dona perecta-第5章

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At　the　same　time　when　these　words　were　written　Rosarito　was　two　years　old。　Pepe　Rey；　shut　up　in　a　school　in　Seville；　was　making　lines　on　paper；　occupied　in　proving　that　〃the　sum　of　all　the　interior　angles　of　any　polygon　is　equal　to　twice　as　many　right　angles；　wanting　four；　as　the　figure　has　sides。〃　These　vexatious　commonplaces　of　the　school　kept　him　very　busy。　Year　after　year　passed。　The　boy　grew　up；　still　continuing　to　make　lines。　At　last；　he　made　one　which　is　called　〃From　Tarragona　to　Montblanch。〃　His　first　serious　toy　was　the　bridge；　120　metres　in　length；　over　the　River　Francoli。

During　all　this　time　Dona　Perfecta　continued　to　live　in　Orbajosa。　As　her　brother　never　left　Seville；　several　years　passed　without　their　seeing　each　other。　A　quarterly　letter；　as　punctually　written　as　it　was　punctually　answered；　kept　in　communication　these　two　hearts；　whose　affection　neither　time　nor　distance　could　cool。　In　1870；　when　Don　Juan　Rey；　satisfied　with　having　fulfilled　his　mission　in　society；　retired　from　it　and　went　to　live　in　his　fine　house　in　Puerto　Real；　Pepe；　who　had　been　employed　for　several　years　in　the　works　of　various　rich　building　companies；　set　out　on　a　tour　through　Germany　and　England；　for　the　purpose　of　study。　His　father's　fortune；　（as　large　as　it　is　possible　for　a　fortune　which　has　only　an　honorable　law…office　for　its　source　to　be　in　Spain）；　permitted　him　to　free　himself　in　a　short　time　from　the　yoke　of　material　labor。　A　man　of　exalted　ideas　and　with　an　ardent　love　for　science；　he　found　his　purest　enjoyment　in　the　observation　and　study　of　the　marvels　by　means　of　which　the　genius　of　the　age　furthers　at　the　same　time　the　culture　and　material　comfort　and　the　moral　progress　of　man。

On　returning　from　his　tour　his　father　informed　him　that　he　had　an　important　project　to　communicate　to　him。　Pepe　supposed　that　it　concerned　some　bridge；　dockyard；　or；　at　the　least；　the　draining　of　some　marsh；　but　Don　Juan　soon　dispelled　his　error；　disclosing　to　him　his　plan　in　the　following　words：

〃This　is　March；　and　Perfecta's　quarterly　letter　has　not　failed　to　come。　Read　it；　my　dear　boy；　and　if　you　can　agree　to　what　that　holy　and　exemplary　woman；　my　dear　sister；　says　in　it；　you　will　give　me　the　greatest　happiness　I　could　desire　in　my　old　age。　If　the　plan　does　not　please　you；　reject　it　without　hesitation；　for；　although　your　refusal　would　grieve　me；　there　is　not　in　it　the　shadow　of　constraint　on　my　part。　It　would　be　unworthy　of　us　both　that　it　should　be　realized　through　the　coercion　of　an　obstinate　father。　You　are　free　either　to　accept　or　to　reject　it；　and　if　there　is　in　your　mind　the　slightest　repugnance　to　it；　arising　either　from　your　inclinations　or　from　any　other　cause；　I　do　not　wish　you　to　do　violence　to　your　feelings　on　my　account。〃

Pepe　laid　the　letter　on　the　table　after　he　had　glanced　through　it；　and　said　quietly：

〃My　aunt　wishes　me　to　marry　Rosario！〃

〃She　writes　accepting　joyfully　my　idea；〃　said　his　father；　with　emotion。　〃For　the　idea　was　mine。　Yes；　it　is　a　long　time；　a　very　long　time　since　it　occurred　to　me；　but　I　did　not　wish　to　say　anything　to　you　until　I　knew　what　your　sister　might　think　about　it。　As　you　see；　Perfecta　receives　my　plan　with　joy；　she　says　that　she　too　had　thought　of　it；　but　that　she　did　not　venture　to　mention　it　to　me；　because　you　areyou　have　seen　what　she　saysbecause　you　are　a　young　man　of　very　exceptional　merit　and　her　daughter　is　a　country　girl；　without　either　a　brilliant　education　or　worldly　attractions。　Those　are　her　words。　My　poor　sister！　How　good　she　is！　I　see　that　you　are　not　displeased；　I　see　that　this　project　of　mine；　resembling　a　little　the　officious　prevision　of　the　fathers　of　former　times　who　married　their　children　without　consulting　their　wishes　in　the　matter；　and　making　generally　inconsiderate　and　unwise　matches；　does　not　seem　absurd　to　you。　God　grant　that　this　may　be；　as　it　seems　to　promise；　one　of　the　happiest。　It　is　true　that　you　have　never　seen　your　cousin；　but　we　are　both　aware　of　her　virtue；　of　her　discretion；　of　her　modest　and　noble　simplicity。　That　nothing　may　be　wanting；　she　is　even　beautiful。　My　opinion　is；〃　he　added　gayly；　〃that　you　should　at　once　start　for　that　out…of…the…way　episcopal　city；　that　Urbs　Augusta；　and　there；　in　the　presence　of　my　sister　and　her　charming　Rosarito；　decide　whether　the　latter　is　to　be　something　more　to　me　or　not；　than　my　niece。〃

Pepe　took　up　the　letter　again　and　read　it　through　carefully。　His　countenance　expressed　neither　joy　nor　sorrow。　He　might　have　been　examining　some　plan　for　the　junction　of　two　railroads。

〃In　truth；〃　said　Don　Juan；　〃in　that　remote　Orbajosa；　where；　by　the　way；　you　have　some　land　that　you　might　take　a　look　at　now；　life　passes　with　the　tranquillity　and　the　sweetness　of　an　idyl。　What　patriarchal　customs！　What　noble　simplicity！　What　rural　and　Virgilian　peace！　If；　instead　of　being　a　mathematician；　you　were　a　Latinist；　you　would　repeat；　as　you　enter　it；　the　/ergo　tua　rura　manebunt/。　What　an　admirable　place　in　which　to　commune　with　one's　own　soul　and　to　prepare　one's　self　for　good　works。　There　all　is　kindness　and　goodness；　there　the　deceit　and　hypocrisy　of　our　great　cities　are　unknown；　there　the　holy　inclinations　which　the　turmoil　of　modern　life　stifles　spring　into　being　again；　there　dormant　faith　reawakens　and　one　feels　within　the　breast　an　impulse；　vague　but　keen；　like　the　impatience　of　youth；　that　from　the　depths　of　the　soul　cries　out：　'I　wish　to　live！'　〃

A　few　days　after　this　conference　Pepe　left　Puerto　Real。　He　had　refused；　some　months　before；　a　commission　from　the　government　to　survey；　in　its　mineralogical　aspects；　the　basin　of　the　River　Nahara；　in　the　valley　of　Orbajosa；　but　the　plans　to　which　the　conference　above　recorded　gave　rise；　caused　him　to　say　to　himself：　〃It　will　be　as　well　to　make　use　of　the　time。　Heaven　only　knows　how　long　this　courtship　may　last；　or　what　hours　of　weariness　it　may　bring　with　it。〃　He　went；　then；　to　Madrid；　solicited　the　commission　to　explore　the　basin　of　the　Nahara；　which　he　obtained　without　difficulty；　although　he　did　not　belong　officially　to　the　mining　corps；　set　out　shortly　afterward；　and；　after　a　second　change　of　trains；　the　mixed　train　No。　65　bore　him；　as　we　have　seen；　to　the　loving　arms　of　Uncle　Licurgo。

The　age　of　our　hero　was　about　thirty…four　years。　He　was　of　a　robust　constitution；　of　athletic　build；　and　so　admirably　proportioned　and　of　so　commanding　an　appearance　that；　if　he　had　worn　a　uniform；　he　would　have　presented　the　most　martial　air　and　figure　that　it　is　possible　to　imagine。　His　hair　and　beard　were　blond　in　color；　but　in　his　countenance　there　was　none　of　the　phlegmatic　imperturbability　of　the　Saxon；　but；　on　the　contrary；　so　much　animation　that　his　eyes；　although　they　were　not　black；　seemed　to　be　so。　His　figure　would　have　served　as　a　perfect　and　beautiful　model　for　a　statue；　on　the　pedestal　of　which　the　sculptor　might　engrave　the　words：　〃Intellect；　strength。〃　If　not　in　visible　characters；　he　bore　them　vaguely　expressed　in　the　brilliancy　of　his　glance；　in　the　potent　attraction　with　which　his　person　was　peculiarly　endowed；　and　in　the　sympathy　which　his　cordial　manners　inspired。

He　was　not　very　talkativeonly　persons　of　inconstant　ideas　and　unstable　judgment　are　prone　to　verbosity。　His　profound　moral　sense　made　him　sparing　of　words　in　the　disputes　in　which　the　men　of　the　day　are　prone　to　engage　on　any　and　every　subject；　but　in　polite　conversation　he　displayed　an　eloquence　full　of　wit　and　intelligence；　emanating　always　from　good　sense　and　a　temperate　and　just　appreciation　of　worldly　matters。　He　had　no　toleration　for　those　sophistries；　and　mystifications；　and　quibbles　of　the　understanding　with　which　persons　of　intelligence；　imbued　with　affected　culture；　sometimes　amuse　themselves；　and　in　defence　of　the　truth　Pepe　Rey　employed　at　times；　and　not　always　with　moderation；　the　weapon　of　ridicule。　This　was　almost　a　defect　in　the　eyes　of　many　people　who　esteemed　him；　for　our　hero　thus　appeared　wanting　in　respect　for　a　multitude　of　things　commonly　accepted　and　believed。　It　must　be　acknowledged；　although　it　may　lessen　him　in　the　opinion　of　many；　that　Rey　did　not　share　the　mild　toleration　of　the　compliant　age　which　has　invented　strange　disguises　of　words　and　of　acts　to　conceal　what　to　the　general　eye　might　be　disagreeable。

Such　was　the　man；　whatever　slanderous　tongues　may　say　to　the　contrary；　whom　Uncle　Licurgo　introduced　into　Orbajosa　just　as　the　cathedral　bells　were　ringing　for　high　mass。　When；　looking　over　the　garden　wall；　they　saw　the　young　girl　and　the　Penitentiary；　and　then　the　flight　of　the　former　toward　the　house；　they　put　spurs　to　their　beasts　and　entered　the　Calle　Real；　where　a　great　many　idlers　stood　still　to　gaze　at　the　traveller；　as　if　he　were　a　stranger　and　an　intruder　in　the　patriarchal　city。　Turning　presently　to　the　right　and　riding　in　the　direction　of　the　cathedral；　whose　massive　bulk　dominated　the　town；　they　entered　the　Calle　del　Condestable；　in　which；　being　narrow　and　paved；　the　hoofs　of　the　animals　clattered　noisily；　alarming　the　people　of　the　neighborhood；　who　came　to　the　windows　and　to　the　balconies　to　satisfy　their　curiosity。　Shutters　opened　with　a　grating　sound　and　various　faces；　almost　all　feminine；　appeared　above　and　below。　By　the　time　Pepe　Rey　had　reached　the　threshold　of　the　house　of　Polentinos　many　and　diverse　comments　had　been　already　made　on　his　person。



CHAPTER　IV

THE　ARRIVAL　OF　THE　COUSIN

When　Rosarito　left　him　so　abruptly　the　Penitentiary　looked　toward　the　garden　wall；　and　seeing　the　faces　of　Licurgo　and　his　companion；　said　to　himself：

〃So　the　prodigy　is　already　here；　then。〃

He　remained　thoughtful　for　some　moments；　his　cloak；　grasped　with　both　hands；　folded　over　his　abdomen；　his　eyes　fixed　on　the　ground；　his　gold…　rimmed　spectacles　slipping　gently　toward　the　point　of　his　nose；　his　under…lip　moist　and　projecting；　and　his　iron…gray　eyebrows　gathered　in　a　slight　frown。　He　was　a　pious　and　holy　man；　of　uncommon　learning　and　of　irreproachable　clerical　habits；　a　little　past　his　sixtieth　year；　affable　in　his　manners；　courteous　and　kind；　and　greatly　addicted　to　giving　advice　and　counsel　to　both　men　and　women。　For　many　years　past　he　had　been　master　of　Latin　and　rhetoric　in　the　Institute；　which　noble　profession　had　supplied　him　with　a　large　fund　of　quotations　from　Horace　and　of　florid　metaphors；　which　he　employed　with　wit　and　opportuneness。　Nothing　more　need　be　said　regarding　this　personage；　but　that；　as　soon　as　he　heard　the　trot　of　the　animals　approaching　the　Calle　del　Condestable；　he　arranged　the　folds　of　his　cloak；　straightened　his　hat；　which　was　not　altogether　correctly　placed　upon　his　venerable　head；　and；　walking　toward　the　house；　murmured：

〃Let　us　go　and　see　this　paragon。〃

Meanwhile　Pepe　was　alighting　from　his　nag；　and　Dona　Perfecta；　her　face　bathed　in　tears　and　barely　able　to　utter　a　few　trembling　words；　the　sincere　expression　of　her　affection；　was　receiving　him　at　the　gate　itself　in　her　loving　arms。

〃Pepebut　how　tall　you　are！　And　with　a　beard。　Why；　it　seems　only　yesterday　that　I　held　you　in　my　lap。　And　now　you　are　a　man；　a　grown…up　man。　Well；　well！　How　the　years　pass！　This　is　my　daughter　Rosario。〃

As　she　said　this　they　reached　the　parlor　on　the　ground　floor；　which　was　generally　used　as　a　reception…room；　and　Dona　Perfecta　presented　her　daughter　to　Pep