百年孤独(英文版)-第37部分

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him　and　his　brother；　thinking　that　they　were　the　same　man；　and　instead　of　making　things　clear；　he　arranged　to　prolong　the　situation。　He　did　not　return　to　Melquíades？room。　He　would　spend　his　afternoons　in　the　courtyard；　learning　to　play　the　accordion　by　ear　over　the　protests　of　？rsula；　who　at　that　time　had　forbidden　music　in　the　house　because　of　the　mourning　and　who；　in　addition；　despised　the　accordion　as　an　instrument　worthy　only　of　the　vagabond　heirs　of　Francisco　the　Man。　Nevertheless；　Aureliano　Segundo　became　a　virtuoso　on　the　accordion　and　he　still　was　after　he　had　married　and　had　children　and　was　one　of　the　most　respected　men　in　Macondo。
　　　For　almost　two　months　he　shared　the　woman　with　his　brother。　He　would　watch　him；　mix　up　his　plans；　and　when　he　was　sure　that　Jos？Arcadio　Segundo　was　not　going　to　visit　their　mon　mistress　that　night；　he　would　go　and　sleep　with　her。　One　morning　he　found　that　he　was　sick。　Two　days　later　he　found　his　brother　clinging　to　a　beam　in　the　bathroom；　soaked　in　sweat　and　with　tears　pouring　down；　and　then　he　understood。　His　brother　confessed　to　him　that　the　woman　had　sent　him　away　because　he　had　given　her　what　she　called　a　low…life　sickness。　He　also　told　him　how　Pilar　Ternera　had　tried　to　cure　him。　Aureliano　Segundo　submitted　secretly　to　the　burning　baths　of　permanganate　and　to　diuretic　waters；　and　both　were　cured　separately　after　three　months　of　secret　suffering。　Jos？Arcadio　Segundo　did　not　see　the　woman　again。　Aureliano　Segundo　obtained　her　pardon　and　stayed　with　her　until　his　death。
　　　Her　name　was　Petra　Cotes。　She　had　arrived　in　Macondo　in　the　middle　of　the　war　with　a　chalice　husband　who　lived　off　raffles；　and　when　the　man　died　she　kept　up　the　business。　She　was　a　clean　young　mulatto　woman　with　yellow　almond…shaped　eyes　that　gave　her　face　the　ferocity　of　a　panther；　but　she　had　a　generous　heart　and　a　magnificent　vocation　for　love。　When　？rsula　realized　that　Jos？Arcadio　Segundo　was　a　cockfight　man　and　that　Aureliano　Segundo　played　the　accordion　at　his　concubine’s　noisy　parties；　she　thought　she　would　go　mad　with　the　bination。　It　was　as　if　the　defects　of　the　family　and　none　of　the　virtues　had　been　concentrated　in　both。　Then　she　decided　that　no　one　again　would　be　called　Aureliano　or　Jos？Arcadio。　Yet　when　Aureliano　Segundo　had　his　first　son　she　did　not　dare　go　against　his　will。
　　　“All　right；？？rsula　said；　“but　on　one　condition：　I　will　bring　him　up。？
　　　Although　she　was　already　a　hundred　years　old　and　on　the　point　of　going　blind　from　cataracts；　she　still　had　her　physical　dynamism；　her　integrity　of　character；　and　her　mental　balance　intact。　No　one　would　be　better　able　than　she　to　shape　the　virtuous　man　who　would　restore　the　prestige　of　the　family；　a　man　who　would　never　have　heard　talk　of　war；　fighting　cocks；　bad　women；　or　wild　undertakings；　four　calamities　that；　according　to　what　？rsula　thought；　had　determined　the　downfall。　of　their　line。　“This　one　will　be　a　priest；？she　promised　solemnly。　“And　if　God　gives　me　life　he’ll　be　Pope　someday。？They　all　laughed　when　they　heard　her；　not　only　in　the　bedroom　but　all　through　the　house；　where　Aureliano　Segundo’s　rowdy　friends　were　gathered。　The　war；　relegated　to　the　attic　of　bad　memories；　was　momentarily　recalled　with　the　popping　of　champagne　bottles。
　　　“To　the　health　of　the　Pope；？Aureliano　Segundo　toasted。
　　　The　guests　toasted　in　a　chorus。　Then　the　man　of　the　house　played　the　accordion；　fireworks　were　set　off；　and　drums　celebrated　the　event　throughout　the　town。　At　dawn　the　guests；　soaked　in　champagne；　sacrificed　six　cows　and　put　them　in　the　street　at　the　disposal　of　the　crowd。　No　one　was　scandalized。　Since　Aureliano　Segundo　had　taken　charge　of　the　house　those　festivities　were　a　mon　thing；　even　when　there　was　no　motive　as　proper　as　the　birth　of　a　Pope。　In　a　few　years；　without　effort；　simply　by　luck；　he　had　accumulated　one　of　the　largest　fortunes　in　the　swamp　thanks　to　the　supernatural　proliferation　of　his　animals。　His　mares　would　bear　triplets；　his　hens　laid　twice　a　day；　and　his　hogs　fattened　with　such　speed　that　no　one　could　explain　such　disorderly　fecundity　except　through　the　use　of　black　magic。　“Save　something　now；？？rsula　would　tell　her　wild　great…grandson。　“This　luck　is　not　going　to　last　all　your　life。？But　Aureliano　Segundo　paid　no　attention　to　her。　The　more　he　opened　champagne　to　soak　his　friends；　the　more　wildly　his　animals　gave　birth　and　the　more　he　was　convinced　that　his　lucky　star　was　not　a　matter　of　his　conduct　but　an　influence　of　Petra　Cotes；　his　concubine；　whose　love　had　the　virtue　of　exasperating　nature。　So　convinced　was　he　that　this　was　the　origin　of　his　fortune　that　he　never　kept　Petra　Cotes　far　away　from　his　breeding　grounds　and　even　when　he　married　and　had　children　he　continued　living　with　her　with　the　consent　of　Fernanda。　Solid；　monumental　like　his　grandfathers；　but　with　a　joie　de　vivre　and　an　irresistible　good　humor　that　they　did　not　have；　Aureliano　Segundo　scarcely　had　time　to　look　after　his　animals。　All　he　had　to　do　was　to　take　Petra　Cores　to　his　breeding　grounds　and　have　her　ride　across　his　land　in　order　to　have　every　animal　marked　with　his　brand　succumb　to　the　irremediable　plague　of　proliferation。
　　　Like　all　the　good　things　that　occurred　in　his　long　life；　that　tremendous　fortune　had　its　origins　in　chance。　Until　the　end　of　the　wars　Petra　Cotes　continued　to　support　herself　with　the　returns　from　her　raffles　and　Aureliano　Segundo　was　able　to　sack　？rsula’s　savings　from　time　to　time。　They　were　a　frivolous　couple；　with　no　other　worries　except　going　to　bed　every　night；　even　on　forbidden　days；　and　frolicking　there　until　dawn。　“That　woman　has　been　your　ruination；？？rsula　would　shout　at　her　great…grandson　when　she　saw　him　ing　into　the　house　like　a　sleepwalker。　“She’s　got　you　so　bewitched　that　one　of　these　days　I’m　going　to　see　you　twisting　around　with　colic　and　with　a　toad　in　your　belly。？Jos？Arcadio　Segundo；　who　took　a　long　time　to　discover　that　he　had　been　supplanted；　was　unable　to　understand　his　brother’s　passion。　He　remembered　Petra　Cotes　as　an　ordinary　woman；　rather　lazy　in　bed；　and　pletely　lacking　in　any　resources　for　lovemaking。　Deaf　to　？rsula’s　clamor　and　the　teasing　of　his　brother；　Aureliano　Segundo　only　thought　at　that　time　of　finding　a　trade　that　would　allow　him　to　maintain　a　house　for　Petra　Cotes；　and　to　die　with　her；　on　top　of　her　and　underneath　her；　during　a　night　of　feverish　license。　When　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía　opened　up　his　workshop　again；　seduced　at　last　by　the　peaceful　charms　of　old　age；　Aureliano　Segundo　thought　that　it　would　be　good　business　to　devote　himself　to　the　manufacture　of　little　gold　fishes。　He　spent　many　hours　in　the　hot　room　watching　how　the　hard　sheets　of　metal；　worked　by　the　colonel　with　the　inconceivable　patience　of　disillusionment；　were　slowly　being　converted　into　golden　scales。　The　work　seemed　so　laborious　to　him　and　the　thought　of　Petra　Cotes　was　so　persistent　and　pressing　that　after　three　weeks　he　disappeared　from　the　workshop。　It　was　during　that　time　that　it　occurred　to　Petra　Cotes　to　raffle　off　rabbits。　They　reproduced　and　grew　up　so　fast　that　there　was　barely　time　to　sell　the　tickets　for　the　raffle。　At　first　Aureliano　Segundo　did　not　notice　the　alarming　proportions　of　the　proliferation。　But　one　night；　when　nobody　in　town　wanted　to　hear　about　the　rabbit　raffle　any　more；　he　heard　a　noise　by　the　courtyard　door。　“Don’t　get　worried；？Petra；　Cotes　said。　“It’s　only　the　rabbits。？They　could　not　sleep；　tormented　by　the　uproar　of　the　animals。　At　dawn　Aureliano　Segundo　opened　the　door　and　saw　the　courtyard　paved　with　rabbits；　blue　in　the　glow　of　dawn。　Petra　Cotes；　dying　with　laughter；　could　not　resist　the　temptation　of　teasing　him。
　　　“Those　are　the　ones　who　were　born　last　night；？she　aid。
　　　“Oh　my　God！？he　said。　“Why　don’t　you　raffle　off　cows？？
　　　A　few　days　later；　in　an　attempt　to　clean　out　her　courtyard；　Petra　Cotes　exchanged　the　rabbits　for　a　cow；　who　two　months　later　gave　birth　to　triplets。　That　was　how　things　began。　Overnight　Aureliano　Segundo　be。　came　the　owner　of　land　and　livestock　and　he　barely　had　time　to　enlarge　his　overflowing　barns　and　pigpens。　It　was　a　delirious　prosperity　that　even　made　him　laugh；　and　he　could　not　help　doing　crazy　things　to　release　his　good　humor。　“Cease；　cows；　life　is　short；？he　would　shout。　？rsula　wondered　what　entanglements　he　had　got　into；　whether　he　might　be　stealing；　whether　he　had　bee　a　rustler；　and　every　time　she　saw　him　uncorking　champagne　just　for　the　pleasure　of　pouring　the　foam　over　his　head；　she　would　shout　at　him　and　scold　him　for　the　waste。　It　annoyed　him　so　much　that　one　day　when　he　awoke　in　a　merry　mood；　Aureliano　Segundo　appeared　with　a　chest　full　of　money；　a　can　of　paste；　and　a　brush；　and　singing　at　the　top　of　his　lungs　the　old　songs　of　Francisco　the　Man；　he　papered　the　house　inside　and　out　and　from　top　to　bottom；　with　one…peso　banknotes。　The　old　mansion；　painted　white　since　the　time　they　had　brought　the　pianola；　took　on　the　strange　look　of　a　mosque。　In　the　midst　of　the　excitement　of　the　family　the　scandalization　of　？rsula；　the　joy　of　the　people　cramming　the　street　to　watch　that　apotheosis　of　squandering。　Aureliano　Segundo　finished　by　papering　the　house　from　the　front　to　the　kitchen；　including　bathrooms　and　bedrooms；　and　threw　the　leftover　bills　into　the　courtyard。
　　　“Now；？he　said　in　a　final　way；　“I　hope　that　nobody　in　this　house　ever　talks　to　me　about　money　again。？
　　　That　was　what　happened。　？rsula　had　the　bills　taken　down；　stuck　to　great　cakes　of　whitewash；　and　the　house　was　painted　white　again。　“Dear　Lord；？she　begged；　“make　us　poor　again　the　way　we　were　when　we　founded　this　town　so　that　you　will　not　collect　for　this　squandering　in　the　other　life。？Her　prayers　were　answered　in　reverse。　One　of　the　workmen　removing　the　bills　bumped　into　an　enormous　plaster　statue　of　Saint　Joseph　that　someone　had　left　in　the　house　during　the　last　years　of　the　war　and　the　hollow　figure　broke　to　pieces　on　the　floor。　It　had　been　stuffed　with　gold　coins。　No　one　could　remember　who　had　brought　that　life…sized　saint。　“Three　men　brought　it；？Amaranta　explained。　“They　asked　us　to　keep　it　until　the　rains　were　over　and　I　told　them　to　put　it　there　in　the　corner　where　nobody　would　bump　into　it；　and　there　they　put　it；　very　carefully；　and　there　it’s　been　ever　since　because　they　nev