百年孤独(英文版)-第72部分

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ent　as　if　an　underground　sun　had　changed　the　floor　of　the　room　into　a　pane　of　glass。　They　did　not　have　to　turn　on　the　light。　It　was　sufficient　to　lift　the　broken　slabs　in　the　corner　where　？rsula’s　bed　had　always　stood　and　where　the　glow　was　most　intense　to　find　the　secret　crypt　that　Aureliano　Segundo　had　worn　himself　out　searching　for　during　the　delirium　of　his　excavations。　There　were　the　three　canvas　sacks　closed　with　copper　wire；　and　inside　of　them　the　seven　thousand　two　hundred　fourteen　pieces　of　eight；　which　continued　glowing　like　embers　in　the　darkness。
　　　The　discovery　of　the　treasure　was　like　a　deflagration。　Instead　of　returning　to　Rome　with　the　sudden　fortune；　which　had　been　his　dream　maturing　in　misery；　Jos？Arcadio　converted　the　house　into　a　decadent　paradise。　He　replaced　the　curtains　and　the　canopy　of　the　bed　with　new　velvet；　and　he　had　the　bathroom　floor　covered　with　paving　stones　and　the　walls　with　tiles。　The　cupboard　in　the　dining　room　was　filled　with　fruit　preserves；　hams；　and　pickles；　and　the　unused　pantry　was　opened　again　for　the　storage　of　wines　and　liqueurs　which　Jos？Arcadio　himself　brought　from　the　railroad　station　in　crates　marked　with　his　name。　One　night　he　and　the　four　oldest　children　had　a　party　that　lasted　until　dawn。　At　six　in　the　morning　they　came　out　naked　from　the　bedroom；　drained　the　pool；　and　filled　it　with　champagne。　They　jumped　in　en　masse；　swimming　like　birds　flying　through　a　sky　gilded　with　fragrant　bubbles；　while　Jos？Arcadio；　floated　on　his　back　on　the　edge　of　the　festivities；　remembering　Amaranta　with　his　eyes　open。　He　remained　that　way；　wrapped　up　in　himself；　thinking　about　the　bitterness　of　his　equivocal　pleasures　until　after　the　children　had　bee　tired　and　gone　in　a　troop　to　the　bedroom。　where　they　tore　down　the　curtains　to　dry　themselves；　and　in　the　disorder　they　broke　the　rock　crystal　mirror　into　four　pieces　and　destroyed　the　canopy　of　the　bed　in　the　tumult　of　lying　down。　When　Jos？Arcadio　came　back　from　the　bathroom；　he　found　them　sleeping　in　a　naked　heap　in　the　shipwrecked　bedroom。　Inflamed；　not　so　much　because　of　the　damage　as　because　of　the　disgust　and　pity　that　he　felt　for　himself　in　the　emptiness　of　the　saturnalia；　he　armed　himself　with　an　ecclesiastical　cat…o…nine…tails　that　he　kept　in　the　bottom　of　his　trunk　along　with　a　hair…shirt　and　other　instruments　of　mortification　and　penance；　and　drove　the　children　out　of　the　house；　howling　like　a　madman　and　whipping　them　without　mercy　as　a　person　would　not　even　have　done　to　a　pack　of　coyotes。　He　was　done　in；　with　an　attack　of　asthma　that　lasted　for　several　days　and　that　gave　him　the　look　of　a　man　on　his　deathbed。　On　the　third　night　of　torture；　overe　by　asphyxiation；　he　went　to　Aureliano’s　room　to　ask　him　the　favor　of　buying　some　powders　to　inhale　at　a　nearby　drugstore。　So　it　was　that　Aureliano；　went　out　for　a　second　time。　He　had　to　go　only　two　blocks　to　reach　the　small　pharmacy　with　dusty　windows　and　ceramic　bottles　with　labels　in　Latin　where　a　girl　with　the　stealthy　beauty　of　a　serpent　of　the　Nile　gave　him　the　medicine　the　name　of　which　Jos？Arcadio　had　written　down　on　a　piece　of　paper。　The　second　view　of　the　deserted　town；　barely　illuminated　by　the　yellowish　bulbs　of　the　street　lights；　did　not　awaken　in　Aureliano　any　more　curiosity　than　the　first。　Jos？Arcadio；　had　e　to　think　that　he　had　run　away；　when　he　reappeared；　panting　a　little　because　of　his　haste；　dragging　legs　that　enclosure　and　lack　of　mobility　had　made　weak　and　heavy。　His　indifference　toward　the　world　was　so　certain　that　a　few　days　later　Jos？Arcadio　violated　the　promise　he　had　made　to　his　mother　and　left　him　free　to　go　out　whenever　he　wanted　to。
　　　“I　have　nothing　to　do　outside；？Aureliano　answered　him。
　　　He　remained　shut　up；　absorbed　in　the　parchments；　which　he　was　slowly　unraveling　and　whose　meaning；　nevertheless；　he　was　unable　to　interpret。　Jos？Arcadio　would　bring　slices　of　ham　to　him　in　his　room；　sugared　flowers　which　left　a　spring…like　aftertaste　in　his　mouth；　and　on　two　occasions　a　glass　of　fine　wine。　He　was　not　interested　in　the　parchments；　which　he　thought　of　more　as　an　esoteric　pastime；　but　his　attention　was　attracted　by　the　rare　wisdom　and　the　inexplicable　knowledge　of　the　world　that　his　desolate　kinsman　had。　He　discovered　then　that　he　could　understand　written　English　and　that　between　parchments　he　had　gone　from　the　first　page　to　the　last　of　the　six　volumes　of　the　encyclopedia　as　if　it　were　a　novel。　At　first　he　attributed　to　that　the　fact　that　Aureliano　could　speak　about　Rome　as　if　he　had　lived　there　many　years；　but　he　soon　became　aware　that　he　knew　things　that　were　not　in　the　encyclopedia；　such　as　the　price　of　items。　“Everything　is　known；？was　the　only　reply　he　received　from　Aureliano　when　he　asked　him　where　he　had　got　that　information　from。　Aureliano；　for　his　part；　was　surprised　that　Jos？Arcadio　when　seen　from　close　by　was　so　different　from　the　image　that　he　had　formed　of　him　when　he　saw　him　wandering　through　the　house。　He　was　capable　of　laughing；　of　allowing　himself　from　time　to　time　a　feeling　of　nostalgia　for　the　past　of　the　house；　and　of　showing　concern　for　the　state　of　misery　present　in　Melquíades？room。　That　drawing　closer　together　of　two　solitary　people　of　the　same　blood　was　far　from　friendship；　but　it　did　allow　them　both　to　bear　up　better　under　the　unfathomable　solitude　that　separated　and　united　them　at　the　same　time。　Jos？Arcadio　could　then　turn　to　Aureliano　to　untangle　certain　domestic　problems　that　exasperated　him。　Aureliano；　in　turn；　could　sit　and　read　on　the　porch；　waiting　for　the　letters　from　Amaranta　？rsula；　which　still　arrived　with　the　usual　punctuality；　and　could　use　the　bathroom；　from　which　Jos？Arcadio　had　banished　him　when　he　arrived。
　　　One　hot　dawn　they　both　woke　up　in　alarm　at　an　urgent　knocking　on　the　street　door。　It　was　a　dark　old　man　with　large　green　eyes　that　gave　his　face　a　ghostly　phosphorescence　and　with　a　cross　of　ashes　on　his　forehead。　His　clothing　in　tatters；　his　shoes　cracked；　the　old　knapsack　on　his　shoulder　his　only　luggage；　he　looked　like　a　beggar；　but　his　bearing　had　a　dignity　that　was　in　frank　contradiction　to　his　appearance。　It　was　only　necessary　to　look　at　him　once；　even　in　the　shadows　of　the　parlor；　to　realize　that　the　secret　strength　that　allowed　him　to　live　was　not　the　instinct　of　self…preservation　but　the　habit　of　fear。　It　was　Aureliano　Amador；　the　only　survivor　of　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía’s　seventeen　sons；　searching　for　a　respite　in　his　long　and　hazardous　existence　as　a　fugitive。　He　identified　himself；　begged　them　to　give　him　refuge　in　that　house　which　during　his　nights　as　a　pariah　he　had　remembered　as　the　last　redoubt　of　safety　left　for　him　in　life。　But　Jos？Arcadio　and　Aureliano　did　not　remember　him。　Thinking　that　he　was　a　tramp；　they　pushed　him　into　the　street。　They　both　saw　from　the　doorway　the　end　of　a　drama　that　had　began　before　Jos？Arcadio　had　reached　the　age　of　reason。　Two　policemen　who　had　been　chasing　Aureliano　Amador　for　years；　who　had　tracked　him　like　bloodhounds　across　half　the　world；　came　out　from　among　the　almond　trees　on　the　opposite　sidewalk　and　took　two　shots　with　their　Mausers　which　neatly　penetrated　the　cross　of　ashes。
　　　Ever　since　he　had　expelled　the　children　from　the　house；　Jos？Arcadio　was　really　waiting　for　news　of　an　ocean　liner　that　would　leave　for　Naples　before　Christmas。　He　had　told　Aureliano　and　had　even　made　plans　to　set　him　up　in　a　business　that　would　bring　him　a　living；　because　the　baskets　of　food　had　stopped　ing　since　Fernanda’s　burial。　But　that　last　dream　would　not　be　fulfilled　either。　One　September　morning；　after　having　coffee　in　the　kitchen　with　Aureliano；　Jos？Arcadio　was　finishing　his　daily　bath　when　through　the　openings　in　the　tiles　the　four　children　he　had　expelled　from　the　house　burst　in。　Without　giving　him　time　to　defend　himself；　they　jumped　into　the　pool　fully　clothed；　grabbed　him　by　the　hair；　and　held　his　head　under　the　water　until　the　bubbling　of　his　death　throes　ceased　on　the　surface　and　his　silent　and　pale　dolphin　body　dipped　down　to　the　bottom　of　the　fragrant　water。　Then　they　took　out　the　three　sacks　of　gold　from　the　hiding　place　which　was　known　only　to　them　and　their　victim。　It　was　such　a　rapid；　methodical；　and　brutal　action　that　it　was　like　a　military　operation。　Aureliano；　shut　up　in　his　room；　was　not　aware　of　anything。　That　afternoon；　having　missed　him　in　the　kitchen；　he　looked　for　Jos？Arcadio　all　over　the　house　and　found　him　floating　on　the　perfumed　mirror　of　the　pool；　enormous　and　bloated　and　still　thinking　about　Amaranta。　Only　then　did　he　understand　how　much　he　had　began　to　love　him。

Chapter　19
AMARANTA　？RSULA　returned　with　the　angels　of　December；　driven　on　a　sailor’s　breeze；　leading　her　husband　by　a　silk　rope　tied　around　his　neck。　She　appeared　without　warning；　wearing　an　ivory…colored　dress；　a　string　of　pearls　that　reached　almost　to　her　knees；　emerald　and　topaz　rings；　and　with　her　straight　hair　in　a　smooth　bun　held　behind　her　ears　by　swallow…tail　brooches。　The　man　whom　she　had　married　six　months　before　was　a　thin；　older　Fleming　with　the　look　of　a　sailor　about　him。　She　had　only　to　push　open　the　door　to　the　parlor　to　realize　that　her　absence　had　been　longer　and　more　destructive　than　she　had　imagined。
　　　“Good　Lord；？she　shouted；　more　gay　than　alarmed；　“it’s　obvious　that　there’s　no　woman　in　this　house！？
　　　The　baggage　would　not　fit　on　the　porch。　Besides　Fernanda’s　old　trunk；　which　they　had　sent　her　off　to　school　with；　she　had　two　upright　trunks；　four　large　suitcases；　a　bag　for　her　parasols；　eight　hatboxes；　a　gigantic　cage　with　half　a　hundred　canaries；　and　her　husband’s　velocipede；　broken　down　in　a　special　case　which　allowed　him　to　carry　it　like　a　cello。　She　did　not　even　take　a　day　of　rest　after　the　long　trip。　She　put　on　some　worn　denim　overalls　that　her　husband　had　brought　along　with　other　automotive　items　and　set　about　on　a　new　restoration　of　the　house。　She　scattered　the　red　ants；　who　had　already　taken　possession　of　the　porch；　brought　the　rose　bushes　back　to　life；　uprooted　the　weeds；　and　planted　ferns；　oregano；　and　begonias　again　in　the　pots　along　the　railing。　She　took　charge　of　a　crew　of　carpenters；　locksmiths；　and　masons；　who　filled　in　the　cracks　in　the　floor；　put　doors　and　windows　back　on　their　hinges；　repaired　the　furniture；　and　white…washed　the　walls　inside　and