dona perecta-第10章

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Rosario　felt　her　face　burning；　and　her　heart　was　beating　violently。

〃See；　my　dear　cousin；〃　continued　the　young　man。　〃I　swear　to　you　that　if　you　had　not　pleased　me　I　should　be　already　far　away　from　this　place。　Although　politeness　and　delicacy　would　have　obliged　me　to　make　an　effort　to　conceal　my　disappointment；　I　should　have　found　it　hard　to　do　so。　That　is　my　character。〃

〃Cousin；　you　have　only　just　arrived；〃　said　Rosarito　laconically；　trying　to　laugh。

〃I　have　only　just　arrived；　and　I　already　know　all　that　I　wanted　to　know；　I　know　that　I　love　you；　that　you　are　the　woman　whom　my　heart　has　long　been　announcing　to　me；　saying　to　me　night　and　day；　'Now　she　is　coming；　now　she　is　near；　now　you　are　burning。'　〃

These　words　served　Rosario　as　an　excuse　for　breaking　into　the　laugh　that　had　been　dimpling　her　lips。　Her　soul　swelled　with　happiness；　she　breathed　an　atmosphere　of　joy。

〃You　persist　in　depreciating　yourself；〃　continued　Pepe；　〃but　for　me　you　possess　every　perfection。　You　have　the　admirable　quality　of　radiating　on　all　around　you　the　divine　light　of　your　soul。　The　moment　one　sees　you　one　feels　instinctively　the　nobility　of　your　mind　and　the　purity　of　your　heart。　To　see　you　is　to　see　a　celestial　being　who；　through　the　forgetfulness　of　Heaven；　remains　upon　the　earth；　you　are　an　angel；　and　I　adore　you。〃

When　he　had　said　this　it　seemed　as　if　he　had　fulfilled　an　important　mission。　Rosarito；　overcome　by　the　violence　of　her　emotion；　felt　her　scant　strength　suddenly　fail　her；　and；　half…fainting；　she　sank　on　a　stone　that　in　those　pleasant　solitudes　served　as　a　seat。　Pepe　bent　over　her。　Her　eyes　were　closed；　her　forehead　rested　on　the　palm　of　her　hand。　A　few　moments　later　the　daughter　of　Dona　Perfecta　Polentinos　gave　her　cousin；　amid　happy　tears；　a　tender　glance　followed　by　these　words：

〃I　loved　you　before　I　had　ever　seen　you。〃

Placing　her　hands　in　those　of　the　young　man　she　rose　to　her　feet；　and　their　forms　disappeared　among　the　leafy　branches　of　an　oleander　walk。　Night　was　falling　and　soft　shadows　enveloped　the　lower　end　of　the　garden；　while　the　last　rays　of　the　setting　sun　crowned　the　tree…tops　with　fleeting　splendors。　The　noisy　republic　of　the　birds　kept　up　a　deafening　clamor　in　the　upper　branches。　It　was　the　hour　in　which；　after　flitting　about　in　the　joyous　regions　of　the　sky；　they　were　all　going　to　rest；　and　they　were　disputing　with　one　another　the　branches　they　had　selected　for　sleeping…places。　Their　chatter　at　times　had　a　sound　of　recrimination　and　controversy；　at　times　of　mockery　and　merriment。　In　their　voluble　twitter　the　little　rascals　said　the　most　insulting　things　to　each　other；　pecking　at　each　other　and　flapping　their　wings；　as　orators　wave　their　arms　when　they　want　to　make　their　hearers　believe　the　lies　they　are　telling　them。　But　words　of　love　were　to　be　heard　there　too；　for　the　peace　of　the　hour　and　the　beauty　of　the　spot　invited　to　it。　A　sharp　ear　might　have　distinguished　the　following：

〃I　loved　you　before　I　had　even　seen　you；　and　if　you　had　not　come　I　should　have　died　of　grief。　Mamma　used　to　give　me　your　father's　letters　to　read；　and　he　praised　you　so　much　in　them　that　I　used　to　say；　'That　is　the　man　who　ought　to　be　my　husband。'　For　a　long　time　your　father　said　nothing　about　our　marrying；　which　seemed　to　me　great　negligence。　Uncle　Cayetano；　whenever　he　spoke　of　you；　would　say；　'There　are　not　many　men　like　him　in　the　world。　The　woman　who　gets　him　for　a　husband　may　think　herself　fortunate。'　At　last　your　father　said　what　he　could　not　avoid　saying。　Yes；　he　could　not　avoid　saying　itI　was　expecting　it　every　day。〃

Shortly　after　these　words　the　same　voice　added　uneasily：　〃Some　one　is　following　us。〃

Emerging　from　among　the　oleanders；　Pepe；　turning　round；　saw　two　men　approaching　them；　and　touching　the　leaves　of　a　young　tree　near　by；　he　said　aloud　to　his　companion：

〃It　is　not　proper　to　prune　young　trees　like　this　for　the　first　time　until　they　have　taken　firm　root。　Trees　recently　planted　have　not　sufficient　strength　to　bear　the　operation。　You　know　that　the　roots　can　grow　only　by　means　of　the　leaves；　so　that　if　you　take　the　leaves　from　a　tree〃

〃Ah；　Senor　Don　Jose；〃　cried　the　Penitentiary；　with　a　frank　laugh；　approaching　the　two　young　people　and　bowing　to　them；　〃are　you　giving　lessons　in　horticulture？　/Insere　nunc　Meliboee　piros；　pone　ordine　vites/；　as　the　great　singer　of　the　labors　of　the　field　said。　'Graft　the　pear…tree；　dear　Meliboeus；　trim　the　vines。'　And　how　are　we　now；　Senor　Don　Jose？〃

The　engineer　and　the　canon　shook　hands。　Then　the　latter　turned　round；　and　indicating　by　a　gesture　a　young　man　who　was　behind　him；　said；　smiling：

〃I　have　the　pleasure　of　presenting　to　you　my　dear　Jacintilloa　great　rogue；　a　feather…head；　Senor　Don　Jose。〃



CHAPTER　IX

THE　DISAGREEMENT　CONTINUES　TO　INCREASE；　AND　THEREAFTER　TO　BECOME　DISCORD

Close　beside　the　black　cassock　was　a　fresh　and　rosy　face；　that　seemed　fresher　and　rosier　from　the　contrast。　Jacinto　saluted　our　hero；　not　without　some　embarrassment。

He　was　one　of　those　precocious　youths　whom　the　indulgent　university　sends　prematurely　forth　into　the　arena　of　life；　making　them　fancy　that　they　are　men　because　they　have　received　their　doctor's　degree。　Jacinto　had　a　round；　handsome　face　with　rosy　cheeks；　like　a　girl's；　and　without　any　beard　save　the　down　which　announced　its　coming。　In　person　he　was　plump　and　below　the　medium　height。　His　age　was　a　little　over　twenty。　He　had　been　educated　from　childhood　under　the　direction　of　his　excellent　and　learned　uncle；　which　is　the　same　as　saying　that　the　twig　had　not　become　crooked　in　the　growing。　A　severe　moral　training　had　kept　him　always　straight；　and　in　the　fulfilment　of　his　scholastic　duties　he　had　been　almost　above　reproach。　Having　concluded　his　studies　at　the　university　with　astonishing　success；　for　there　was　scarcely　a　class　in　which　he　did　not　take　the　highest　honors；　he　entered　on　the　practice　of　his　profession；　promising；　by　his　application　and　his　aptitude　for　the　law；　to　maintain　fresh　and　green　in　the　forum　the　laurels　of　the　lecture…hall。

At　times　he　was　as　mischievous　as　a　boy；　at　times　as　sedate　as　a　man。　In　very　truth；　if　Jacinto　had　not　had　a　little；　and　even　a　great　deal　of　liking　for　pretty　girls；　his　uncle　would　have　thought　him　perfect。　The　worthy　man　preached　to　him　unceasingly　on　this　point；　hastening　to　clip　the　wings　of　every　audacious　fancy。　But　not　even　this　mundane　inclination　of　the　young　man　could　cool　the　great　affection　which　our　worthy　canon　bore　the　charming　offspring　of　his　dear　niece；　Maria　Remedios。　Where　the　young　lawyer　was　concerned；　every　thing　else　must　give　way。　Even　the　grave　and　methodical　habits　of　the　worthy　ecclesiastic　were　altered　when　they　interfered　with　the　affairs　of　his　precocious　pupil。　That　order　and　regularity；　apparently　as　fixed　as　the　laws　of　a　planetary　system；　were　interrupted　whenever　Jacinto　was　ill　or　had　to　take　a　journey。　Useless　celibacy　of　the　clergy！　The　Council　of　Trent　prohibits　them　from　having　children　of　their　own；　but　Godand　not　the　Devil；　as　the　proverb　saysgives　them　nephews　and　nieces　in　order　that　they　may　know　the　tender　anxieties　of　paternity。

Examining　impartially　the　qualities　of　this　clever　boy；　it　was　impossible　not　to　recognize　that　he　was　not　wanting　in　merit。　His　character　was　in　the　main　inclined　to　uprightness；　and　noble　actions　awakened　a　frank　admiration　in　his　soul。　With　respect　to　his　intellectual　endowments　and　his　social　knowledge；　they　were　sufficient　to　enable　him　to　become　in　time　one　of　those　notabilities　of　whom　there　are　so　many　in　Spain；　he　might　be　what　we　take　delight　in　calling　hyperbolically　a　distinguished　patrician；　or　an　eminent　public　man；　species　which；　owing　to　their　great　abundance；　are　hardly　appreciated　at　their　just　value。　In　the　tender　age　in　which　the　university　degree　serves　as　a　sort　of　solder　between　boyhood　and　manhood；　few　young　men　especially　if　they　have　been　spoiled　by　their　mastersare　free　from　an　offensive　pedantry；　which；　if　it　gives　them　great　importance　beside　their　mamma's　arm…chair；　makes　them　very　ridiculous　when　they　are　among　grave　and　experienced　men。　Jacinto　had　this　defect；　which　was　excusable　in　him；　not　only　because　of　his　youth；　but　also　because　his　worthy　uncle　stimulated　his　puerile　vanity　by　injudicious　praise。

When　the　introduction　was　over　they　resumed　their　walk。　Jacinto　was　silent。　The　canon；　returning　to　the　interrupted　theme　of　the　/pyros/　which　were　to　be　grafted　and　the　/vites/　which　were　to　be　trimmed；　said：

〃I　am　already　aware　that　Senor　Don　Jose　is　a　great　agriculturist。〃

〃Not　at　all；　I　know　nothing　whatever　about　the　subject；〃　responded　the　young　man；　observing　with　no　little　annoyance　the　canon's　mania　of　supposing　him　to　be　learned　in　all　the　sciences。

〃Oh；　yes！　a　great　agriculturist；〃　continued　the　Penitentiary；　'but　on　agricultural　subjects；　don't　quote　the　latest　treatises　to　me。　For　me　the　whole　of　that　science；　Senor　de　Rey；　is　condensed　in　what　I　call　the　Bible　of　the　Field；　in　the　'Georgics'　of　the　immortal　Roman。　It　is　all　admirable；　from　that　grand　sentence；　/Nec　vero　terroe　ferre　omnes　omnia　possunt/that　is　to　say；　that　not　every　soil　is　suited　to　every　tree；　Senor　Don　Joseto　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　cano