百年孤独(英文版)-第40部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


t　worry；？she　told　them。　“Queens　run　errands　for　me。？To　a　neighbor　woman　who　brought　her　a　set　of　candles　so　that　she　could　light　up　the　picture　of　her　lost　lover　with　them；　she　said　with　an　enigmatic　security：
　　　“The　only　candle　that　will　make　him　e　is　always　lighted。？
　　　Just　as　she　had　foreseen；　Aureliano　Segundo　went　back　to　her　house　as　soon　as　the　honeymoon　was　over。　He　brought　his　usual　old　friends；　a　traveling　photographer；　and　the　gown　and　ermine　cape　soiled　with　blood　that　Fernanda　had　worn　during　the　carnival。　In　the　heat　of　the　merriment　that　broke　out　that　evening；　he　had　Petra　Cotes　dress　up　as　queen；　crowned　her　absolute　and　lifetime　ruler　of　Madagascar；　and　handed　out　copies　of　the　picture　to　his　friends；　she　not　only　went　along　with　the　game；　but　she　felt　sorry　for　him　inside；　thinking　that　he　must　have　been　very　frightened　to　have　conceived　of　that　extravagant　means　of　reconciliation。　At　seven　in　the　evening；　still　dressed　as　the　queen；　she　received　him　in　bed。　He　had　been　married　scarcely　two　months；　but　she　realized　at　once　that　things　were　not　going　well　in　the　nuptial　bed；　and　she　had　the　delicious　pleasure　of　vengeance　fulfilled。　Two　days　later；　however；　when　he　did　not　dare　return　but　sent　an　intermediary　to　arrange　the　terms　of　the　separation；　she　understood　that　she　was　going　to　need　more　patience　than　she　had　foreseen　because　he　seemed　ready　to　sacrifice　himself　for　the　sake　of　appearances。　Nor　did　she　get　upset　that　time。　Once　again　she　made　things　easy　with　a　submission　that　confirmed　the　generalized　belief　that　she　was　a　poor　devil；　and　the　only　souvenir　she　kept　of　Aureliano　Segundo　was　a　pair　of　patent　leather　boots；　which；　according　to　what　he　himself　had　said；　were　the　ones　he　wanted　to　wear　in　his　coffin。　She　kept　them　wrapped　in　cloth　in　the　bottom　of　a　trunk　and　made　ready　to　feed　on　memories；　waiting　without　despair。
　　　“He　has　to　e　sooner　or　later；？she　told　herself；　“even　if　it’s　just　to　put　on　those　boots。？
　　　She　did　not　have　to　wait　as　long　as　she　had　imagined。　Actually；　Aureliano　Segundo　understood　from　the　night　of　his　wedding　that　he　would　return　to　the　house　of　Petra　Cotes　much　sooner　than　when　he　would　have　to　put　on　the　patent　leather　boots：　Fernanda　was　a　woman　who　was　lost　in　the　world。　She　had　been　born　and　raised　in　a　city　six　hundred　miles　away；　a　gloomy　city　where　on　ghostly　nights　the　coaches　of　the　viceroys　still　rattled　through　the　cobbled　streets；　Thirty…two　belfries　tolled　a　dirge　at　six　in　the　afternoon。　In　the　manor　house；　which　was　paved　with　tomblike　slabs；　the　sun　was　never　seen。　The　air　had　died　in　the　cypresses　in　the　courtyard；　in　the　pale　trappings　of　the　bedrooms；　in　the　dripping　archways　of　the　garden　of　perennials。　Until　puberty　Fernanda　had　no　news　of　the　world　except　for　the　melancholy　piano　lessons　taken　in　some　neighboring　house　by　someone　who　for　years　and　years　had　the　drive　not　to　take　a　siesta。　In　the　room　of　her　sick　mother；　green　and　yellow　under　the　powdery　light　from　the　windowpanes；　she　would　listen　to　the　methodical；　stubborn；　heartless　scales　and　think　that　that　music　was　in　the　world　while　she　was　being　consumed　as　she　wove　funeral　wreaths。　Her　mother；　perspiring　with　five…o’clock　fever；　spoke　to　her　of　the　splendor　of　the　past。　When　she　was　a　little　girl；　on　one　moonlit　night　Fernanda　saw　a　beautiful　woman　dressed　in　white　crossing　the　garden　toward　the　chapel。　What　bothered　her　most　about　that　fleeting　vision　was　that　she　felt　it　was　exactly　like　her；　as　if　she　had　seen　herself　twenty　years　in　advance。　“It　was　your　great…grandmother　the　queen；？her　mother　told　her　during　a　truce　in　her　coughing。　“She　died　of　some　bad　vapors　while　she　was　cutting　a　string　of　bulbs。？Many　years　later；　when　she　began　to　feel　she　was　the　equal　of　her　great…grandmother；　Fernanda　doubted　her　childhood　vision；　but　her　mother　scolded　her　disbelief。
　　　“We　are　immensely　rich　and　powerful；？she　told　her。　“One　day　you　will　be　a　queen。？
　　　She　believed　it；　even　though　they　were　sitting　at　the　long　table　with　a　linen　tablecloth　and　silver　service　to　have　a　cup　of　watered　chocolate　and　a　sweet　bun。　Until　the　day　of　her　wedding　she　dreamed　about　a　legendary　kingdom；　in　spite　of　the　fact　that　her　father；　Don　Fernando；　had　to　mortgage　the　house　in　order　to　buy　her　trousseau。　It　was　not　innocence　or　delusions　of　grandeur。　That　was　how　they　had　brought　her　up。　Since　she　had　had　the　use　of　reason　she　remembered　having　done　her　duty　in　a　gold　pot　with　the　family　crest　on　it。　She　left　the　house　for　the　first　time　at　the　age　of　twelve　in　a　coach　and　horses　that　had　to　travel　only　two　blocks　to　take　her　to　the　convent。　Her　classmates　were　surprised　that　she　sat　apart　from　them　in　a　chair　with　a　very　high　back　and　that　she　would　not　even　mingle　with　them　during　recess。　“She’s　different；？the　nuns　would　explain。　“She’s　going　to　be　a　queen。？Her　schoolmates　believed　this　because　she　was　already　the　most　beautiful；　distinguished；　and　discreet　girl　they　had　ever　seen。　At　the　end　of　eight　years；　after　having　learned　to　write　Latin　poetry；　play　the　clavichord；　talk　about　falconry　with　gentlemen　and　apologetics；　with　archbishops；　discuss　affairs　of　state　with　foreign　rulers　and　affairs　of　God　with　the　Pope；　she　returned　to　her　parents？home　to　weave　funeral　wreaths。　She　found　it　despoiled。　All　that　was　left　was　the　furniture　that　was　absolutely　necessary；　the　silver　candelabra　and　table　service；　for　the　everyday　utensils　had　been　sold　one　by　one　to　underwrite　the　costs　of　her　education。　Her　mother　had　succumbed　to　five…o’clock　fever。　Her　father；　Don　Fernando；　dressed　in　black　with　a　stiff　collar　and　a　gold　watch　chain；　would　give　her　a　silver　coin　on　Mondays　for　the　household　expenses；　and　the　funeral　wreaths　finished　the　week　before　would　be　taken　away。　He　spent　most　of　his　time　shut　up　in　his　study　and　the　few　times　that　he　went　out　he　would　return　to　recite　the　rosary　with　her。　She　had　intimate　friendships　with　no　one。　She　had　never　heard　mention　of　the　wars　that　were　bleeding　the　country。　She　continued　her　piano　lessons　at　three　in　the　afternoon。　She　had　even　began　to　lose　the　illusion　of　being　a　queen　when　two　peremptory　raps　of　the　knocker　sounded　at　the　door　and　she　opened　it　to　a　well…groomed　military　officer　with　ceremonious　manners　who　had　a　scar　on　his　cheek　and　a　gold　medal　on　his　chest。　He　closeted　himself　with　her　father　in　the　study。　Two　hours　later　her　father　came　to　get　her　in　the　sewing　room。　“Get　your　things　together；？he　told　her。　“You　have　to　take　a　long　trip。？That　was　how　they　took　her　to　Macondo。　In　one　single　day；　with　a　brutal　slap；　life　threw　on　top　of　her　the　whole　weight　of　a　reality　that　her　parents　had　kept　hidden　from　her　for　many　years。　When　she　returned　home　she　shut　herself　up　in　her　room　to　weep；　indifferent　to　Don　Fernando’s　pleas　and　explanations　as　he　tried　to　erase　the　scars　of　that　strange　joke。　She　had　sworn　to　herself　never　to　leave　her　bedroom　until　she　died　when　Aureliano　Segundo　came　to　get　her。　It　was　an　act　of　impossible　fate；　because　in　the　confusion　of　her　indignation；　in　the　fury　of　her　shame；　she　had　lied　to　him　so　that　he　would　never　know　her　real　identity。　The　only　real　clues　that　Aureliano　Segundo　had　when　he　left　to　look　for　her　were　her　unmistakable　highland　accent　and　her　trade　as　a　weaver　of　funeral　wreaths。　He　searched　for　her　without　cease。　With　the　fierce　temerity　with　which　Jos？Arcadio　Buendía　had　crossed　the　mountains　to　found　Macondo；　with　the　blind　pride　with　which　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía　had　undertaken　his　fruitless　wars；　with　the　mad　tenacity　with　which　？rsula　watched　over　the　survival　of　the　line；　Aureliano　Segundo　looked　for　Fernanda；　without　a　single　moment　of　respite。　When　he　asked　where　they　sold　funeral　wreaths　they　took　him　from　house　to　house　so　that　he　could　choose　the　best　ones。　When　he　asked　for　the　most　beautiful　woman　who　had　ever　been　seen　on　this　earth；　all　the　women　brought　him　their　daughters。　He　became　lost　in　misty　byways；　in　times　reserved　for　oblivion；　in　labyrinths　of　disappointment。　He　crossed　a　yellow　plain　where　the　echo　repeated　one’s　thoughts　and　where　anxiety　brought　on　premonitory　mirages。　After　sterile　weeks　he　came　to　an　unknown　city　where　all　the　bells　were　tolling　a　dirge。　Although　he　had　never　seen　them　and　no　one　had　ever　described　them　to　him　he　immediately　recognized　the　walls　eaten　away　by　bone　salt；　the　broken…down　wooden　balconies　gutted　by　fungus；　and　nailed　to　the　outside　door；　almost　erased　by　rain；　the　saddest　cardboard　sign　in　the　world：　Funeral　Wreaths　for　Sale。　From　that　moment　until　the　icy　morning　when　Fernanda　left　her　house　under　the　care　of　the　Mother　Superior　there　was　barely　enough　time　for　the　nuns　to　sew　her　trousseau　and　in　six　trunks　put　the　candelabra；　the　silver　service；　and　the　gold　chamberpot　along　with　the　countless　and　useless　remains　of　a　family　catastrophe　that　had　been　two　centuries　late　in　its　fulfillment。　Don　Fernando　declined　the　invitation　to　go　along。　He　promised　to　go　later　when　he　had　cleared　up　his　affairs；　and　from　the　moment　when　he　gave　his　daughter　his　blessing　he　shut　himself　up　in　his　study　again　to　write　out　the　announcements　with　mournful　sketches　and　the　family　coat　of　arms；　which　would　be　the　first　human　contact　that　Fernanda　and　her　father　would　have　had　in　all　their　lives。　That　was　the　real　date　of　her　birth　for　her。　For　Aureliano　Segundo　it　was　almost　simultaneously　the　beginning　and　the　end　of　happiness。
　　　Fernanda　carried　a　delicate　calendar　with　small　golden　keys　on　which　her　spiritual　adviser　had　marked　in　purple　ink　the　dates　of　venereal　abstinence。　Not　counting　Holy　week；　Sundays；　holy　days　of　obligation；　first　Fridays；　retreats；　sacrifices；　and　cyclical　impediments；　her　effective　year　was　reduced　to　forty…two　days　that　were　spread　out　through　a　web　of　purple　crosses。　Aureliano　Segundo；　convinced　that　time　would　break　up　that　hostile　network；　prolonged　the　wedding　celebration　beyond　the　expected　time。　Tired　of　throwing　out　so　many　empty　brandy　and　champagne　bottles　so　that　they　would　not　clutter　up　the　house　and　at　the　same　time　intrigued　by　the　fact　that　the　newlyweds　slept　at　different　times　and　in　separate　rooms　while　the　fireworks　and　music　and　the　slaughtering　of　cattle　went　on；　？rsula　remembered　her　own　experience　a