dona perecta-第29节

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　Have　you　the　supreme　intelligence　which　is　necessary　to　judge　justly　the　actions　of　others　and　pronounce　sentence　upon　them？　Are　you　God；　to　know　the　intentions？〃

Pepe　was　every　moment　more　amazed。

〃Is　it　not　allowable　at　times　to　employ　indirect　means　to　attain　a　good　and　honorable　end？　By　what　right　do　you　judge　actions　of　mine　that　you　do　not　clearly　understand？　I；　my　dear　nephew；　manifesting　a　sincerity　which　you　do　not　deserve；　confess　to　you　that　I　have　indeed　employed　subterfuges　to　attain　a　good　end；　to　attain　what　was　at　the　same　time　beneficial　to　you　and　to　my　daughter。　You　do　not　comprehend？　You　look　bewildered。　Ah！　your　great　mathematician's　and　German　philosopher's　intellect　is　not　capable　of　comprehending　these　artifices　of　a　prudent　mother。〃

〃I　am　more　and　more　astounded　every　moment；〃　said　the　engineer。

〃Be　as　astounded　as　you　choose；　but　confess　your　barbarity；〃　said　the　lady；　with　increasing　spirit；　〃acknowledge　your　hastiness　and　your　brutal　conduct　toward　me　in　accusing　me　as　you　have　done。　You　are　a　young　man　without　any　experience　or　any　other　knowledge　than　that　which　is　derived　from　books；　which　teach　nothing　about　the　world　or　the　human　heart。　All　you　know　is　how　to　make　roads　and　docks。　Ah；　my　young　gentleman！　one　does　not　enter　into　the　human　heart　through　the　tunnel　of　a　railroad；　or　descend　into　its　depths　through　the　shaft　of　a　mine。　You　cannot　read　in　the　conscience　of　another　with　the　microscope　of　a　naturalist；　nor　decide　the　question　of　another's　culpability　measuring　ideas　with　a　theodolite。〃

〃For　God's　sake；　dear　aunt！〃

〃Why　do　you　pronounce　the　name　of　God　when　you　do　not　believe　in　him？〃　said　Dona　Perfecta；　in　solemn　accents。　〃If　you　believed　in　him；　if　you　were　a　good　Christian；　you　would　not　dare　to　form　evil　judgments　about　my　conduct。　I　am　a　devout　woman；　do　you　understand？　I　have　a　tranquil　conscience；　do　you　understand？　I　know　what　I　am　doing　and　why　I　do　it；　do　you　understand？〃

〃I　understand；　I　understand；　I　understand！〃

〃God　in　whom　you　do　not　believe；　sees　what　you　do　not　see　and　what　you　cannot　seethe　intention。　I　will　say　no　more；　I　do　not　wish　to　enter　into　minute　explanations；　for　I　do　not　need　to　do　so。　Nor　would　you　understand　me　if　I　should　tell　you　that　I　desired　to　attain　my　object　without　scandal；　without　offending　your　father；　without　offending　you；　without　giving　cause　for　people　to　talk　by　an　explicit　refusalI　will　say　nothing　of　all　this　to　you；　for　you　would　not　understand　it；　either；　Pepe。　You　are　a　mathematician。　You　see　what　is　before　your　eyes；　and　nothing　more；　brute　matter　and　nothing　more。　You　see　the　effect；　and　not　the　cause。　God　is　the　supreme　intention　of　the　world。　He　who　does　not　know　this　must　necessarily　judge　things　as　you　judge　themfoolishly。　In　the　tempest；　for　instance；　he　sees　only　destruction；　in　the　conflagration；　ruin；　in　the　drought；　famine；　in　the　earthquake；　desolation；　and　yet；　arrogant　young　man；　in　all　those　apparent　calamities　we　are　to　seek　the　good　intentionsyes；　senor；　the　intention；　always　good；　of　Him　who　can　do　nothing　evil。〃

This　confused；　subtle；　and　mystic　logic　did　not　convince　Pepe　Rey；　but　he　did　not　wish　to　follow　his　aunt　in　the　tortuous　path　of　such　a　method　of　reasoning；　and　he　said　simply：

〃Well；　I　respect　intentions。〃

〃Now　that　you　seem　to　recognize　your　error；〃　continued　the　pious　lady；　with　ever…increasing　confidence；　〃I　will　make　another　confession　to　you；　and　that　is　that　I　see　now　that　I　did　wrong　in　adopting　the　course　I　did；　although　my　object　was　excellent。　In　view　of　your　impetuous　disposition；　in　view　of　your　incapacity　to　comprehend　me；　I　should　have　faced　the　situation　boldly　and　said　to　you；　'Nephew；　I　do　not　wish　that　you　should　be　my　daughter's　husband。'　〃

〃That　is　the　language　you　should　have　used　to　me　from　the　beginning；〃　said　the　engineer；　drawing　a　deep　breath；　as　if　his　mind　had　been　relieved　from　an　enormous　weight。　〃I　am　greatly　obliged　to　you　for　those　words。　After　having　been　stabbed　in　the　dark；　this　blow　on　the　face　in　the　light　of　day　is　a　great　satisfaction　to　me。〃

〃Well；　I　will　repeat　the　blow；　nephew；〃　declared　Dona　Perfecta；　with　as　much　energy　as　displeasure。　〃You　know　it　nowI　do　not　wish　you　to　marry　Rosario！〃

Pepe　was　silent。　There　was　a　long　pause；　during　which　the　two　regarded　each　other　attentively；　as　if　the　face　of　each　was　for　the　other　the　most　perfect　work　of　art。

〃Don't　you　understand　what　I　have　said　to　you？〃　she　repeated。　〃That　every　thing　is　at　an　end；　that　there　is　to　be　no　marriage。〃

〃Permit　me；　dear　aunt；〃　said　the　young　man；　with　composure；　〃not　to　be　terrified　by　the　intimation。　In　the　state　at　which　things　have　arrived　your　refusal　has　little　importance　for　me。〃

〃What　are　you　saying？〃　cried　Dona　Perfecta　violently。

〃What　you　hear。　I　will　marry　Rosario！〃

Dona　Perfecta　rose　to　her　feet；　indignant；　majestic；　terrible。　Her　attitude　was　that　of　anathema　incarnated　in　a　woman。　Rey　remained　seated；　serene；　courageous；　with　the　passive　courage　of　a　profound　conviction　and　an　immovable　resolve。　The　whole　weight　of　his　aunt's　wrath；　threatening　to　overwhelm　him；　did　not　make　him　move　an　eyelash。　This　was　his　character。

〃You　are　mad。　Marry　my　daughter；　you！　Marry　her　against　my　will！〃

Dona　Perfecta's　trembling　lips　articulated　these　words　in　a　truly　tragic　tone。

〃Against　your　will！　She　is　of　a　different　way　of　thinking。〃

〃Against　my　will！〃　repeated　Dona　Perfecta。　〃Yes；　and　I　repeat　it　again　and　again。　I　do　not　wish　it；　I　do　not　wish　it！〃

〃She　and　I　wish　it。〃

〃Fool！　Is　nothing　else　in　the　world　to　be　considered　but　her　and　you？　Are　there　not　parents；　is　there　not　society；　is　there　not　a　conscience；　is　there　not　a　God？〃

〃Because　there　is　society；　because　there　is　a　conscience；　because　there　is　a　God；〃　affirmed　Rey　gravely；　rising　to　his　feet；　and　pointing　with　outstretched　arm　to　the　heavens；　〃I　say　and　I　repeat　that　I　will　marry　her。〃

〃Wretch！　arrogant　man！　And　if　you　would　dare　to　trample　every　thing　under　your　feet；　do　you　think　there　are　not　laws　to　prevent　your　violence？〃

〃Because　there　are　laws；　I　say　and　I　repeat　that　I　will　marry　her。〃

〃You　respect　nothing！〃

〃Nothing　that　is　unworthy　of　respect。〃

〃And　my　authority；　my　will；　Iam　I　nothing？〃

〃For　me　your　daughter　is　every　thingthe　rest　is　nothing。〃

Pepe　Rey's　composure　was；　so　to　say；　the　arrogant　display　of　invincible　and　conscious　strength。　The　blows　he　gave　were　hard　and　crushing　in　their　force；　without　any　thing　to　mitigate　their　severity。　His　words；　if　the　comparison　may　be　allowed；　were　like　a　pitiless　discharge　of　artillery。

Dona　Perfecta　sank　again　on　the　sofa；　but　she　shed　no　tears；　and　a　convulsive　tremor　agitated　her　frame。

〃So　that　for　this　infamous　atheist；〃　she　exclaimed；　with　frank　rage；　〃there　are　no　social　conventionalities；　there　is　nothing　but　caprice。　This　is　base　avarice。　My　daughter　is　rich！〃

〃If　you　think　to　wound　me　with　that　treacherous　weapon；　evading　the　question　and　giving　a　distorted　meaning　to　my　sentiments　in　order　to　offend　my　dignity；　you　are　mistaken；　dear　aunt。　Call　me　mercenary；　if　you　choose。　God　knows　what　I　am。〃

〃You　have　no　dignity！〃

〃That　is　an　opinion；　like　any　other。　The　world　may　hold　you　to　be　infallible。　I　do　not。　I　am　far　from　believing　that　from　your　judgments　there　is　no　appeal　to　God。〃

〃But　is　what　you　say　true？　But　do　you　persist　in　your　purpose；　after　my　refusal？　You　respect　nothing；　you　are　a　monster；　a　bandit。〃

〃I　am　a　man。〃

〃A　wretch！　Let　us　end　this　at　once。　I　refuse　to　give　my　daughter　to　you；　I　refuse　her　to　you！〃

〃I　will　take　her　then！　I　shall　take　only　what　is　mine。〃

〃Leave　my　presence！〃　exclaimed　Dona　Perfecta；　rising　suddenly　to　her　feet。　〃Coxcomb；　do　you　suppose　that　my　daughter　thinks　of　you？〃

〃She　loves　me；　as　I　love　her。〃

〃It　is　a　lie！　It　is　a　lie！〃

〃She　herself　has　told　me　so。　Excuse　me　if；　on　this　point；　I　put　more　faith　in　her　words　than　in　her　mother's。〃

〃How　could　she　have　told　you　so；　when　you　have　not　seen　her　for　several　days？〃

〃I　saw　her　last　night；　and　she　swore　to　me　before　the　crucifix　in　the　chapel　that　she　would　be　my　wife。〃

〃Oh；　scandal；　oh；　libertinism！　But　what　is　this？　My　God；　what　a　disgrace！〃　exclaimed　Dona　Perfecta；　pressing　her　head　again　between　her　hands　and　walking　up　and　down　the　room。　〃Rosario　left　her　room　last　night？〃

〃She　left　it　to　see　me。　It　was　time。〃

〃What　vile　conduct　is　yours！　You　have　acted　like　a　thief；　you　have　acted　like　a　vulgar　seducer！〃

〃I　have　acted　in　accordance　with　the　teachings　of　your　school。　My　intention　was　good。〃

〃And　she　came　down　stairs！　Ah；　I　suspected　it！　This　morning　at　daybreak　I　surprised　her；　dressed；　in　her　room。　She　told　me　she　had　gone　out；　I　don't　know　for　what。　You　were　the　real　criminal；　then。　This　is　a　disgrace！　Pepe；　I　expected　any　thing　from　you　rather　than　an　outrage　like　this。　Every　thing　is　at　an　end！　Go　away！　You　are　dead　to　me。　I　forgive　you；　provided　you　go　away。　I　will　not　say　a　word　about　this　to　your　father。　What　horrible　selfishness！　No；　there　is　no　love　in　you。　You　do　not　love　my　daughter！〃

〃God　knows　that　I　love　her；　and　that　is　sufficient　for　me。〃

〃Be　silent；　blasphemer！　and　don't　take　the　name　of　God　upon　your　lips！〃　exclaime