dona perecta-第30部分

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ys；　like　tired　eyes　struggling　in　vain　against　sleep。　By　their　dim　light；　wrapped　in　their　cloaks；　glided　past　like　shadows；　vagabonds；　watchmen；　and　gamblers。　Only　the　hoarse　shout　of　the　drunkard　or　the　song　of　the　serenader　broke　the　peaceful　silence　of　the　historic　city。　Suddenly　the　〃Ave　Maria　Purisima〃　of　some　drunken　watchman　would　be　heard；　like　a　moan　uttered　in　its　sleep　by　the　town。

In　Dona　Perfecta's　house　also　silence　reigned；　unbroken　but　for　a　conversation　which　was　taking　place　between　Don　Cayetano　and　Pepe　Rey；　in　the　library　of　the　former。　The　savant　was　seated　comfortably　in　the　arm…chair　beside　his　study　table；　which　was　covered　with　papers　of　various　kinds　containing　notes；　annotations；　and　references；　all　arranged　in　the　most　perfect　order。　Rey's　eyes　were　fixed　on　the　heap　of　papers；　but　his　thoughts　were　doubtless　far　away　from　this　accumulated　learning。

〃Perfecta；〃　said　the　antiquary；　〃although　she　is　an　excellent　woman；　has　the　defect　of　allowing　herself　to　be　shocked　by　any　little　act　of　folly。　In　these　provincial　towns；　my　dear　friend；　the　slightest　slip　is　dearly　paid　for。　I　see　nothing　particular　in　your　having　gone　to　the　Troyas'　house。　I　fancy　that　Don　Inocencio；　under　his　cloak　of　piety；　is　something　of　a　mischief…maker。　What　has　he　to　do　with　the　matter？〃

〃We　have　reached　a　point；　Senor　Don　Cayetano；　in　which　it　is　necessary　to　take　a　decisive　resolution。　I　must　see　Rosario　and　speak　with　her。〃

〃See　her；　then！〃

〃But　they　will　not　let　me；〃　answered　the　engineer；　striking　the　table　with　his　clenched　hand。　〃Rosario　is　kept　a　prisoner。〃

〃A　prisoner！〃　repeated　the　savant　incredulously。　〃The　truth　is　that　I　do　not　like　her　looks　or　her　hair；　and　still　less　the　vacant　expression　in　her　beautiful　eyes。　She　is　melancholy；　she　talks　little；　she　weeps　friend　Don　Jose；　I　greatly　fear　that　the　girl　may　be　attacked　by　the　terrible　malady　to　which　so　many　of　the　members　of　my　family　have　fallen　victims。〃

〃A　terrible　malady！　What　is　it？〃

〃Madnessor　rather　mania。　Not　a　single　member　of　my　family　has　been　free　from　it。　I　alone　have　escaped　it。〃

〃You！　But　leaving　aside　the　question　of　madness；〃　said　Rey；　with　impatience；　〃I　wish　to　see　Rosario。〃

〃Nothing　more　natural。　But　the　isolation　in　which　her　mother　keeps　her　is　a　hygienic　measure；　dear　Pepe；　and　the　only　one　that　has　been　successfully　employed　with　the　various　members　of　my　family。　Consider　that　the　person　whose　presence　and　voice　would　make　the　strongest　impression　on　Rosarillo's　delicate　nervous　system　is　the　chosen　of　her　heart。〃

〃In　spite　of　all　that；〃　insisted　Pepe；　〃I　wish　to　see　her。〃

〃Perhaps　Perfecta　will　not　oppose　your　doing　so；〃　said　the　savant；　giving　his　attention　to　his　notes　and　papers。　〃I　don't　want　to　take　any　responsibility　in　the　matter。〃

The　engineer；　seeing　that　he　could　obtain　nothing　from　the　good　Polentinos；　rose　to　retire。

〃You　are　going　to　work；〃　he　said；　〃and　I　will　not　trouble　you　any　longer。〃

〃No；　there　is　time　enough。　See　the　amount　of　precious　information　that　I　collected　to…day。　Listen：　'In　1537　a　native　of　Orbajosa；　called　Bartolome　del　Hoyo；　went　to　Civita…Vecchia　in　one　of　the　galleys　of　the　Marquis　of　Castel　Rodrigo。'　Another：　'In　the　same　year　two　brothers　named　Juan　and　Rodrigo　Gonzalez　del　Arco　embarked　in　one　of　the　six　ships　which　sailed　from　Maestricht　on　the　20th　of　February；　and　which　encountered　in　the　latitude　of　Calais　an　English　vessel　and　the　Flemish　fleet　commanded　by　Van　Owen。'　That　was　truly　an　important　exploit　of　our　navy。　I　have　discovered　that　it　was　an　Orbajosan；　one　Mateo　Diaz　Coronel；　an　ensign　in　the　guards；　who；　in　1709；　wrote　and　published　in　Valencia　the　'Metrical　Encomium；　Funeral　Chant；　Lyrical　Eulogy；　Numerical　Description；　Glorious　Sufferings；　and　Sorrowful　Glories　of　the　Queen　of　the　Angels。'　I　possess　a　most　precious　copy　of　this　work；　which　is　worth　the　mines　of　Peru。　Another　Orbajosan　was　the　author　of　that　famous　'Treatise　on　the　Various　Styles　of　Horsemanship'　which　I　showed　you　yesterday；　and；　in　short；　there　is　not　a　step　I　take　in　the　labyrinth　of　unpublished　history　that　I　do　not　stumble　against　some　illustrious　compatriot。　It　is　my　purpose　to　draw　all　these　names　out　of　the　unjust　obscurity　and　oblivion　in　which　they　have　so　long　lain。　How　pure　a　joy；　dear　Pepe；　to　restore　all　their　lustre　to　the　glories；　epic　and　literary；　of　one's　native　place！　And　how　could　a　man　better　employ　the　scant　intellect　with　which　Heaven　has　endowed　him；　the　fortune　which　he　has　inherited；　and　the　brief　period　of　time　on　earth　allowed　to　even　the　longest　life。　Thanks　to　me　it　will　be　seen　that　Orbajosa　is　the　illustrious　cradle　of　Spanish　genius。　But　what　do　I　say？　Is　not　its　illustrious　ancestry　evident　in　the　nobleness　and　high…mindedness　of　the　present　Urbs　Augustan　generation？　We　know　few　places　where　all　the　virtues；　unchoked　by　the　malefic　weeds　of　vice；　grow　more　luxuriantly。　Here　all　is　peace；　mutual　respect；　Christian　humility。　Charity　is　practised　here　as　it　was　in　Biblical　times；　here　envy　is　unknown；　here　the　criminal　passions　are　unknown；　and　if　you　hear　thieves　and　murderers　spoken　of；　you　may　be　sure　that　they　are　not　the　children　of　this　noble　soil；　or；　that　if　they　are；　they　belong　to　the　number　of　unhappy　creatures　perverted　by　the　teachings　of　demagogues。　Here　you　will　see　the　national　character　in　all　its　purityupright；　noble；　incorruptible；　pure；　simple；　patriarchal；　hospitable；　generous。　Therefore　it　is　that　I　live　so　happy　in　this　solitude　far　from　the　turmoil　of　cities　where；　alas！　falsehood　and　vice　reign。　Therefore　it　is　that　the　many　friends　whom　I　have　in　Madrid　have　not　been　able　to　tempt　me　from　this　place；　therefore　it　is　that　I　spend　my　life　in　the　sweet　companionship　of　my　faithful　townspeople　and　my　books；　breathing　the　wholesome　atmosphere　of　integrity；　which　is　gradually　becoming　circumscribed　in　our　Spain　to　the　humble　and　Christian　towns　that　have　preserved　it　with　the　emanations　of　their　virtues。　And　believe　me；　my　dear　Pepe；　this　peaceful　isolation　has　greatly　contributed　to　preserve　me　from　the　terrible　malady　connatural　in　my　family。　In　my　youth　I　suffered；　like　my　brothers　and　my　father；　from　a　lamentable　propensity　to　the　most　absurd　manias；　but　here　you　have　me　so　miraculously　cured　that　all　I　know　of　the　malady　is　what　I　see　of　it　in　others。　And　it　is　for　that　reason　that　I　am　so　uneasy　about　my　little　niece。〃

〃I　am　rejoiced　that　the　air　of　Orbajosa　has　proved　so　beneficial　to　you；〃　said　Rey；　unable　to　resist　the　jesting　mood　that；　by　a　strange　contradiction；　came　over　him　in　the　midst　of　his　sadness。　〃With　me　it　has　agreed　so　badly　that　I　think　I　shall　soon　become　mad　if　I　remain　in　it。　Well；　good…night；　and　success　to　your　labors。〃

〃Good…night。〃

Pepe　went　to　his　room；　but　feeling　neither　a　desire　for　sleep　or　the　need　of　physical　repose；on　the　contrary；　a　violent　excitation　of　mind　which　impelled　him　to　move；　to　act；he　walked　up　and　down　the　room；　torturing　himself　with　useless　cavilling。　After　a　time　he　opened　the　window　which　overlooked　the　garden　and；　leaning　his　elbows　on　the　parapet；　he　gazed　out　on　the　limitless　darkness　of　the　night。　Nothing　could　be　seen；　but　he　who　is　absorbed　in　his　own　thoug