dona perecta-第13节

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eto　the　exhaustive　treatise　on　bees；　in　which　the　poet　describes　the　habits　of　those　wise　little　animals；　defining　the　drone　in　these　words：

　　　　　　　　　〃　'Ille　horridus　alter　　　Desidia；　latamque　trahens　inglorius　alvum。'

'Of　a　horrible　and　slothful　figure；　dragging　along　the　ignoble　weight　of　the　belly；'　Senor　Don　Jose。〃

〃You　do　well　to　translate　it　for　me；〃　said　Pepe；　〃for　I　know　very　little　Latin。〃

〃Oh；　why　should　the　men　of　the　present　day　spend　their　time　in　studying　things　that　are　out　of　date？〃　said　the　canon　ironically。　〃Besides；　only　poor　creatures　like　Virgil　and　Cicero　and　Livy　wrote　in　Latin。　I；　however；　am　of　a　different　way　of　thinking；　as　witness　my　nephew；　to　whom　I　have　taught　that　sublime　language。　The　rascal　knows　it　better　than　I　do。　The　worst　of　it　is；　that　with　his　modern　reading　he　is　forgetting　it；　and　some　fine　day；　without　ever　having　suspected　it；　he　will　find　out　that　he　is　an　ignoramus。　For；　Senor　Don　Jose；　my　nephew　has　taken　to　studying　the　newest　books　and　the　most　extravagant　theories；　and　it　is　Flammarion　here　and　Flammarion　there；　and　nothing　will　do　him　but　that　the　stars　are　full　of　people。　Come；　I　fancy　that　you　two　are　going　to　be　very　good　friends。　Jacinto；　beg　this　gentleman　to　teach　you　the　higher　mathematics；　to　instruct　you　concerning　the　German　philosophers；　and　then　you　will　be　a　man。〃

The　worthy　ecclesiastic　laughed　at　his　own　wit；　while　Jacinto；　delighted　to　see　the　conversation　turn　on　a　theme　so　greatly　to　his　taste；　after　excusing　himself　to　Pepe　Rey；　suddenly　hurled　this　question　at　him：

〃Tell　me；　Senor　Don　Jose；　what　do　you　think　of　Darwinism？〃

Our　hero　smiled　at　this　inopportune　pedantry；　and　he　felt　almost　tempted　to　encourage　the　young　man　to　continue　in　this　path　of　childish　vanity；　but；　judging　it　more　prudent　to　avoid　intimacy；　either　with　the　nephew　or　the　uncle；　he　answered　simply：

〃I　can　think　nothing　at　all　about　the　doctrines　of　Darwin；　for　I　know　scarcely　any　thing　about　him。　My　professional　labors　have　not　permitted　me　to　devote　much　of　my　time　to　those　studies。〃

〃Well；〃　said　the　canon；　laughing；　〃it　all　reduces　itself　to　this；　that　we　are　descended　from　monkeys。　If　he　had　said　that　only　in　the　case　of　certain　people　I　know；　he　would　have　been　right。〃

〃The　theory　of　natural　selection；〃　said　Jacinto　emphatically；　〃has；　they　say；　a　great　many　partisans　in　Germany。〃

〃I　do　not　doubt　it；〃　said　the　ecclesiastic。　〃In　Germany　they　would　have　no　reason　to　be　sorry　if　that　theory　were　true；　as　far　as　Bismarck　is　concerned。〃

Dona　Perfecta　and　Senor　Don　Cayetano　at　this　moment　made　their　appearance。

〃What　a　beautiful　evening！〃　said　the　former。　〃Well；　nephew；　are　you　getting　terribly　bored？〃

〃I　am　not　bored　in　the　least；〃　responded　the　young　man。

〃Don't　try　to　deny　it。　Cayetano　and　I　were　speaking　of　that　as　we　came　along。　You　are　bored；　and　you　are　trying　to　hide　it。　It　is　not　every　young　man　of　the　present　day　who　would　have　the　self…denial　to　spend　his　youth；　like　Jacinto；　in　a　town　where　there　are　neither　theatres；　nor　opera　bouffe；　nor　dancers；　nor　philosophers；　nor　athenaeums；　nor　magazines；　nor　congresses；　nor　any　other　kind　of　diversions　or　entertainments。〃

〃I　am　quite　contented　here；〃　responded　Pepe。　〃I　was　just　now　saying　to　Rosario　that　I　find　this　city　and　this　house　so　pleasant　that　I　would　like　to　live　and　die　here。〃

Rosario　turned　very　red　and　the　others　were　silent。　They　all　sat　down　in　a　summer…house；　Jacinto　hastening　to　take　the　seat　on　the　left　of　the　young　girl。

〃See　here；　nephew；　I　have　a　piece　of　advice　to　give　you；〃　said　Dona　Perfecta；　smiling　with　that　expression　of　kindness　that　seemed　to　emanate　from　her　soul；　like　the　aroma　from　the　flower。　〃But　don't　imagine　that　I　am　either　reproving　you　or　giving　you　a　lessonyou　are　not　a　child；　and　you　will　easily　understand　what　I　mean。〃

〃Scold　me；　dear　aunt；　for　no　doubt　I　deserve　it；〃　replied　Pepe；　who　was　beginning　to　accustom　himself　to　the　kindnesses　of　his　father's　sister。

〃No；　it　is　only　a　piece　of　advice。　These　gentlemen；　I　am　sure；　will　agree　that　I　am　in　the　right。〃

Rosario　was　listening　with　her　whole　soul。

〃It　is　only　this；〃　continued　Dona　Perfecta；　〃that　when　you　visit　our　beautiful　cathedral　again；　you　will　endeavor　to　behave　with　a　little　more　decorum　while　you　are　in　it。〃

〃Why；　what　have　I　done？〃

〃It　does　not　surprise　me　that　you　are　not　yourself　aware　of　your　fault；〃　said　his　aunt；　with　apparent　good　humor。　〃It　is　only　natural；　accustomed　as　you　are　to　enter　athenaeums　and　clubs；　and　academies　and　congresses　without　any　ceremony；　you　think　that　you　can　enter　a　temple　in　which　the　Divine　Majesty　is　in　the　same　manner。〃

〃But　excuse　me；　senora；〃　said　Pepe　gravely；　〃I　entered　the　cathedral　with　the　greatest　decorum。〃

〃But　I　am　not　scolding　you；　man；　I　am　not　scolding　you。　If　you　take　it　in　that　way　I　shall　have　to　remain　silent。　Excuse　my　nephew；　gentlemen。　A　little　carelessness；　a　little　heedlessness　on　his　part　is　not　to　be　wondered　at。　How　many　years　is　it　since　you　set　foot　in　a　sacred　place　before？〃

〃Senora；　I　assure　you　But；　in　short；　let　my　religious　ideas　be　what　they　may；　I　am　in　the　habit　of　observing　the　utmost　decorum　in　church。〃

〃What　I　assure　you　is　There；　if　you　are　going　to　be　offended　I　won't　go　on。　What　I　assure　you　is　that　a　great　many　people　noticed　it　this　morning。　The　Senores　de　Gonzalez；　Dona　Robustiana；　Serafinitain　short；　when　I　tell　you　that　you　attracted　the　attention　of　the　bishop　His　lordship　complained　to　me　about　it　this　afternoon　when　I　was　at　my　cousin's。　He　told　me　that　he　did　not　order　you　to　be　put　out　of　the　church　only　because　you　were　my　nephew。〃

Rosario　looked　anxiously　at　her　cousin；　trying　to　read　in　his　countenance；　before　he　uttered　it；　the　answer　he　would　make　to　these　charges。

〃No　doubt　they　mistook　me　for　some　one　else。〃

〃No；　no！　it　was　you。　But　there；　don't　get　angry！　We　are　talking　here　among　friends　and　in　confidence。　It　was　you。　I　saw　you　myself。〃

〃You　saw　me！〃

〃Just　so。　Will　you　deny　that　you　went　to　look　at　the　pictures；　passing　among　a　group　of　worshippers　who　were　hearing　mass？　I　assure　you　that　my　attention　was　so　distracted　by　your　comings　and　goings　thatwell；　you　must　not　do　it　again。　Then　you　went　into　the　chapel　of　San　Gregorio。　At　the　elevation　of　the　Host　at　the　high　altar　you　did　not　even　turn　around　to　make　a　gesture　of　reverence。　Afterward　you　traversed　the　whole　length　of　the　church；　you　went　up　to　the　tomb　of　the　Adelantado；　you　touched　the　altar　with　your　hands；　then　you　passed　a　second　time　among　a　group　of　worshippers；　attracting　the　notice　of　every　one。　All　the　girls　looked　at　you；　and　you　seemed　pleased　at　disturbing　so　finely　the　devotions　of　those　good　people。〃

〃Good　Heavens！　How　many　things　I　have　done！〃　exclaimed　Pepe；　half　angry；　half　amused。　〃I　am　a　monster；　it　seems；　without　ever　having　suspected　it。〃

〃No；　I　am　very　well　aware　that　you　are　a　good　boy；〃　said　Dona　Perfecta；　observing　the　canon's　expression　of　unalterable　gravity；　which　gave　his　face　the　appearance　of　a　pasteboard　mask。　〃But；　my　dear　boy；　between　thinking　things　and　showing　them　in　that　irreverent　manner；　there　is　a　distance　which　a　man　of　good　sense　and　good　breeding　should　never　cross。　I　am　well　aware　that　your　ideas　are　Now；　don't　get　angry！　If　you　get　angry；　I　will　be　silent。　I　say　that　it　is　one　thing　to　have　certain　ideas　about　religion　and　another　thing　to　express　them。　I　will　take　good　care　not　to　reproach　you　because　you　believe　that　God　did　not　create　us　in　his　image　and　likeness；　but　that　we　are　descended　from　the　monkeys；　nor　because　you　deny　the　existence　of　the　soul；　asserting　that　it　is　a　drug；　like　the　little　papers　of　rhubarb　and　magnesia　that　are　sold　at　the　apothecary's〃

〃Senora；　for　Heaven's　sake！〃　exclaimed　Pepe；　with　annoyance。　〃I　see　that　I　have　a　very　bad　reputation　in　Orbajosa。〃

The　others　remained　silent。

〃As　I　said；　I　will　not　reproach　you　for　entertaining　those　ideas。　And；　besides；　I　have　not　the　right　to　do　so。　If　I　should　undertake　to　argue　with　you；　you；　with　your　wonderful　talents；　would　confute　me　a　thousand　times　over。　No；　I　will　not　attempt　any　thing　of　that　kind。　What　I　say　is　that　these　poor　and　humble　inhabitants　of　Orbajosa　are　pious　and　good　Christians；　although　they　know　nothing　about　German　philosophy；　and　that；　therefore；　you　ought　not　publicly　to　manifest　your　contempt　for　their　beliefs。〃

〃My　dear　aunt；〃　said　the　engineer　gravely；　〃I　have　shown　no　contempt　for　any　one；　nor　do　I　entertain　the　ideas　which　you　attribute　to　me。　Perhaps　I　may　have　been　a　little　wanting　in　reverence　in　the　church。　I　am　somewhat　absent…minded。　My　thoughts　and　my　attention　were　engaged　with　the　architecture　of　the　building　and；　frankly　speaking；　I　did　not　observe　But　this　was　no　reason　for　the　bishop　to　think　of　putting　me　out　of　the　church；　nor　for　you　to　suppose　me　capable　of　attributing　to　a　paper　from　the　apothecary's　the　functions　of　the　soul。　I　may　tolerate　that　as　a　jest；　but　only　as　a　jest。〃

The　agitation　of　Pepe　Rey's　mind　was　so　great　that；　notwithstanding　his　natural　prudence　and　moderation；　he　was　unable　to　conceal　it。

〃There！　I　see　that　you　are　angry；〃　said　Dona　Perfecta；　casting　down　her　eyes　and　clasping　her　hands。