百年孤独(英文版)-第65部分

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orld　in　him。　In　order　to　be　sure　that　she　would　not　lose　him　in　the　shadows；　she　had　assigned　him　a　corner　of　the　bedroom；　the　only　one　where　he　would　be　safe　from　the　dead　people　who　wandered　through　the　house　after　sundown。　“If　you　do　anything　bad；？？rsula　would　tell　him；　“the　saints　will　let　me　know。？The　terrorfilled　nights　of　his　childhood　were　reduced　to　that　corner　where　he　would　remain　motionless　until　it　was　time　to　go　to　bed；　perspiring　with　fear　on　a　stool　under　the　watchful　and　glacial　eyes　of　the　tattletale　saints。　It　was　useless　torture　because　even　at　that　time　he　already　had　a　terror　of　everything　around　him　and　he　was　prepared　to　be　frightened　at　anything　he　met　in　life：　women　on　the　street；　who　would　ruin　his　blood；　the　women　in　the　house；　who　bore　children　with　the　tail　of　a　pig；　fighting　cocks；　who　brought　on　the　death　of　men　and　remorse　for　the　rest　of　one’s　life；　firearms；　which　with　the　mere　touch　would　bring　down　twenty　years　of　war；　uncertain　ventures；　which　led　only　to　disillusionment　and　madness—everything；　in　short；　everything　that　God　had　created　in　His　infinite　goodness　and　that　the　devil　had　perverted。　When　he　awakened；　pressed　in　the　vise　of　his　nightmares；　the　light　in　the　window　and　the　caresses　of　Amaranta　in　the　bath　and　the　pleasure　of　being　powdered　between　the　legs　with　a　silk　puff　would　release　him　from　the　terror。　Even　？rsula　was　different　under　the　radiant　light　in　the　garden　because　there　she　did　not　talk　about　fearful　things　but　would　brush　his　teeth　with　charcoal　powder　so　that　he　would　have　the　radiant　smile　of　a　Pope；　and　she　would　cut　and　polish　his　nails　so　that　the　pilgrims　who　came　to　Rome　from　all　over　the　world　would　be　startled　at　the　beauty　of　the　Pope’s　hands　as　he　blessed　them；　and　she　would　b　his　hair　like　that　of　a　Pope；　and　she　would　sprinkle　his　body　and　his　clothing　with　toilet　water　so　that　his　body　and　his　clothes　would　have　the　fragrance　of　a　Pope。　In　the　courtyard　of　Castel　Gandolfo　he　had　seen　the　Pope　on　a　balcony　making　the　same　speech　in　seven　languages　for　a　crowd　of　pilgrims　and　the　only　thing；　indeed；　that　had　drawn　his　attention　was　the　whiteness　of　his　hands；　which　seemed　to　have　been　soaked　in　lye；　the　dazzling　shine　of　his　summer　clothing；　and　the　hidden　breath　of　cologne。
　　　Almost　a　year　after　his　return　home；　having　sold　the　silver　candlesticks　and　the　heraldic　chamberpot—which　at　the　moment　of　truth　turned　out　to　have　only　a　little　gold　plating　on　the　crest—in　order　to　eat；　the　only　distraction　of　Jos？Arcadio　was　to　pick　up　children　in　town　so　that　they　could　play　in　the　house。　He　would　appear　with　them　at　siesta　time　and　have　them　skip　rope　in　the　garden；　sing　on　the　porch；　and　do　acrobatics　on　the　furniture　in　the　living　room　while　he　would　go　among　the　groups　giving　lessons　in　good　manners。　At　that　time　he　had　finished　with　the　tight　pants　and　the　silk　shirts　and　was　wearing　an　ordinary　suit　of　clothing　that　he　had　bought　in　the　Arab　stores；　but　he　still　maintained　his　languid　dignity　and　his　papal　air。　The　children　took　over　the　house　just　as　Meme’s　schoolmates　had　done　in　the　past。　Until　well　into　the　night　they　could　be　heard　chattering　and　singing　and　tapdancing；　so　that　the　house　resembled　a　boarding　school　where　there　was　no　discipline。　Aureliano　did　not　worry　about　the　invasion　as　long　as　they　did　not　bother　him　in　Melquíades？room。　One　morning　two　children　pushed　open　the　door　and　were　startled　at　the　sight　of　a　filthy　and　hairy　man　who　was　still　deciphering　the　parchments　on　the　worktable。　They　did　not　dare　go　in；　but　they　kept　on　watching　the　room。　They　would　peep　in　through　the　cracks；　whispering；　they　threw　live　animals　in　through　the　transom；　and　on　one　occasion　they　nailed　up　the　door　and　the　window　and　it　took　Aureliano　half　a　day　to　force　them　open。　Amused　at　their　unpunished　mischief；　four　of　the　children　went　into　the　room　one　morning　while　Aureliano　was　in　the　kitchen；　preparing　to　destroy　the　parchments。　But　as　soon　as　they　laid　hands　on　the　yellowed　sheets　an　angelic　force　lifted　them　off　the　ground　and　held　them　suspended　in　the　air　until　Aureliano　returned　and　took　the　parchments　away　from　them。　From　then　on　they　did　not　bother　him。
　　　The　four　oldest　children；　who　wore　short　pants　in　spite　of　the　fact　that　they　were　on　the　threshold　of　adolescence；　busied　themselves　with　Jos？Arcadio’s　personal　appearance。　They　would　arrive　earlier　than　the　others　and　spend　the　morning　shaving　him；　giving　him　massages　with　hot　towels；　cutting　and　polishing　the　nails　on　his　hands　and　feet；　and　perfuming　him　with　toilet　water。　On　several　occasions　they　would　get　into　the　pool　to　soap　him　from　head　to　toe　as　he　floated　on　his　back　thinking　about　Amaranta。　Then　they　would　dry　him；　powder　his　body；　and　dress　him。　One　of　the　children；　who　had　curly　blond　hair　and　eyes　of　pink　glass　like　a　rabbit；　was　accustomed　to　sleeping　in　the　house。　The　bonds　that　linked　him　to　Jos？Arcadio　were　so　strong　that　he　would　acpany　him　in　his　asthmatic　insomnia；　without　speaking；　strolling　through　the　house　with　him　in　the　darkness。　One　night　in　the　room　where　？rsula　had　slept　they　saw　a　yellow　glow　ing　through　the　crumbling　cement　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　catoninetails　that　he　kept　in　the　bottom　of　his　trunk　along　with　a　hairshirt　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　springlike　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　loo