dona perecta-第9节

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　in　the　Alamillos　on　very　great　occasions；　and　daily　walks　to　a　place　called　Mundogrande；　where　were　often　disinterred　from　the　accumulated　dust　of　twenty　centuries；　medals；　bits　of　architecture；　and　occasionally　an　amphora　or　cubicularia　of　inestimable　value。

Don　Cayetano　and　Dona　Perfecta　lived　in　such　perfect　harmony　that　the　peace　of　Paradise　was　not　to　be　compared　to　it。　They　never　disagreed。　It　is　true　that　Don　Cayetano　never　interfered　in　the　affairs　of　the　house　nor　Dona　Perfecta　in　those　of　the　library；　except　to　have　it　swept　and　dusted　every　Saturday；　regarding　with　religious　respect　the　books　and　papers　that　were　in　use　on　the　table　or　anywhere　else　in　the　room。

After　the　questions　and　answers　proper　to　the　occasion　had　been　interchanged　Don　Cayetano　said：

〃I　have　already　looked　at　the　books。　I　am　very　sorry　that　you　did　not　bring　me　the　edition　of　1527。　I　shall　have　to　make　a　journey　to　Madrid　myself。　Are　you　going　to　remain　with　us　long？　The　longer　the　better；　my　dear　Pepe。　How　glad　I　am　to　have　you　here！　Between　us　both　we　will　arrange　a　part　of　my　library　and　make　an　index　of　the　writers　on　the　Art　of　Horsemanship。　It　is　not　always　one　has　at　hand　a　man　of　your　talents。　You　shall　see　my　library。　You　can　take　your　fill　of　reading　thereas　often　as　you　like。　You　will　see　marvels；　real　marvels；　inestimable　treasures；　rare　works　that　no　one　but　myself　has　a　copy　of。　But　I　think　it　must　be　time　for　dinner；　is　it　not；　Jose？　Is　it　not；　Perfecta？　Is　it　not；　Rosarito？　Is　it　not；　Senor　Don　Inocencio？　To…day　you　are　doubly　a　PenitentiaryI　mean　because　you　will　accompany　us　in　doing　penance。〃

The　canon　bowed　and　smiled；　manifesting　his　pleased　acquiescence。　The　dinner　was　substantial；　and　in　all　the　dishes　there　was　noticeable　the　excessive　abundance　of　country　banquets；　realized　at　the　expense　of　variety。　There　was　enough　to　surfeit　twice　as　many　persons　as　sat　down　to　table。　The　conversation　turned　on　various　subjects。

〃You　must　visit　our　cathedral　as　soon　as　possible；〃　said　the　canon。　〃There　are　few　cathedrals　like　ours；　Senor　Don　Jose！　But　of　course　you；　who　have　seen　so　many　wonders　in　foreign　countries；　will　find　nothing　remarkable　in　our　old　church。　We　poor　provincials　of　Orbajosa；　however；　think　it　divine。　Master　Lopez　of　Berganza；　one　of　the　prebendaries　of　the　cathedral；　called　it　in　the　sixteenth　century　/pulchra　augustissima/。　But　perhaps　for　a　man　of　your　learning　it　would　possess　no　merit；　and　some　market　constructed　of　iron　would　seem　more　beautiful。〃

The　ironical　remarks　of　the　wily　canon　annoyed　Pepe　Rey　more　and　more　every　moment；　but；　determined　to　control　himself　and　to　conceal　his　anger；　he　answered　only　with　vague　words。　Dona　Perfecta　then　took　up　the　theme　and　said　playfully：

〃Take　care；　Pepito；　I　warn　you　that　if　you　speak　ill　of　our　holy　church　we　shall　cease　to　be　friends。　You　know　a　great　deal；　you　are　a　man　eminent　for　your　knowledge　on　every　subject；　but　if　you　are　going　to　discover　that　that　grand　edifice　is　not　the　eighth　wonder　of　the　world　you　will　do　well　to　keep　your　knowledge　to　yourself　and　leave　us　in　our　ignorance。〃

〃Far　from　thinking　that　the　building　is　not　handsome；〃　responded　Pepe；　〃the　little　I　have　seen　of　its　exterior　has　seemed　to　me　of　imposing　beauty。　So　there　is　no　need　for　you　to　be　alarmed；　aunt。　And　I　am　very　far　from　being　a　savant。〃

〃Softly；　softly；〃　said　the　canon；　extending　his　hand　and　giving　his　mouth　a　truce　from　eating　in　order　to　talk。　〃Stop　theredon't　come　now　pretending　modesty；　Senor　Don　Jose；　we　are　too　well　aware　of　your　great　merit；　of　the　high　reputation　you　enjoy　and　the　important　part　you　play　wherever　you　are；　for　that。　Men　like　you　are　not　to　be　met　with　every　day。　But　now　that　I　have　extolled　your　merits　in　this　way〃

He　stopped　to　eat　a　mouthful；　and　when　his　tongue　was　once　more　at　liberty　he　continued　thus：

〃Now　that　I　have　extolled　your　merits　in　this　way；　permit　me　to　express　a　different　opinion　with　the　frankness　which　belongs　to　my　character。　Yes；　Senor　Don　Jose；　yes；　Senor　Don　Cayetano；　yes；　senora　and　senorita；　science；　as　the　moderns　study　and　propagate　it；　is　the　death　of　sentiment　and　of　every　sweet　illusion。　Under　its　influence　the　life　of　the　spirit　declines；　every　thing　is　reduced　to　fixed　rules；　and　even　the　sublime　charms　of　nature　disappear。　Science　destroys　the　marvellous　in　the　arts；　as　well　as　faith　in　the　soul。　Science　says　that　every　thing　is　a　lie；　and　would　reduce　every　thing　to　figures　and　lines；　not　only　/maria　ac　terras/；　where　we　are；　but　/coelumque　profundum/；　where　God　is。　The　wonderful　visions　of　the　soul；　its　mystic　raptures；　even　the　inspiration　of　the　poets；　are　all　a　lie。　The　heart　is　a　sponge；　the　brain；　a　place　for　breeding　maggots。〃

Every　one　laughed；　while　the　canon　took　a　draught　of　wine。

〃Come；　now；　will　Senor　Don　Jose　deny；〃　continued　the　ecclesiastic；　〃that　science；　as　it　is　taught　and　propagated　to…day；　is　fast　making　of　the　world　and　of　the　human　race　a　great　machine？〃

〃That　depends；〃　said　Don　Cayetano。　〃Every　thing　has　its　/pro/　and　its　/contra/。〃

〃Take　some　more　salad；　Senor　Penitentiary；〃　said　Dona　Perfecta；　〃it　is　just　as　you　like　itwith　a　good　deal　of　mustard。〃

Pepe　Rey　was　not　fond　of　engaging　in　useless　discussions；　he　was　not　a　pedant；　nor　did　he　desire　to　make　a　display　of　his　learning；　and　still　less　did　he　wish　to　do　so　in　the　presence　of　women；　and　in　a　private　re…union；　but　the　importunate　and　aggressive　verbosity　of　the　canon　required；　in　his　opinion；　a　corrective。　To　flatter　his　vanity　by　agreeing　with　his　views　would；　he　thought；　be　a　bad　way　to　give　it　to　him；　and　he　determined　therefore　to　express　only　such　opinions　as　should　be　most　directly　opposed　to　those　of　the　sarcastic　Penitentiary　and　most　offensive　to　him。

〃So　you　wish　to　amuse　yourself　at　my　expense；〃　he　said　to　himself。　〃Wait；　and　you　will　see　what　a　fine　dance　I　will　lead　you。〃

Then　he　said　aloud：

〃All　that　the　Senor　Penitentiary　has　said　ironically　is　the　truth。　But　it　is　not　our　fault　if　science　overturns　day　after　day　the　vain　idols　of　the　past：　its　superstitions；　its　sophisms；　its　innumerable　fables　beautiful；　some　of　them；　ridiculous　othersfor　in　the　vineyard　of　the　Lord　grow　both　good　fruit　and　bad。　The　world　of　illusions；　which　is；　as　we　might　say；　a　second　world；　is　tumbling　about　us　in　ruins。　Mysticism　in　religion；　routine　in　science；　mannerism　in　art；　are　falling；　as　the　Pagan　gods　fell；　amid　jests。　Farewell；　foolish　dreams！　the　human　race　is　awakening　and　its　eyes　behold　the　light。　Its　vain　sentimentalism；　its　mysticism；　its　fevers；　its　hallucination；　its　delirium　are　passing　away；　and　he　who　was　before　sick　is　now　well　and　takes　an　ineffable　delight　in　the　just　appreciation　of　things。　Imagination；　the　terrible　madwoman；　who　was　the　mistress　of　the　house；　has　become　the　servant。　Look　around　you；　Senor　Penitentiary；　and　you　will　see　the　admirable　aggregation　of　truths　which　has　taken　the　place　of　fable。　The　sky　is　not　a　vault；　the　stars　are　not　little　lamps；　the　moon　is　not　a　sportive　huntress；　but　an　opaque　mass　of　stone；　the　sun　is　not　a　gayly　adorned　and　vagabond　charioteer　but　a　fixed　fire；　Scylla　and　Charybdis　are　not　nymphs　but　sunken　rocks；　the　sirens　are　seals；　and　in　the　order　of　personages；　Mercury　is　Manzanedo；　Mars　is　a　clean…　shaven　old　man；　the　Count　von　Moltke；　Nestor　may　be　a　gentleman　in　an　overcoat；　who　is　called　M。　Thiers；　Orpheus　is　Verdi；　Vulcan　is　Krupp；　Apollo　is　any　poet。　Do　you　wish　more？　Well；　then；　Jupiter；　a　god　who；　if　he　were　living　now；　would　deserve　to　be　put　in　jail；　does　not　launch　the　thunderbolt；　but　the　thunderbolt　falls　when　electricity　wills　it。　There　is　no　Parnassus；　there　is　no　Olympus；　there　is　no　Stygian　lake；　nor　are　there　any　other　Elysian　Fields　than　those　of　Paris。　There　is　no　other　descent　to　hell　than　the　descents　of　Geology；　and　this　traveller；　every　time　he　returns　from　it；　declares　that　there　are　no　damned　souls　in　the　centre　of　the　earth。　There　are　no　other　ascents　to　heaven　than　those　of　Astronomy；　and　she；　on　her　return；　declares　that　she　has　not　seen　the　six　or　seven　circles　of　which　Dante　and　the　mystical　dreamers　of　the　Middle　Ages　speak。　She　finds　only　stars　and　distances；　lines；　vast　spaces；　and　nothing　more。　There　are　now　no　false　computations　of　the　age　of　the　earth；　for　paleontology　and　prehistoric　research　have　counted　the　teeth　of　this　skull　in　which　we　live　and　discovered　the　true　age。　Fable；　whether　it　be　called　paganism　or　Christian　idealism；　exists　no　longer；　and　imagination　plays　only　a　secondary　part。　All　the　miracles　possible　are　such　as　I　work；　whenever　I　desire　to　do　so；　in　my　laboratory；　with　my　Bunsen　pile；　a　conducting　wire；　and　a　magnetized　needle。　There　are　now　no　other　multiplications　of　loaves　and　fishes　than　those　which　Industry　makes；　with　her　moulds　and　her　machines；　and　those　of　the　printing　press；　which　imitates　Nature；　taking　from　a　single　type　millions　of　copies。　In　short；　my　dear　canon；　orders　have　been　given　to　put　on　the　retired　list　all　the　absurdities；　lies；　illusions；　dreams；　sentimentalities；　and　prejudices　which　darken　the　understanding　of　man。　Let　us　rejoice　at　the　fact。〃

When　Pepe　finished　speaking；　a　furtive　smile　played　upon　the　canon's　lips　and　his　eyes　were　extraordinari