dona perecta-第4部分

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ed　to　praise　this　country　so　extravagantly；　and　tell　me　so　many　marvellous　things　about　it　when　I　was　a　child；　that　I　thought　that　to　be　here　was　to　be　in　heaven。　Fruits；　flowers；　game；　large　and　small；　mountains；　lakes；　rivers；　romantic　streams；　pastoral　hills；　all　were　to　be　found　in　the　Poplars　of　Bustamante；　in　this　favored　land；　the　best　and　most　beautiful　on　the　earth。　But　what　is　to　be　said？　The　people　of　this　place　live　in　their　imaginations。　If　I　had　been　brought　here　in　my　youth；　when　I　shared　the　ideas　and　the　enthusiasm　of　my　dear　mother；　I　suppose　that　I；　too；　would　have　been　enchanted　with　these　bare　hills；　these　arid　or　marshy　plains；　these　dilapidated　farmhouses；　these　rickety　norias；　whose　buckets　drip　water　enough　to　sprinkle　half　a　dozen　cabbages；　this　wretched　and　barren　desolation　that　surrounds　me。〃

〃It　is　the　best　land　in　the　country；〃　said　Senor　Licurgo；　〃and　for　the　chick…pea；　there　is　no　other　like　it。〃

〃I　am　delighted　to　hear　it；　for　since　they　came　into　my　possession　these　famous　lands　have　never　brought　me　a　penny。〃

The　wise　legislator　of　Sparta　scratched　his　ear　and　gave　a　sigh。

〃But　I　have　been　told；〃　continued　the　young　man；　〃that　some　of　the　neighboring　proprietors　have　put　their　ploughs　in　these　estates　of　mine；　and　that；　little　by　little；　they　are　filching　them　from　me。　Here　there　are　neither　landmarks　nor　boundaries；　nor　real　ownership；　Senor　Licurgo。〃

The　peasant；　after　a　pause；　during　which　his　subtle　intellect　seemed　to　be　occupied　in　profound　disquisitions；　expressed　himself　as　follows：

〃Uncle　Paso　Largo；　whom；　for　his　great　foresight；　we　call　the　Philosopher；　set　his　plough　in　the　Poplars；　above　the　hermitage；　and　bit　by　bit；　he　has　gobbled　up　six　fanegas。〃

〃What　an　incomparable　school！〃　exclaimed　the　young　man；　smiling。　〃I　wager　that　he　has　not　been　the　onlyphilosopher？〃

〃It　is　a　true　saying　that　one　should　talk　only　about　what　one　knows；　and　that　if　there　is　food　in　the　dove…cote；　doves　won't　be　wanting。　But　you；　Senor　Don　Jose；　can　apply　to　your　own　cause　the　saying　that　the　eye　of　the　master　fattens　the　ox；　and　now　that　you　are　here；　try　and　recover　your　property。〃

〃Perhaps　that　would　not　be　so　easy；　Senor　Licurgo；〃　returned　the　young　man；　just　as　they　were　entering　a　path　bordered　on　either　side　by　wheat…fields；　whose　luxuriance　and　early　ripeness　gladdened　the　eye。　〃This　field　appears　to　be　better　cultivated。　I　see　that　all　is　not　dreariness　and　misery　in　the　Poplars。〃

The　peasant　assumed　a　melancholy　look；　and；　affecting　something　of　disdain　for　the　fields　that　had　been　praised　by　the　traveller；　said　in　the　humblest　of　tones：

〃Senor；　this　is　mine。〃

〃I　beg　your　pardon；〃　replied　the　gentleman　quickly；　〃now　I　was　going　to　put　my　sickle　in　your　field。　Apparently　the　philosophy　of　this　place　is　contagious。〃

They　now　descended　into　a　canebrake；　which　formed　the　bed　of　a　shallow　and　stagnant　brook；　and；　crossing　it；　they　entered　a　field　full　of　stones　and　without　the　slightest　trace　of　vegetation。

〃This　ground　is　very　bad；〃　said　the　young　man；　turning　round　to　look　at　his　companion　and　guide；　who　had　remained　a　little　behind。　〃You　will　hardly　be　able　to　derive　any　profit　from　it；　for　it　is　all　mud　and　sand。〃

Licurgo；　full　of　humility；　answered：

〃This　is　yours。〃

〃I　see　that　all　the　poor　land　is　mine；〃　declared　the　young　man；　laughing　good…humoredly。〃

As　they　were　thus　conversing；　they　turned　again　into　the　high…road。　The　morning　sunshine；　pouring　joyously　through　all　the　gates　and　balconies　of　the　Spanish　horizon；　had　now　inundated　the　fields　with　brilliant　light。　The　wide　sky；　undimmed　by　a　single　cloud；　seemed　to　grow　wider　and　to　recede　further　from　the　earth；　in　order　to　contemplate　it；　and　rejoice　in　the　contemplation；　from　a　greater　height。　The　desolate；　treeless　land；　straw…colored　at　intervals；　at　intervals　of　the　color　of　chalk；　and　all　cut　up　into　triangles　and　quadrilaterals；　yellow　or　black；　gray　or　pale　green；　bore　a　fanciful　resemblance　to　a　beggar's　cloak　spread　out　in　the　sun。　On　that　miserable　cloak　Christianity　and　Islamism　had　fought　with　each　other　epic　battles。　Glorious　fields；　in　truth；　but　the　combats　of　the　past　had　left　them　hideous！

〃I　think　we　shall　have　a　scorching　day；　Senor　Licurgo；〃　said　the　young　man；　loosening　his　cloak　a　little。　〃What　a　dreary　road！　Not　a　single　tree　to　be　seen；　as　far　as　the　eye　can　reach。　Here　everything　is　in　contradiction。　The　irony　does　not　cease。　Why；　when　there　are　no　poplars　here；　either　large　or　small；　should　this　be　called　The　Poplars？〃

Uncle　Licurgo　did　not　answer　this　question　because　he　was　listening　with　his　whole　soul　to　certain　sounds　which　were　suddenly　heard　in　the　distance；　and　with　an　uneasy　air　he　stopped　his　beast；　while　he　explored　the　road　and　the　distant　hills　with　a　gloomy　look。

〃What　is　the　matter？〃　asked　the　traveller；　stopping　his　horse　also。

〃Do　you　carry　arms；　Don　Jose？〃

〃A　revolverah！　now　I　understand。　Are　there　robbers　about？〃

〃Perhaps；〃　answered　the　peasant；　with　visible　apprehension。　〃I　think　I　heard　a　shot。〃

〃We　shall　soon　see。　Forward！〃　said　the　young　man；　putting　spurs　to　his　nag。　〃They　are　not　very　terrible；　I　dare　say。〃

〃Keep　quiet；　Senor　Don　Jose；〃　exclaimed　the　peasant；　stopping　him。　〃Those　people　are　worse　than　Satan　himself。　The　other　day　they　murdered　two　gentlemen　who　were　on　their　way　to　take　the　train。　Let　us　leave　off　jesting。　Gasparon　el　Fuerte；　Pepito　Chispillas；　Merengue；　and　Ahorca　Suegras　shall　not　see　my　face　while　I　live。　Let　us　turn　into　the　path。〃

〃Forward；　Senor　Licurgo！〃

〃Back；　Senor　Don　Jose；〃　replied　the　peasant；　in　distressed　accents。　〃You　don't　know　what　kind　of　people　those　are。　They　are　the　same　men　who　stole　the　chalice；　the　Virgin's　crown；　and　two　candlesticks　from　the　church　of　the　Carmen　last　month；　they　are　the　men　who　robbed　the　Madrid　train　two　years　ago。〃

Don　Jose；　hearing　these　alarming　antecedents；　felt　his　courage　begin　to　give　way。

〃Do　you　see　that　great　high　hill　in　the　distance？　Well；　that　is　where　those　rascals　hide　themselves；　there　in　some　caves　which　they　call　the　Retreat　of　the　Cavaliers。〃

〃Of　the　Cavaliers？〃

〃Yes；　senor。　They　come　down　to　the　high…road　when　the　Civil　Guards　are　not　watching；　and　rob　all　they　can。　Do　you　see　a　cross　beyond　the　bend　of　the　road？　Well；　that　was　erected　in　remembrance　of　the　death　of　the　Alcalde　of　Villahorrenda；　whom　they　murdered　there　at　the　time　of　the　elections。〃

〃Yes；　I　see　the　cross。〃

〃There　is　an　old　house　there；　in　which　they　hide　themselves　to　wait　for　the　carriers。　They　call　that　place　The　Pleasaunce。〃

〃The　Pleasaunce？〃

〃If　all　the　people　who　have　been　murdered　and　robbed　there　were　to　be　restored　they　would　form　an　army。〃

While　they　were　thus　talking　shots　were　again　heard；　this　time　nearer　than　before；　which　made　the　valiant　hearts　of　the　travellers　quake　a　little；　but　not　that　of　the　country　lad；　who；　jumping　about　for　joy；　asked　Senor　Licurgo's　permission　to　go　forward　to　watch　the　conflict　which　was　taking　place　so　near　them。　Observing　the　courage　of　the　boy　Don　Jose　felt　a　little　ashamed　of　having　been　frightened；　or　at　least　a　little　disturbed；　by　the　proximity　of　the　robbers；　and　cried；　putting　spurs