　a　certain　attraction　and　curiosity　with　regard　to　all　superstitions；　and　I　was　delighted　to　have　this　opportunity　of　discovering　how　far　the　magic　art　had　developed　among　the　gipsies。

Talking　as　we　went；　we　had　reached　the　/neveria/；　and　seated　ourselves　at　a　little　table；　lighted　by　a　taper　protected　by　a　glass　globe。　I　then　had　time　to　take　a　leisurely　view　of　my　/gitana/；　while　several　worthy　individuals；　who　were　eating　their　ices；　stared　open…mouthed　at　beholding　me　in　such　gay　company。

I　very　much　doubt　whether　Senorita　Carmen　was　a　pure…blooded　gipsy。　At　all　events；　she　was　infinitely　prettier　than　any　other　woman　of　her　race　I　have　ever　seen。　For　a　women　to　be　beautiful；　they　say　in　Spain；　she　must　fulfil　thirty　/ifs/；　or；　if　it　please　you　better；　you　must　be　able　to　define　her　appearance　by　ten　adjectives；　applicable　to　three　portions　of　her　person。

For　instance；　three　things　about　her　must　be　black；　her　eyes；　her　eyelashes；　and　her　eyebrows。　Three　must　be　dainty；　her　fingers；　her　lips；　her　hair；　and　so　forth。　For　the　rest　of　this　inventory；　see　Brantome。　My　gipsy　girl　could　lay　no　claim　to　so　many　perfections。　Her　skin；　though　perfectly　smooth；　was　almost　of　a　copper　hue。　Her　eyes　were　set　obliquely　in　her　head；　but　they　were　magnificent　and　large。　Her　lips；　a　little　full；　but　beautifully　shaped；　revealed　a　set　of　teeth　as　white　as　newly　skinned　almonds。　Her　haira　trifle　coarse；　perhapswas　black；　with　blue　lights　on　it　like　a　raven's　wing；　long　and　glossy。　Not　to　weary　my　readers　with　too　prolix　a　description；　I　will　merely　add；　that　to　every　blemish　she　united　some　advantage；　which　was　perhaps　all　the　more　evident　by　contrast。　There　was　something　strange　and　wild　about　her　beauty。　Her　face　astonished　you；　at　first　sight；　but　nobody　could　forget　it。　Her　eyes；　especially；　had　an　expression　of　mingled　sensuality　and　fierceness　which　I　had　never　seen　in　any　other　human　glance。　〃Gipsy's　eye；　wolf's　eye！〃　is　a　Spanish　saying　which　denotes　close　observation。　If　my　readers　have　no　time　to　go　to　the　〃Jardin　des　Plantes〃　to　study　the　wolf's　expression；　they　will　do　well　to　watch　the　ordinary　cat　when　it　is　lying　in　wait　for　a　sparrow。

It　will　be　understood　that　I　should　have　looked　ridiculous　if　I　had　proposed　to　have　my　fortune　told　in　a　/café/。　I　therefore　begged　the　pretty　witch's　leave　to　go　home　with　her。　She　made　no　difficulties　about　consenting；　but　she　wanted　to　know　what　o'clock　it　was　again；　and　requested　me　to　make　my　repeater　strike　once　more。

〃Is　it　really　gold？〃　she　said；　gazing　at　it　with　rapt　attention。

When　we　started　off　again；　it　was　quite　dark。　Most　of　the　shops　were　shut；　and　the　streets　were　almost　empty。　We　crossed　the　bridge　over　the　Guadalquivir；　and　at　the　far　end　of　the　suburb　we　stopped　in　front　of　a　house　of　anything　but　palatial　appearance。　The　door　was　opened　by　a　child；　to　whom　the　gipsy　spoke　a　few　words　in　a　language　unknown　to　me；　which　I　afterward　understood　to　be　/Romany/；　or　/chipe　calli/the　gipsy　idiom。　The　child　instantly　disappeared；　leaving　us　in　sole　possession　of　a　tolerably　spacious　room；　furnished　with　a　small　table；　two　stools；　and　a　chest。　I　must　not　forget　to　mention　a　jar　of　water；　a　pile　of　oranges；　and　a　bunch　of　onions。

As　soon　as　we　were　left　alone；　the　gipsy　produced；　out　of　her　chest；　a　pack　of　cards；　bearing　signs　of　constant　usage；　a　magnet；　a　dried　chameleon；　and　a　few　other　indispensable　adjuncts　of　her　art。　Then　she　bade　me　cross　my　left　hand　with　a　silver　coin；　and　the　magic　ceremonies　duly　began。　It　is　unnecessary　to　chronicle　her　predictions；　and　as　for　the　style　of　her　performance；　it　proved　her　to　be　no　mean　sorceress。

Unluckily　we　were　soon　disturbed。　The　door　was　suddenly　burst　open；　and　a　man；　shrouded　to　the　eyes　in　a　brown　cloak；　entered　the　room；　apostrophizing　the　gipsy　in　anything　but　gentle　terms。　What　he　said　I　could　not　catch；　but　the　tone　of　his　voice　revealed　the　fact　that　he　was　in　a　very　evil　temper。　The　gipsy　betrayed　neither　surprise　nor　anger　at　his　advent；　but　she　ran　to　meet　him；　and　with　a　most　striking　volubility；　she　poured　out　several　sentences　in　the　mysterious　language　she　had　already　used　in　my　presence。　The　word　/payllo/；　frequently　reiterated；　was　the　only　one　I　understood。　I　knew　that　the　gipsies　use　it　to　describe　all　men　not　of　their　own　race。　Concluding　myself　to　be　the　subject　of　this　discourse；　I　was　prepared　for　a　somewhat　delicate　explanation。　I　had　already　laid　my　hand　on　the　leg　of　one　of　the　stools；　and　was　studying　within　myself　to　discover　the　exact　moment　at　which　I　had　better　throw　it　at　his　head；　when；　roughly　pushing　the　gipsy　to　one　side；　the　man　advanced　toward　me。　Then　with　a　step　backward　he　cried：

〃What；　sir！　Is　it　you？〃

I　looked　at　him　in　my　turn　and　recognised　my　friend　Don　Jose。　At　that　moment　I　did　feel　rather　sorry　I　had　saved　him　from　the　gallows。

〃What；　is　it　you；　my　good　fellow？〃　I　exclaimed；　with　as　easy　a　smile　as　I　could　muster。　〃You　have　interrupted　this　young　lady　just　when　she　was　foretelling　me　most　interesting　things！〃

〃The　same　as　ever。　There　shall　be　an　end　to　it！〃　he　hissed　between　his　teeth；　with　a　savage　glance　at　her。

Meanwhile　the　/gitana/　was　still　talking　to　him　in　her　own　tongue。　She　became　more　and　more　excited。　Her　eyes　grew　fierce　and　bloodshot；　her　features　contracted；　she　stamped　her　foot。　She　seemed　to　me　to　be　earnestly　pressing　him　to　do　something　he　was　unwilling　to　do。　What　this　was　I　fancied　I　understood　only　too　well；　by　the　fashion　in　which　she　kept　drawing　her　little　hand　backward　and　forward　under　her　chin。　I　was　inclined　to　think　she　wanted　to　have　somebody's　throat　cut；　and　I　had　a　fair　suspicion　the　throat　in　question　was　my　own。　To　all　her　torrent　of　eloquence　Don　Jose's　only　reply　was　two　or　three　shortly　spoken　words。　At　this　the　gipsy　cast　a　glance　of　the　most　utter　scorn　at　him；　then；　seating　herself　Turkish…fashion　in　a　corner　of　the　room；　she　picked　out　an　orange；　tore　off　the　skin；　and　began　to　eat　it。

Don　Jose　took　hold　of　my　arm；　opened　the　door；　and　led　me　into　the　street。　We　walked　some　two　hundred　paces　in　the　deepest　silence。　Then　he　stretched　out　his　hand。

〃Go　straight　on；〃　he　said；　〃and　you'll　come　to　the　bridge。〃

That　instant　he　turned　his　back　on　me　and　departed　at　a　great　pace。　I　took　my　way　back　to　my　inn；　rather　crestfallen；　and　considerably　out　of　temper。　The　worst　of　all　was　that；　when　I　undressed；　I　discovered　my　watch　was　missing。

Various　considerations　prevented　me　from　going　to　claim　it　next　day；　or　requesting　the　/Corregidor/　to　be　good　enough　to　have　a　search　made　for　it。　I　finished　my　work　on　the　Dominican　manuscript；　and　went　on　to　Seville。　After　several　months　spent　wandering　hither　and　thither　in　Andalusia；　I　wanted　to　get　back　to　Madrid；　and　with　that　object　I　had　to　pass　through　Cordova。　I　had　no　intention　of　making　any　stay　there；　for　I　had　taken　a　dislike　to　that　fair　city；　and　to　the　ladies　who　bathed　in　the　Guadalquivir。　Nevertheless；　I　had　some　visits　to　pay；　and　certain　errands　to　do；　which　must　detain　me　several　days　in　the　old　capital　of　the　Mussulman　princes。

The　moment　I　made　my　appearance　in　the　Dominican　convent；　one　of　the　monks；　who　had　always　shown　the　most　lively　interest　in　my　inquiries　as　to　the　site　of　the　battlefield　of　Munda；　welcomed　me　with　open　arms；　exclaiming：

〃Praised　be　God！　You　are　welcome！　My　dear　friend。　We　all　thought　you　were　dead；　and　I　myself　have　said　many　a　/pater/　and　ave/　（not　that　I　regret　them！）　for　your　soul。　Then　you　weren't　murdered；　after　all？　That　you　were　robbed；　we　know！〃

〃What　do　you　mean？〃　I　asked；　rather　astonished。

〃Oh；　you　know！　That　splendid　repeater　you　used　to　strike　in　the　library　whenever　we　said　it　was　time　for　us　to　go　into　church。　Well；　it　has　been　found；　and　you'll　get　it　back。〃

〃Why；〃　I　broke　in；　rather　put　out　of　countenance；　〃I　lost　it〃

〃The　rascal's　under　lock　and　key；　and　as　he　was　known　to　be　a　man　who　would　shoot　any　Christian　for　the　sake　of　a　/peseta/；　we　were　most　dreadfully　afraid　he　had　killed　yo