dona perecta-第14节

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〃There！　I　see　that　you　are　angry；〃　said　Dona　Perfecta；　casting　down　her　eyes　and　clasping　her　hands。　〃I　am　very　sorry。　If　I　had　known　that　you　would　have　taken　it　in　that　way；　I　should　not　have　spoken　to　you。　Pepe；　I　ask　your　pardon。〃

Hearing　these　words　and　seeing　his　kind　aunt's　deprecating　attitude；　Pepe　felt　ashamed　of　the　sternness　of　his　last　words；　and　he　made　an　effort　to　recover　his　serenity。　The　venerable　Penitentiary　extricated　him　from　his　embarrassing　position；　saying　with　his　accustomed　benevolent　smile：

〃Senora　Dona　Perfecta；　we　must　be　tolerant　with　artists。　Oh；　I　have　known　a　great　many　of　them！　Those　gentlemen；　when　they　have　before　them　a　statue；　a　piece　of　rusty　armor；　a　mouldy　painting；　or　an　old　wall；　forget　every　thing　else。　Senor　Don　Jose　is　an　artist；　and　he　has　visited　our　cathedral　as　the　English　visit　it；　who　would　willingly　carry　it　away　with　them　to　their　museums；　to　its　last　tile；　if　they　could。　That　the　worshippers　were　praying；　that　the　priest　was　elevating　the　Sacred　Host；　that　the　moment　of　supreme　piety　and　devotion　had　comewhat　of　that？　What　does　all　that　matter　to　an　artist？　It　is　true　that　I　do　not　know　what　art　is　worth；　apart　from　the　sentiments　which　it　expresses；　but；　in　fine；　at　the　present　day；　it　is　the　custom　to　adore　the　form；　not　the　idea。　God　preserve　me　from　undertaking　to　discuss　this　question　with　Senor　Don　Jose；　who　knows　so　much；　and　who；　reasoning　with　the　admirable　subtlety　of　the　moderns；　would　instantly　confound　my　mind；　in　which　there　is　only　faith。〃

〃The　determination　which　you　all　have　to　regard　me　as　the　most　learned　man　on　earth　annoys　me　exceedingly；〃　said　Pepe；　speaking　in　his　former　hard　tone。　〃Hold　me　for　a　fool；　for　I　would　rather　be　regarded　as　a　fool　than　as　the　possessor　of　that　Satanic　knowledge　which　is　here　attributed　to　me。〃

Rosarito　laughed；　and　Jacinto　thought　that　a　highly　opportune　moment　had　now　arrived　to　make　a　display　of　his　own　erudition。

〃Pantheism　or　panentheism；〃　he　said；　〃is　condemned　by　the　Church；　as　well　as　by　the　teachings　of　Schopenhauer　and　of　the　modern　Hartmann。〃

〃Ladies　and　gentlemen；〃　said　the　canon　gravely；　〃men　who　pay　so　fervent　a　worship　to　art；　though　it　be　only　to　its　form；　deserve　the　greatest　respect。　It　is　better　to　be　an　artist；　and　delight　in　the　contemplation　of　beauty；　though　this　be　only　represented　by　nude　nymphs；　than　to　be　indifferent　and　incredulous　in　every　thing。　The　mind　that　consecrates　itself　to　the　contemplation　of　beauty；　evil　will　not　take　complete　possession　of。　/Est　Deus　in　nobis/。　/Deus/；　be　it　well　understood。　Let　Senor　Don　Jose；　then；　continue　to　admire　the　marvels　of　our　church；　I；　for　one；　will　willingly　forgive　him　his　acts　of　irreverence；　with　all　due　respect　for　the　opinions　of　the　bishop。〃

〃Thanks；　Senor　Don　Inocencio；〃　said　Pepe；　feeling　a　bitter　and　rebellious　sentiment　of　hostility　springing　up　within　him　toward　the　canon；　and　unable　to　conquer　his　desire　to　mortify　him。　〃But　let　none　of　you　imagine；　either；　that　it　was　the　beauties　of　art；　of　which　you　suppose　the　temple　to　be　full；　that　engaged　my　attention。　Those　beauties；　with　the　exception　of　the　imposing　architecture　of　a　portion　of　the　edifice　and　of　the　three　tombs　that　are　in　the　chapel　of　the　apse；　I　do　not　see。　What　occupied　my　mind　was　the　consideration　of　the　deplorable　decadence　of　the　religious　arts；　and　the　innumerable　monstrosities；　of　which　the　cathedral　is　full；　caused　me　not　astonishment；　but　disgust。〃

The　amazement　of　all　present　was　profound。

〃I　cannot　endure；〃　continued　Pepe；　〃those　glazed　and　painted　images　that　resemble　so　muchGod　forgive　me　for　the　comparisonthe　dolls　that　little　girls　pay　with。　And　what　am　I　to　say　of　the　theatrical　robes　that　cover　them？　I　saw　a　St。　Joseph　with　a　mantle　whose　appearance　I　will　not　describe；　out　of　respect　for　the　holy　patriarch　and　for　the　church　of　which　he　is　the　patron。　On　the　altar　are　crowded　together　images　in　the　worst　possible　taste；　and　the　innumerable　crowns；　branches；　stars；　moons；　and　other　ornaments　of　metal　or　gilt　paper　have　an　air　of　an　ironmongery　that　offends　the　religious　sentiment　and　depresses　the　soul。　Far　from　lifting　itself　up　to　religious　contemplation；　the　soul　sinks；　and　the　idea　of　the　ludicrous　distracts　it。　The　great　works　of　art　which　give　sensible　form　to　ideas；　to　dogmas；　to　religious　faith；　to　mystic　exaltation；　fulfil　a　noble　mission。　The　caricatures；　the　aberrations　of　taste；　the　grotesque　works　with　which　a　mistaken　piety　fills　the　church；　also　fulfil　their　object；　but　this　is　a　sad　one　enough：　They　encourage　superstition；　cool　enthusiasm；　oblige　the　eyes　of　the　believer　to　turn　away　from　the　altar；　and；　with　the　eyes；　the　souls　that　have　not　a　very　profound　and　a　very　firm　faith　turn　away　also。〃

〃The　doctrine　of　the　iconoclasts；　too；〃　said　Jacinto；　〃has；　it　seems；　spread　widely　in　Germany。〃

〃I　am　not　an　iconoclast；　although　I　would　prefer　the　destruction　of　all　the　images　to　the　exhibition　of　buffooneries　of　which　I　speak；〃　continued　the　young　man。　〃Seeing　it；　one　may　justly　advocate　a　return　of　religious　worship　to　the　august　simplicity　of　olden　times。　But　no；　let　us　not　renounce　the　admirable　aid　which　all　the　arts；　beginning　with　poetry　and　ending　with　music；　lend　to　the　relations　between　man　and　God。　Let　the　arts　live；　let　the　utmost　pomp　be　displayed　in　religious　ceremonies。　I　am　a　partisan　of　pomp。〃

〃An　artist；　an　artist；　and　nothing　more　than　an　artist！〃　exclaimed　the　canon；　shaking　his　head　with　a　sorrowful　air。　〃Fine　pictures；　fine　statues；　beautiful　music；　pleasure　for　the　senses；　and　let　the　devil　take　the　soul！〃

〃Apropos　of　music；〃　said　Pepe　Rey；　without　observing　the　deplorable　effect　which　his　words　produced　on　both　mother　and　daughter；　〃imagine　how　disposed　my　mind　would　be　to　religious　contemplation　on　entering　the　cathedral；　when　just　at　that　moment；　and　precisely　at　the　offertory　at　high　mass；　the　organist　played　a　passage　from　'Traviata。'　〃

〃Senor　de　Rey　is　right　in　that；〃　said　the　little　lawyer　emphatically。　〃The　organist　played　the　other　day　the　whole　of　the　drinking　song　and　the　waltz　from　the　same　opera；　and　afterward　a　rondeau　from　the　'Grande　Duchesse。'　〃

〃But　when　I　felt　my　heart　sink；〃　continued　the　engineer　implacably；　〃was　when　I　saw　an　image　of　the　Virgin；　which　seems　to　be　held　in　great　veneration；　judging　from　the　crowd　before　it　and　the　multitude　of　tapers　which　lighted　it。　They　have　dressed　her　in　a　puffed…out　garment　of　velvet；　embroidered　with　gold；　of　a　shape　so　extraordinary　that　it　surpasses　the　most　extravagant　of　the　fashions　of　the　day。　Her　face　is　almost　hidden　under　a　voluminous　frill；　made　of　innumerable　rows　of　lace；　crimped　with　a　crimping…iron；　and　her　crown；　half　a　yard　in　height；　surrounded　by　golden　rays；　looks　like　a　hideous　catafalque　erected　over　her　head。　Of　the　same　material；　and　embroidered　in　the　same　manner；　are　the　trousers　of　the　Infant　Jesus。　I　will　not　go　on；　for　to　describe　the　Mother　and　the　Child　might　perhaps　lead　me　to　commit　some　irreverence。　I　will　only　say　that　it　was　impossible　for　me　to　keep　from　smiling；　and　for　a　short　time　I　contemplated　the　profaned　image；　saying　to　myself：　'Mother　and　Lady　mine；　what　a　sight　they　have　made　of　you！'　〃

As　he　ended　Pepe　looked　at　his　hearers；　and　although；　owing　to　the　gathering　darkness；　he　could　not　see　their　countenances　distinctly；　he　fancied　that　in　some　of　them　he　perceived　signs　of　angry　consternation。

〃Well；　Senor　Don　Jose！〃　exclaimed　the　canon　quickly；　smiling　with　a　triumphant　expression；　〃that　image；　which　to　your　philosophy　and　pantheism　appears　so　ridiculous；　is　Our　Lady　of　Help；　patroness　and　advocate　of　Orbajosa；　whose　inhabitants　regard　her　with　so　much　veneration　that　they　would　be　quite　capable　of　dragging　any　one　through　the　streets　who　should　speak　ill　of　her。　The　chronicles　and　history；　Senor　Don　Jose；　are　full　of　the　miracles　which　she　has　wrought；　and　even　at　the　present　day　we　receive　constantly　incontrovertible　proofs　of　her　protection。　You　must　know　also　that　your　aunt；　Dona　Perfecta；　is　chief　lady　in　waiting　to　the　Most　Holy　Virgin　of　Help；　and　that　the　dress　that　to　you　appears　so　grotesquewent　out　from　this　house；　and　that　the　trousers　of　the　Infant　are　the　work　of　the　skilful　needle　and　the　ardent　piety　combined　of　your　cousin　Rosarito；　who　is　now　listening　to　us。〃

Pepe　Rey　was　greatly　disconcerted。　At　the　same　instant　Dona　Perfecta　rose　abruptly　from　her　seat；　and；　without　saying　a　word；　walked　toward　the　house；　followed　by　the　Penitentiary。　The　others　rose　also。　Recovering　from　his　stupefaction；　the　young　man　was　about　to　beg　his　cousin's　pardon　for　his　irreverence；　when　he　observed　that　Rosarito　was　weeping。　Fixing　on　her　cousin　a　look　of　friendly　and　gentle　reproof；　she　said：

〃What　ideas　you　have！〃

The　voice　of　Dona　Perfecta　was　heard　crying　in　an　altered　accent：

〃Rosario！　Rosario！〃

The　latter　ran　toward　the　house。



CHAPTER　X

THE　EVIDENCE　OF　DISCORD　IS　EVIDENT

Pepe　Rey　was　disturbed　and　perplexed；　enraged　with　himself　and　every　one　else；　he　tried　in　vain　to　imagine　what　could　be　the　conflict　that　had　arisen；　in　spite　of　himself；　between　his　ideas　and　the　ideas　of　his　aunt's　friends。　Thoughtful　and　sad；　foreseeing　future　discord；　he　rem