dona perecta-第26节

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〃I　swear　it　to　you　by　my　father's　ashes　that　are〃

〃Where？〃

〃Under　our　feet。〃

The　mathematician　felt　the　stone　rise　under　his　feetbut　no；　it　was　not　rising；　he　only　fancied；　mathematician　though　he　was；　that　he　felt　it　rise。

〃I　swear　it　to　you；〃　repeated　Rosario；　〃by　my　father's　ashes；　and　by　the　God　who　is　looking　at　us　May　our　bodies；　united　as　they　are；　repose　under　those　stones　when　God　wills　to　take　us　out　of　this　world。〃

〃Yes；〃　repeated　the　Pepe　Rey；　with　profound　emotion；　feeling　his　soul　filled　with　an　inexplicable　trouble。

Both　remained　silent　for　a　short　time。　Rosario　had　risen。

〃Already？〃　he　said。

She　sat　down　again。

〃You　are　trembling　again；〃　said　Pepe。　〃Rosario；　you　are　ill；　your　forehead　is　burning。〃

〃I　think　I　am　dying；〃　murmured　the　young　girl　faintly。　〃I　don't　know　what　is　the　matter　with　me。〃

She　fell　senseless　into　her　cousin's　arms。　Caressing　her；　he　noticed　that　her　face　was　covered　with　a　cold　perspiration。

〃She　is　really　ill；〃　he　said　to　himself。　〃It　was　a　piece　of　great　imprudence　to　have　come　down　stairs。〃

He　lifted　her　up　in　his　arms；　endeavoring　to　restore　her　to　consciousness；　but　neither　the　trembling　that　had　seized　her　nor　her　insensibility　passed　away；　and　he　resolved　to　carry　her　out　of　the　chapel；　in　the　hope　that　the　fresh　air　would　revive　her。　And　so　it　was。　When　she　recovered　consciousness　Rosario　manifested　great　disquietude　at　finding　herself　at　such　an　hour　out　of　her　own　room。　The　clock　of　the　cathedral　struck　four。

〃How　late　it　is！〃　exclaimed　the　young　girl。　〃Release　me；　cousin。　I　think　I　can　walk。　I　am　really　very　ill。〃

〃I　will　go　upstairs　with　you。〃

〃Oh；　no；　on　no　account！　I　would　rather　drag　myself　to　my　room　on　my　hands　and　feet。　Don't　you　hear　a　noise？〃

Both　were　silent。　The　anxiety　with　which　they　listened　made　the　silence　intense。

〃Don't　you　hear　any　thing；　Pepe？〃

〃Absolutely　nothing。〃

〃Pay　attention。　There；　there　it　is　again。　It　is　a　noise　that　sounds　as　if　it　might　be　either　very；　very　distant；　or　very　near。　It　might　either　be　my　mother's　breathing　or　the　creaking　of　the　vane　on　the　tower　of　the　cathedral。　Ah！　I　have　a　very　fine　ear。〃

〃Too　fine！　Well；　dear　cousin；　I　will　carry　you　upstairs　in　my　arms。〃

〃Very　well；　carry　me　to　the　head　of　the　stairs。　Afterward　I　can　go　alone。　As　soon　as　I　rest　a　little　I　shall　be　as　well　as　ever。　But　don't　you　hear？〃

They　stopped　on　the　first　step。

〃It　is　a　metallic　sound。〃

〃Your　mother's　breathing？〃

〃No；　it　is　not　that。　The　noise　comes　from　a　great　distance。　Perhaps　it　is　the　crowing　of　a　cock？〃

〃Perhaps　so。〃

〃It　sounds　like　the　words；　'I　am　going　there；　I　am　going　there！'　〃

〃Now；　now　I　hear；〃　murmured　Pepe　Rey。

〃It　is　a　cry。〃

〃It　is　a　cornet。〃

〃A　cornet！〃

〃Yes。　Let　us　hurry。　Orbajosa　is　going　to　wake　up。　Now　I　hear　it　clearly。　It　is　not　a　trumpet　but　a　clarionet。　The　soldiers　are　coming。〃

〃Soldiers！〃

〃I　don't　know　why　I　imagine　that　this　military　invasion　is　going　to　be　advantageous　to　me。　I　feel　glad。　Up；　quickly；　Rosario！〃

〃I　feel　glad；　too。　Up；　up！〃

In　an　instant　he　had　carried　her　upstairs；　and　the　lovers　took　a　whispered　leave　of　each　other。

〃I　will　stand　at　the　window　overlooking　the　garden；　so　that　you　may　know　I　have　reached　my　room　safely。　Good…by。〃

〃Good…by；　Rosario。　Take　care　not　to　stumble　against　the　furniture。〃

〃I　can　find　my　way　here　perfectly；　cousin。　We　shall　soon　see　each　other　again。　Stand　at　your　window　if　you　wish　to　receive　my　telegraphic　despatch。〃

Pepe　Rey　did　as　he　was　bade；　but　he　waited　a　long　time；　and　Rosario　did　not　appear　at　the　window。　The　engineer　fancied　he　heard　agitated　voices　on　the　floor　above　him。



CHAPTER　XVIII

THE　SOLDIERS

The　inhabitants　of　Orbajosa　heard　in　the　twilight　vagueness　of　their　morning　slumbers　the　same　sonorous　clarionet；　and　they　opened　their　eyes；　saying：

〃The　soldiers！〃

Some　murmured　to　themselves　between　sleeping　and　waking：

〃At　last　they　have　sent　us　that　rabble。〃

Others　got　out　of　bed　hastily；　growling：

〃Let　us　go　take　a　look　at　those　confounded　soldiers。〃

Some　soliloquized　in　this　way：

〃It　will　be　necessary　to　hurry　up　matters。　They　say　drafts　and　contributions；　we　will　say　blows　and　more　blows。〃

In　another　house　were　heard　these　words　uttered　joyfully：

〃Perhaps　my　son　is　coming！　Perhaps　my　brother　is　coming！〃

Everywhere　people　were　springing　out　of　bed；　dressing　hastily；　opening　the　windows　to　see　the　regiment　that　caused　all　this　excitement　entering　the　city　in　the　early　dawn。　The　city　was　gloom；　silence；　age；　the　army　gayety；　boisterousness；　youth。　As　the　army　entered　the　city　it　seemed　as　if　the　mummy　received　by　some　magic　art　the　gift　of　life　and　sprang　with　noisy　gayety　from　its　damp　sarcophagus　to　dance　around　it。　What　movement；　what　shouting；　what　laughter；　what　merriment！　There　is　nothing　so　interesting　as　a　regiment。　It　is　our　country　in　its　youthful　and　vigorous　aspect。　All　the　ineptitude；　the　turbulence；　the　superstition　at　times；　and　at　times　the　impiety　of　the　country　as　represented　in　the　individual；　disappears　under　the　iron　rule　of　discipline；　which　of　so　many　insignificant　figures　makes　an　imposing　whole。　The　soldier；　or　so　to　say；　the　corpuscle；　separating　at　the　command　〃Break　ranks！〃　from　the　mass　in　which　he　has　led　a　regular　and　at　times　a　sublime　life；　occasionally　preserves　some　of　the　qualities　peculiar　to　the　army。　But　this　is　not　the　general　rule。　The　separation　is　most　often　accompanied　by　a　sudden　deterioration；　with　the　result　that　if　an　army　is　the　glory　and　honor　of　a　nation；　an　assemblage　of　soldiers　may　be　an　insupportable　calamity；　and　the　towns　that　shed　tears　of　joy　and　enthusiasm　when　they　see　a　victorious　battalion　enter　their　precincts；　groan　with　terror　and　tremble　with　apprehension　when　they　see　the　same　soldiers　separate　and　off　duty。

This　last　was　what　happened　in　Orbajosa；　for　in　those　days　there　were　no　glorious　deeds　to　celebrate；　nor　was　there　any　motive　for　weaving　wreaths　or　tracing　triumphal　inscriptions；　or　even　for　making　mention　of　the　exploits　of　our　brave　soldiers；　for　which　reason　all　was　fear　and　suspicion　in　the　episcopal　city；　which；　although　poor；　did　not　lack　treasures　in　chickens；　fruits；　money；　and　maidenhood；　all　of　which　ran　great　risk　from　the　moment　when　the　before…mentioned　sons　of　Mars　entered　it。　In　addition　to　this；　the　native　town　of　Polentinos；　as　a　city　remote　from　the　movement　and　stir　brought　with　them　by　traffic；　the　newspapers；　railroads；　and　other　agents　which　it　is　unnecessary　now　to　specify；　did　not　wish　to　be　disturbed　in　its　tranquil　existence。

Besides　which；　it　manifested　on　every　favorable　occasion　a　strong　aversion　to　submitting　to　the　central　authority　which；　badly　or　well；　governs　us；　and　calling　to　mind　its　former　privileges　and　ruminating　upon　them　anew；　as　the　camel　chews　the　cud　of　the　grass　which　it　ate　yesterday；　it　would　occasionally　display　a　certain　rebellious　independence；　and　vicious　tendencies　much　to　be　deplored；　which　at　times　gave　no　little　anxiety　to　the　governor　of　the　province。

It　must　also　be　taken　into　account　that　Orbajosa　had　rebellious　antecedents；　or　rather　ancestry。　Doubtless　it　still　retained　some　of　those　energetic　fibres　which；　in　remote　ages；　according　to　the　enthusiastic　opinion　of　Don　Cayetano；　impelled　it　to　unexampled　epic　deeds；　and；　even　in　its　decadence；　occasionally　felt　an　eager　desire　to　do　great　things；　although　they　might　be　only　barbarities　and　follies。　As　it　had　given　to　the　world　so　many　illustrious　sons；　it　desired；　no　doubt；　that　its　actual　scions；　the　Caballucos；　Merengues；　and　Pelosmalos；　should　renew　the　glorious　/Gesta/　of　their　predecessors。

Whenever　there　was　disaffection　in　Spain；　Orbajosa　gave　proof　that　it　was　not　in　vain　that　it　existed　on　the　face　of　the　earth；　although　it　is　true　that　it　was　never　the　theatre　of　a　real　war。　The　spirit　of　the　town；　its　situation；　its　history；　all　reduced　it　to　the　secondary　part　of　raising　guerillas。　It　bestowed　upon　the　country　this　national　product　in　1827；　at　the　time　of　the　Apostolics；　during　the　Seven　Years'　War；　in　1848；　and　at　other　epochs　of　less　resonance　in　the　national　history。　The　guerillas　and　their　chiefs　were　always　popular；　a　fatal　circumstance　due　to　the　War　of　Independence；　one　of　those　good　things　which　have　been　the　origin　of　an　infinite　number　of　detestable　things。　/Corruptio　optimi　pessima/。　And　with　the　popularity　of　the　guerillas　and　their　chiefs　coincided；　in　ever…increasing　proportion；　the　unpopularity　of　every　one　who　entered　Orbajosa　in　the　character　of　a　delegate　or　instrument　of　the　central　power。　The　soldiers　were　held　in　such　disrepute　there　that；　whenever　the　old　people　told　of　any　crime；　any　robbery；　assassination；　or　the　like　atrocity；　they　added：　〃This　happened　when　the　soldiers　were　here。〃

And　now　that　these　important　observations　have　been　made；　it　will　be　well　to　add　that　the　battalions　sent　there　during　the　days　in　which　the　events　of　our　story　took　place　did　not　go　to　parade　through　the　streets；　but　for　another　purpose　which　will　be　clearly　and　minutely　set　forth　later　on。　As　a　detail　of　no　little　interest；　it　may　be　noted　that　the　events　here　related　took　place　at　a　period　neither　very　remote　nor