百年孤独(英文版)-第66部分

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earing　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　selfpreservation　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　ivorycolored　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　swallowtail　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　whitewashed　the　walls　inside　and　out；　so　that　three　months　after　her　arrival　one　breathed　once　more　the　atmosphere　of　youth　and　festivity　that　had　existed　during　the　days　of　the　pianola。　No　one　in　the　house　had　ever　been　in　a　better　mood　at　all　hours　and　under　any　circumstances；　nor　had　anyone　ever　been　readier　to　sing　and　dance　and　toss　all　items　and　customs　from　the　past　into　the　trash。　With　a　sweep　of　her　broom　she　did　away　with　the　funeral　mementos　and　piles　of　useless　trash　and　articles　of　superstition　that　had　been　piling　up　in　the　corners；　and　the　only　thing　she　spared；　out　of　gratitude　to　？rsula；　was　the　daguerreotype　of　Remedios　in　the　parlor。　“My；　such　luxury；？she　would　shout；　dying　with　laughter。　“A　fourteenyearold　grandmother！？When　one　of　the　masons　told　her　that　the　house　was　full　of　apparitions　and　that　the　only　way　to　drive　them　out　was　to　look　for　the　treasures　they　had　left　buried；　she　replied　amid　loud　laughter　that　she　did　not　think　it　was　right　for　men　to　be　superstitious。　She　was　so　spontaneous；　so　emancipated；　with　such　a　free　and　modern　spirit；　that　Aureliano　did　not　know　what　to　do　with　his　body　when　he　saw　her　arrive。　“My；　my！？she　shouted　happily　with　open　arms。　“Look　at　how　my　darling　cannibal　has　grown！？Before　he　had　a　chance　to　react　she　had　already　put　a　record　on　the　portable　phonograph　she　had　brought　with　her　and　was　trying　to　teach　him　the　latest　dance　steps。　She　made　him　change　the　dirty　pants　that　he　had　inherited　from　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía　and　gave　him　some　youthful　shirts　and　twotoned　shoes；　and　she　would　push　him　into　the　street　when　he　was　spending　too　much　time　in　Melquíades？room。
　　　Active；　small；　and　indomitable　like　？rsula；　and　almost　as　pretty　and　provocative　as　Remedios　the　Beauty；　she　was　endowed　with　a　rare　instinct　for　anticipating　fashion。　When　she　received　pictures　of　the　most　recent　fashions　in　the　mail；　they　only　proved　that　she　had　not　been　wrong　about　the　models　that　she　designed　herself　and　sewed　on　Amaranta’s　primitive　pedal　machine。　She　subscribed　to　every　fashion　magazine；　art　publication。　and　popular　music　review　published　in　Europe；　and　she　had　only　to　glance　at　them　to　realize　that　things　in　the　world　were　going　just　as　she　imagined　they　were。　It　was　inprehensible　why　a　woman　with　that　spirit　would　have　returned　to　a　dead　town　burdened　by　dust　and　heat；　and　much　less　with　a　husband　who　had　more　than　enough　money　to　live　anywhere　in　the　world　and　who　loved　her　so　much　that　he　let　himself　be　led　around　by　her　on　a　silk　leash。　As　time　passed；　however；　her　intention　to　stay　was　more　obvious；　because　she　did　not　make　any　plans　that　were　not　a　long　way　off；　nor　did　she　do　anything　that　did　not　have　as　an　aim　the　search　for　a　fortable　life　and　a　peaceful　old　age　in　Macondo。　The　canary　cage　showed　that　those　aims　were　made　up　on　the　spur　of　the　moment。　Remembering　that　her　mother　had　told　her　in　a　letter　about　the　extermination　of　the　birds；　she　had　delayed　her　trip　several　months　until　she　found　a　ship　that　stopped　at　the　Fortunate　Isles　and　there　she　chose　the　finest　twentyfive　pairs　of　canaries　so　that　she　could　repopulate　the　skies　of　Macondo。　That　was　the　most　lamentable　of　her　numerous　frustrated　undertakings。　As　the　birds　reproduced　Amaranta　？rsula　would　release　them　in　pairs；　and　no　sooner　did　they　feel　themselves　free　than　they　fled　the　town。　She　tried　in　vain　to　awaken　love　in　them　by　means　of　the　bird　cage　that　？rsula　had　built　during　the　first　reconstruction　of　the　house。　Also　in　vain　were　the　artificial　nests　built　of　esparto　grass　in　the　almond　trees　and　the　birdseed　strewn　about　the　roofs；　and　arousing　the　captives　so　that　their　songs　would　dissuade　the　deserters；　because　they　would　take　flights　on　their　first　attempts　and　make　a　turn　in　the　sky；　just　the　time　needed　to　find　the　direction　to　the　Fortunate　Isles。
　　　A　year　after　her　return；　although　she　had　not　succeeded　in　making　any　friends　or　giving　any　parties；　Amaranta　？rsula　still　believed　that　it　was　possible　to　rescue　the　munity　which　had　been　singled　out　by　misfortune。　Gaston；　her　husband；　took　care　not　to　antagonize　her；　although　since　that　fatal　noon　when　he　got　off　the　train　he　realized　that　his　wife’s　determination　had　been　provoked　by　a　nostalgic　mirage。　Certain　that　she　would　be　defeated　by　the　realities；　he　did　not　even　take　the　trouble　to　put　his　velocipede　together；　but　he　set　about　hunting　for　the　largest　eggs　among　the　spider　webs　that　the　masons　had　knocked　down；　and　he　would　open　them　with　his　fingernails　and　spend　hours　looking　through　a　magnifying　glass　at　the　tiny　spiders　that　emerged。　Later　on；　thinking　that　Amaranta　？rsula　was　continuing　with　her　repairs　so　that　her　hands　would　not　be　idle；　he　decided　to　assemble　the　handsome　bicycle；　on　which　the　front　wheel　was　much　larger　than　the　rear　one；　and　he　dedicated　himself　to　the　capture　and　curing　of　every　native　insect　he　could　find　in　the　region；　which　he　sent　in　jam　jars　to　his　former　professor　of　natural　history　at　the　University　of　Liège　where　he　had　done　advanced　work　in　entomology；　although　his　main　vocation　was　that　of　aviator。　When　he　rode　the　bicycle　he　would　wear　acrobat’s　tights；　gaudy　socks；　and　a　Sherlock　Holmes　cap；　but　when　he　was　on　foot　he　would　dress　in　a　spotless　natural　linen　suit；　white　shoes；　a　silk　bow　tie；　a　straw　boater；　and　he　would　carry　a　willow　stick　in　his　hand。　His　pale　eyes　accentuated　his　look　of　a　sailor　and　his　small　mustache　looked　like　the　fur　of　a　squirrel。　Although　he　was　at　least　fifteen　years　older　than　his　wife；　his　alert　determination　to　make　her　happy　and　his　qualities　as　a　good　lover　pensated　for　the　difference。　Actually；　those　who　saw　that　man　in　his　forties　with　careful　habits；　with　the　leash　around　his　neck　and　his　circus　bicycle；　would　not　have　thought　that　he　had　made　a　pact　of　unbridled　love　with　his　wife　and　that　they　both　gave　in　to　the　reciprocal　drive　in　the　least　adequate　of　places　and　wherever　the　spirit　moved　them；　as　they　had　done　since　they　had　began　to　keep　pany；　and　with　a　passion　that　the　passage　of　time　and　the　more　and　more　unusual　circumstances　deepened　and　enriched。　Gaston　was　not　only　a　fierce　lover；　with　endless　wisdom　and　imagination；　but　he　was　also；　perhaps；　the　first　man　in　the　history　of　the　species　who　had　made　an　emergency　landing　and　had　e　close　to　killing　himself　and　his　sweetheart　simply　to　make　love　in　a　field　of　violets。
　　　They　had　met　two　years　before　they　were　married；　when　the　sports　biplane　in　which　he　was　making　rolls　over　the　school　where　Amaranta　？rsula　was　studying　made　an　intrepid　maneuver　to　avoid　the　flagpole　and　the　primitive　framework　of　canvas　and　aluminum　foil　was　caught　by　the　tail　on　some　electric　wires。　From　then　on；　paying　no　attention　to　his　leg　in　splints；　on　weekends　he　would　pick　up　Amaranta　？rsula　at　the　nun’s　boardinghouse　where　she　lived；　where　the　rules　were　not　as　severe　as　Fernanda　had　wanted；　and　he　would　take　her　to　his　country　club。　They　began　to　love　each　other　at　an　altitude　of　fifteen　hundred　feet　in　the　Sunday　air　of　the　moors；　and　they　felt　all　the　closer　together　as　the　bei