dona perecta-第8部分

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e　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　Pepe。

Rosario　was　a　girl　of　delicate　and　fragile　appearance；　that　revealed　a　tendency　to　pensive　melancholy。　In　her　delicate　and　pure　countenance　there　was　something　of　the　soft；　pearly　pallor　which　most　novelists　attribute　to　their　heroines；　and　without　which　sentimental　varnish　it　appears　that　no　Enriquieta　or　Julia　can　be　interesting。　But　what　chiefly　distinguished　Rosario　was　that　her　face　expressed　so　much　sweetness　and　modesty　that　the　absence　of　the　perfections　it　lacked　was　not　observed。　This　is　not　to　say　that　she　was　plain；　but；　on　the　other　hand；　it　is　true　that　it　would　be　an　exaggeration　to　call　her　beautiful　in　the　strictest　meaning　of　the　word。　The　real　beauty　of　Dona　Perfecta's　daughter　consisted　in　a　species　of　transparency；　different　from　that　of　pearl；　alabaster；　marble；　or　any　of　the　other　substances　used　in　descriptions　of　the　human　countenance；　a　species　of　transparency　through　which　the　inmost　depths　of　her　soul　were　clearly　visible；　depths　not　cavernous　and　gloomy；　like　those　of　the　sea；　but　like　those　of　a　clear　and　placid　river