dona perecta-第2部分

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rmit　the　events　to　happen　unheralded。　He　does　not　prophesy　their　course；　he　does　not　forecast　the　weather　even　for　twenty…four　hours；　the　atmosphere　becomes　slowly；　slowly；　but　with　occasional　lifts　and　reliefs；　of　such　a　brooding　breathlessness；　of　such　a　deepening　density；　that　you　feel　the　wild　passion…storm　nearer　and　nearer　at　hand；　till　it　bursts　at　last；　and　then　you　are　astonished　that　you　had　not　foreseen　it　yourself　from　the　first　moment。

Next　to　this　excellent　method；　which　I　count　the　supreme　characteristic　of　the　book　merely　because　it　represents　the　whole；　and　the　other　facts　are　in　the　nature　of　parts；　is　the　masterly　conception　of　the　characters。　They　are　each　typical　of　a　certain　side　of　human　nature；　as　most　of　our　personal　friends　and　enemies　are；　but　not　exclusively　of　this　side　or　that。　They　are　each　of　mixed　motives；　mixed　qualities；　none　of　them　is　quite　a　monster；　though　those　who　are　badly　mixed　do　such　monstrous　things。

Pepe　Rey；　who　is　such　a　good　fellowso　kind；　and　brave；　and　upright；　and　generous；　so　fine　a　mind；　and　so　high　a　soulis　tactless　and　imprudent；　he　even　condescends　to　the　thought　of　intrigue；　and　though　he　rejects　his　plots　at　last；　his　nature　has　once　harbored　deceit。　Don　Inocencio；　the　priest；　whose　control　of　Dona　Perfecta's　conscience　has　vitiated　the　very　springs　of　goodness　in　her；　is　by　no　means　bad；　aside　from　his　purposes。　He　loves　his　sister　and　her　son　tenderly；　and　wishes　to　provide　for　them　by　the　marriage　which　Pepe's　presence　threatens　to　prevent。　The　nephew；　though　selfish　and　little；　has　moments　of　almost　being　a　good　fellow；　the　sister；　though　she　is　really　such　a　lamb　of　meekness；　becomes　a　cat；　and　scratches　Don　Inocencio　dreadfully　when　he　weakens　in　his　design　against　Pepe。

Rosario；　one　of　the　sweetest　and　purest　images　of　girlhood　that　I　know　in　fiction；　abandons　herself　with　equal　passion　to　the　love　she　feels　for　her　cousin　Pepe；　and　to　the　love　she　feels　for　her　mother；　Dona　Perfecta。　She　is　ready　to　fly　with　him；　and　yet　she　betrays　him　to　her　mother's　pitiless　hate。

But　it　is　Dona　Perfecta　herself　who　is　the　transcendent　figure；　the　most　powerful　creation　of　the　book。　In　her；　bigotry　and　its　fellow…　vice；　hypocrisy；　have　done　their　perfect　work；　until　she　comes　near　to　being　a　devil；　and　really　does　some　devil's　deeds。　Yet　even　she　is　not　without　some　extenuating　traits。　Her　bigotry　springs　from　her　conscience；　and　she　is　truly　devoted　to　her　daughter's　eternal　welfare；　she　is　of　such　a　native　frankness　that　at　a　certain　point　she　tears　aside　her　mask　of　dissimulation　and　lets　Pepe　see　all　the　ugliness　of　her　perverted　soul。　She　is　wonderfully　managed。　At　what　moment　does　she　begin　to　hate　him；　and　to　wish　to　undo　her　own　work　in　making　a　match　between　him　and　her　daughter？　I　could　defy　anyone　to　say。　All　one　knows　is　that　at　one　moment　she　adores　her　brother's　son；　and　at　another　she　abhors　him；　and　has　already　subtly　entered　upon　her　efforts　to　thwart　the　affection　she　has　invited　in　him　for　her　daughter。

Caballuco；　what　shall　I　say　of　Caballuco？　He　seems　altogether　bad；　but　the　author　lets　one　imagine　that　this　cruel；　this　ruthless　brute　must　have　somewhere　about　him　traits　of　lovableness；　of　leniency；　though　he　never　lets　one　see　them。　His　gratitude　to　Dona　Perfecta；　even　his　murderous　devotion；　is　not　altogether　bad；　and　he　is　certainly　worse　than　nature　made　him；　when　wrought　upon　by　her　fury　and　the　suggestion　of　Don　Inocencio。　The　scene　where　they　work　him　up　to　rebellion　and　assassination　is　a　compendium　of　the　history　of　intolerance；　as　the　mean　little　conceited　city　of　Orbajosas　is　the　microcosm　of　bigoted　and　reactionary　Spain。


IV

I　have　called；　or　half…called；　this　book　tendencious；　but　in　a　certain　larger　view　it　is　not　so。　It　is　the　eternal　interest　of　passion　working　upon　passion；　not　the　temporary　interest　of　condition　antagonizing　condition；　which　renders　〃Dona　Perfecta〃　so　poignantly　interesting；　and　which　makes　its　tragedy　immense。　But　there　is　hope　as　well　as　despair　in　such　a　tragedy。　There　is　the　strange　support　of　a　bereavement　in　it；　the　consolation　of　feeling　that　for　those　who　have　suffered　unto　death；　nothing　can　harm　them　more；　that　even　for　those　who　have　inflicted　their　suffering　this　peace　will　soon　come。

〃Is　Perez　Galdos　a　pessimist？〃　asks　the　critic　Clarin。　〃No；　certainly；　but　if　he　is　not；　why　does　he　paint　us　sorrows　that　seem　inconsolable？　Is　it　from　love　of　paradox？　Is　it　to　show　that　his　genius；　which　can　do　so　much；　can　paint　the　shadow　lovelier　than　the　light？　Nothing　of　this。　Nothing　that　is　not　serious；　honest；　and　noble；　is　to　be　found　in　this　novelist。　Are　they　pessimistic；　those　ballads　of　the　North；　that　always　end　with　vague　resonances　of　woe？　Are　they　pessimists；　those　singers　of　our　own　land；　who　surprise　us　with　tears　in　the　midst　of　laughter？　Is　Nature　pessimistic；　who　is　so　sad　at　nightfall　that　it　seems　as　if　day　were　dying　forever？　。　。　。　The　sadness　of　art；　like　that　of　nature；　is　a　form　of　hope。　Why　is　Christianity　so　artistic？　Because　it　is　the　religion　of　sadness。〃


W。　D。　HOWELLS。




DONA　PERFECTA



CHAPTER　I

VILLAHORRENDA！　FIVE　MINUTES！

When　the　down　train　No。　65of　what　line　it　is　unnecessary　to　say　stopped　at　the　little　station　between　kilometres　171　and　172；　almost　all　the　second…and　third…class　passengers　remained　in　the　cars；　yawning　or　asleep；　for　the　penetrating　cold　of　the　early　morning　　did　not　invite　to　a　walk　on　the　unsheltered　platform。　The　only　first…class　passenger　on　the　train　alighted　quickly；　and　addressing　a　group　　of　the　employes　asked　them　if　this　was　the　Villahorrenda　station。

〃We　are　in　Villahorrenda；〃　answered　the　conductor　whose　voice　was　drowned　by　the　cackling　of　the　hens　which　were　at　that　moment　being　lifted　into　the　freight　car。　〃I　forgot　to　call　you；　Senor　de　Rey。　I　think　they　are　waiting　for　you　at　the　station　with　the　beasts。〃

〃Why；　how　terribly　cold　it　is　here！〃　said　the　traveller；　drawing　his　cloak　more　closely　about　him。　〃Is　there　no　place　in　the　station　where　I　could　rest　for　a　while；　and　get　warm；　before　undertaking　a　journey　on　horseback　through　this　frozen　country？〃

Before　he　had　finished　speaking　the　conductor；　called　away　by　the　urgent　duties　of　his　position；　went　off；　leaving　our　unknown　cavalier's　question　unanswered。　The　latter　saw　that　another　employe　was　coming　toward　him；　holding　a　lantern　in　his　right　hand；　that　swung　back　and　forth　as　he　walked；　casting　the　light　on　the　platform　of　the　station　in　a　series　of　zigzags；　like　those　described　by　the　shower　from　a　watering…pot。

〃Is　there　a　restaurant　or　a　bedroom　in　the　station　of　Villahorrenda？〃　said　the　traveller　to　the　man　with　the　lantern。

〃There　is　nothing　here；〃　answered　the　latter　brusquely；　running　toward　the　men　who　were　putting　the　freight　on　board　the　cars；　and　assuaging　them　with　such　a　volley　of　oaths；　blasphemies；　and　abusive　epithets　that　the　very　chickens；　scandalized　by　his　brutality；　protested　against　it　from　their　baskets。

〃The　best　thing　I　can　do　is　to　get　away　from　this　place　as　quickly　as　possible；〃　said　the　gentlemen　to　himself。　〃The　conductor　said　that　the　beasts　were　here。〃

Just　as　he　had　come　to　this　conclusion　he　felt　a