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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..7738fb5 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #54742 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/54742) diff --git a/old/54742-0.txt b/old/54742-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index b294ae0..0000000 --- a/old/54742-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,5446 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Morriña (Homesickness), by Emilia Pardo Bazán - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: Morriña (Homesickness) - -Author: Emilia Pardo Bazán - -Translator: Mary Serrano - -Release Date: May 18, 2017 [EBook #54742] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MORRIÑA (HOMESICKNESS) *** - - - - -Produced by Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - - - - MORRIÑA - - (_HOMESICKNESS_) - - - - - MORRIÑA - (_HOMESICKNESS_) - - BY EMILIA PARDO - BAZÁN, TRANSLATED - BY MARY J. SERRANO - - [Illustration] - - CASSELL PUBLISHING COMPANY - NEW YORK - - COPYRIGHT, 1891, BY - - CASSELL PUBLISHING COMPANY. - - _All rights reserved._ - - THE MERSHON COMPANY PRESS, - RAHWAY, N. J. - - - - - MORRIÑA - - (_HOMESICKNESS_). - - - - -I. - - -If the apartment which Doña Nogueira de Pardiñas and her only son -Rogelio occupied in Madrid was neither the sunniest nor the most -spacious to be found in the city, it possessed, on the other hand, the -inestimable advantage of being situated in the Calle Ancha de San -Bernardo, so close to the Central University that to live in it was, as -one might say, the same as living in the university itself. - -Seated in her leather-covered easy-chair by the window, widening and -narrowing the stocking she was - -[Illustration: “Seated in her leather-covered easy-chair by the -window.”] - -knitting without once looking at it, Señora de Pardiñas would follow her -adored boy with her gaze, which, traversing space and passing through -the solid substance of the walls, accompanied him to the very -lecture-room of the university. She saw him when he went in and when he -came out--she noticed whether he stopped to chat with any one, whom he -talked to, whether he laughed; she knew who his companions were, whom he -liked and whom he disliked; who were the industrious students and whom -the idle ones; who were regular and who were irregular in their -attendance. She was familiar, too, with the faces of the professors, and -made a study of their expression and their manner of returning the -salutations of the pupils, drawing from external signs important -psychological deductions bearing on the problem of the examinations: -“Ah, there comes old Contreras already, the Professor of Procedure. How -amiable he looks! what a saint-like face he has. How slowly he walks, -poor man. ’Tis easy to see that he suffers from rheumatism as I do. The -more’s the pity! I like him on that account, and not on that account -alone, but because I know that he is indulgent and that he will give -Rogelio a good mark in his examination. Now comes Ruiz del Monte, so -stiff and so conceited. He looks as if he were made all in one piece. -Poor us! Neither favor nor influence nor anything else is of any use -with him. He would have the boys know the studies as well as he does -himself. If he wants that let him give them his place in the -college--and the pay as well. Ah, here we have Señor de Lastra. He -stoops a little. What comical caricatures the boys make of him in the -class! And he is familiar to a fault. There he is now clapping Benito -Diaz, Rogelio’s great friend, on the back. He looks to me like a good -easy-going man. My blessing upon him! I don’t know what there is to be -gained by torturing poor boys and distressing their parents.” - -Pausing in her soliloquy, the good lady ran her knitting needle through -the coil of her hair, now turning gray, and scratched her head lightly -with it. Suddenly her withered cheek flushed brightly as if a breath of -youth had blown across it. - -“Ah, there is Rogelio,” she cried. - -The student emerged from the building, wrapped in his crimson plush -cloak, his low, broad-brimmed hat slightly tipped to one side, his -glance fixed, from the first moment, on the window at which his mother -was sitting. Generally he would give her a smile, but sometimes, -assuming a serious air, he would raise his hand to his hat, and, with -the stiff movement of a marionette, mimic the salutation of the dandies -of the Retiro. The mother would return his salutation, shaking her hand -threateningly at him, convulsed with laughter, as if this were not a -jest of almost daily repetition. Then the boy would stop to chat for a -few minutes with some of his fellow-students; he would exchange a word -in passing with the match-vender, the ticket-vender, the orange-girl at -the corner, and the clerks of the neighboring shops, winding up with -some half-jesting compliment to the servants who stood chatting at the -doors; and finally he would ascend the steps of his own house, where -Doña Aurora was already waiting for him in the hall. His first words -were generally in the following strain: - -“_Mater amabilis_, set quickly before your offspring corporeal -sustenance. I have an appetite that I don’t know where I got it. Ah-h-h! -If the beefsteak does not soon make its appearance, dreadful scenes of -cannibalism will be enacted.” - -“Yes,” his mother would answer, smiling, “and it will all amount to your -eating a couple of olives and a morsel of meat. Go away with you, you -humbug! You have the appetite of a bird.” - -The room in which they liked best to sit was neither the parlor--which -was almost always solitary and deserted,--nor Rogelio’s study, nor his -mother’s room; it was the dining-room, which adjoined the -reception-room. Here was the clock which informed Rogelio, negligent -about winding his watch, when it was time to go to college; here the -little table on which stood the work-basket with the unfinished stocking -buried under a pile of numbers of _Madrid Comico_, _Los Madriles_, and -all the _Ilustraciones_ that had ever been published; here the low, -broad, comfortable sofa and the capacious easy-chairs; here, on the -sideboard, refreshments for the inner man--a bottle of sherry and some -biscuits, or, in summer, fruits, which the boy ate with enjoyment; here, -in a glass, the branch of fresh lilacs, or the pinks which he wore in -his button-hole; here the earthen water jar exuding moisture from its -sides, and the bottle of syrup of iron, and the Japanese fan, and the -unfinished novel, with the marker between the leaves, and the -text-book, worn more by the ill-humor and displeasure with which it was -handled than by use; and finally, the little fireplace that had so good -a draught, which made up for the icy class-rooms, and the dilapidated -courts and passages of the temple of Minerva. With what enjoyment did -Rogelio go to warm himself by the fire before taking off his cloak when -he came in from college, stretching out his hands, cold as icicles, to -the blaze. The genial heat thawed his stiffened muscles, quickened his -impoverished blood, and gave him strength to ask, with a comical -pretense at scolding and coaxing entreaties mingled, for his breakfast, -almost regretting the promptness with which it was served, since it left -him a subject the less for his humorous jests. Before it had crossed the -threshold of the door, Doña Aurora was already crying out: - -“Fausta! Pepa! Here is the señorito; bring the breakfast. Quick! Hurry! -Child, your syrup of iron. Shall I count your bitter drops for you!” - -“What more bitterness do I want than the pangs of starvation! Here, you -who preside over the culinary department, may I be permitted to know -with what delicacies you intend to assuage to-day the pangs of hunger -that are gnawing my vitals? Have you prepared for me celestial ambrosia, -nectar from the calyxes of the flowers, or tripe and snails from the -Petit Fornos? Relieve me from this cruel uncertainty? - -(Suppressed laughter in the kitchen.) - -“Bring this crazy boy his breakfast, so that he may hold his tongue!” - -Mother and son being seated at the table, the drops counted out and -drank, the steaming soup was set before them, followed by the couple of - -[Illustration: “Suppressed laughter in the kitchen.”] - -fried eggs, round and crisp-edged, and the beefsteak, invariably sent in -from the neighboring _café_. Only on this condition would Rogelio eat -it. No matter what pains Fausta, the Biscayan, might take, she could -never succeed in supplanting the cook of the _café_. The succulent piece -of underdone steak would come between two plates, with its accompaniment -of fried potatoes, tender, juicy, and appetizing. While Rogelio cut and -ate the meat, his mother watched him eagerly and anxiously, as if she -had never before seen this delicate youth, so different from the ideal -of a Galician mother. Twenty summers run to seed, a pale, dull -complexion, eyes black and sparkling, but with the eyelids drooping, and -surrounded by purple rings, a sarcastic mouth, the lips delicately -curved and somewhat pale, shaded by a light mustache, hair smooth and -silky, a head narrow at the temples, a slender throat, the back of the -neck slightly hollowed in, flat wrists and a graceful shape made up a -figure still immature, interrupted in its development by the _chlorosis_ -which is the result of a hothouse existence in which the plant that -requires the pure, free air, dwindles and wilts. So that Doña Aurora did -not enjoy a moment’s peace of mind because of this son who, if not -exactly sickly, was of a nervous and delicate constitution, as was -evidenced by his moods of childlike gayety followed by periods of -causeless gloom. Therefore it was that she watched him at his meals as -eagerly as if every mouthful he swallowed were entering her own stomach -after a two days’ fast. In thought she said to the succulent meat: Go, -strengthen the child. Give him muscle, give him blood, give him bone. -Make him robust, manly, independent. Make him grow to be like a young -bull--although he should have all the savageness of one. No matter, all -the better, I only wish it might be so! Consider that all there is left -me in the world now to love, is that puny boy. And she would say aloud -to Rogelio: - -“Eat, child, eat; flesh makes flesh.” - - - - -II. - - -Doña Aurora had her daily reception--and in the afternoon; nothing less, -indeed, than a five o’clock tea, as a society reporter would say--only, -without the tea or the wish for it, for if she had offered anything to -her guests, the Señora de Pardiñas, who was very old-fashioned in her -ideas, would undoubtedly have selected some good slices of ham or the -like substantial nourishment. As her friends knew that she was -accustomed to go out only in the morning wrapped in her mantle and her -fur cape to make a few unceremonious calls or to do some shopping, and -that she spent her afternoons at her dining-room window knitting, they -attended these receptions punctually, attracted to them by the cheerful -fire, by the easy-chairs, by friendship, and by habit. - -The larger part of the circle of Doña Aurora’s friends was composed of -the companions of her deceased husband, magistrates, or, as she called -them in professional parlance, “Señores.” Some few of these, who had -already retired from active official life, were the most constant in -their attendance. Certain seats in the dining-room were regarded as -belonging of right to certain persons--the broad-backed easy-chair was -set apart for Don Nicanor Candás, the Crown Solicitor, who loved his -ease; the leather-covered arm-chair with the soft seat was for Don -Prudencio Rojas; the arm-chair covered with flowered cretonne by the -chimney corner--let no one attempt to dispute its possession with the -patriarch Don Gaspar Febrero. This venerable personage was the soul of -the company, the most active, the most imposing in appearance, and the - -[Illustration: “The broad-backed easy-chair was set apart for Don -Nicanor Candás.”] - -gayest of the assemblage, notwithstanding his eighty odd years and his -lame leg, broken by jumping from a horse-car. The first quarter of an -hour’s conversation was generally devoted to a discussion of the weather -and the health of the company; there was not one of these worthy people -who was not afflicted with some ailment or other. Some of them, indeed, -were full of ailments, so that neither their complaints nor the remedies -they discussed were of merely abstract interest. There an account was -kept of the fluctuations in the chronic catarrhs, the rheumatic pains, -the flatulent attacks, and the heartburns of each one of the assemblage, -and they discussed as solemnly as they had formerly discussed a judgment -the virtues of salycilic acid or of pectoral lozenges. - -The sanitary question being exhausted--for everything exhausts -itself--they passed on, almost always following the lead of Señor -Febrero, to treat of less agreeable matters. The amiable old man could -not bear to hear all this talk of drugs, prescriptions, and potions. -“Any one would suppose one had one foot in the grave,” he would say, -smiling and showing his brilliant artificial teeth. The subject of the -conversation was changed, but it scarcely ever turned on questions of -the day. Like a gavotte played by a grandmother on an antiquated -harpsichord, the ritornello of souvenirs and reminiscences of the past -resounded here. The conversation usually began somewhat as follows: - -“Do you remember when I received my appointment to the Canary Islands -during the ministry of Narvaez?” - -Or: - -“What times those were! At least ten years before the celebrated -Fontanellas case. My eldest son was not yet born.” - -Señor de Febrero interposed to restrain them in these sorrowful -reminiscences of bygone days also, exclaiming with youthful vivacity: - -“Why, that took place only yesterday, as one might say. In the life of a -nation what is a paltry twenty-five or thirty years?” - -“Yes, but in a man’s life----” - -“Or in a man’s life either, if it comes to that. Forty or fifty I call -the prime of life.” - -“Speak for yourself. You have discovered the elixir of youth. You are as -fresh as a lettuce. But the rest of us look like parchment; we are only -fit to be wheeled out in the sun.” - -With his crutch between his knees Don Gaspar laughed, and as he shook -his head the silvery curls of his wig shone in the light. I regret to be -obliged to pay tribute to descriptive truth by stating that Señor de -Febrero wore a wig and false teeth; but it must be added that their -falseness was so true that they were superior to the genuine articles -and would deceive the sharpest eye. With exquisite taste and consummate -art, the old man had had his wig made of hair as white as snow, and the -coronet of light white curls that encircled his ivory brow was like a -majestic aureole, very different from the thick forest of hair with -which would-be young old men persist in striving to repair the -irreparable ravages of time. In the same way the teeth, skillfully -imitating his own, somewhat uneven and worn, with a gap on the left -side, would have deceived anybody. With his beautiful hair, his -smooth-shaven face, his regular and still very expressive features, with -his pulchritude and dignity of mien, Don Gaspar reminded one of the -heads of the eighteenth century as they have come down to us in -miniatures. It seemed a pity that he should not wear an embroidered -satin coat; the cloth coat did not suit him. Even the ebony crutch, with -its blue velvet cushion, served to enhance and complete the commanding -dignity of his presence. With the gallantry of a bygone age, Don Gaspar, -the moment a woman appeared in sight, was all ardor, and honied speeches -flowed from his lips. Even to Señora Pardiñas, who was altogether out -of the lists, he did not neglect to pay attentions that were lover-like -and gallant, rather than merely polite. - -It gratified the vanity of this old man, who wore his old age so -serenely and so gracefully, to hear his companions, all infirm, all -asthmatic, all with their chronic colds and coughs, all visibly bald, -say of him enviously: - -“This Don Gaspar is wonderful. He will live to bury us all.” - -It was also a gratification to his vanity to prove to them the strength -and clearness of his memory, and it was one which he often enjoyed, for -at the reception of the Señora de Pardiñas the thread of memory was -constantly spun, and intermingled with it was a strand of gold, but of -tarnished gold like that of an antique chasuble. Don Gaspar’s memory was -a sort of wardrobe in which were stored away among perfumes, duly -labeled and classified, events, names, dates, and even words. “This -Señor de Febrero is an old record-book,” Doña Aurora would say. When -there was a difference of opinion regarding the date of some past event, -Don Gaspar was appealed to as umpire. - -“Isn’t it true, Señor de Febrero, that the Zaldivar case, at Seville, -was decided in the winter of ’56.” - -“No, Señor, the winter of ’57. I remember it was on the 15th of -December--I mean the 16th, the birthday of our friend Don Nicanor -Candás.” - -“But, good Heavens!” exclaimed Don Nicanor, when this was related to -him. “It is not right that any one should be endowed with a memory like -that. If that infernal Galician does not remember even the date of my -birth, a thing that I can never remember myself! As nobody is going to -steal any of my years away from me, I don’t see the use of keeping so -exact an account of them.” - -Don Nicanor Candás, a retired Asturian, from Oviedo, suspicious and -conceited like all his townspeople, as biting as pepper and as sharp as -a thorn, afforded much amusement to the assemblage through his disputes -with Señor de Febrero, whom he opposed systematically, without -consideration for his patriarchal privileges or respect for his -honorable seniority. The better to confound his adversary Candás adopted -a singular method, which was not without humor. He pretended to be as -deaf as a post, and he always carried in the pocket of his coat a little -silver trumpet, which he put to his ear whenever he was able to answer -and refute his opponent’s arguments, but which he would say he had -forgotten to bring with him when, not being able to do this, he wished -to change the subject of conversation. Such a stratagem could not fail -to succeed, and by the help of it he was always enabled to avoid being -worsted in a dispute. In his language Señor de Candás was as rude and -ill-bred as Don Gaspar was choice, polite and mellifluous, and for this -reason he was out of harmony with the other _habitués_ of the house. Nor -was he so for this reason alone, but also because he was the only one of -them who preferred the news of the day to reminiscences of the past, the -only one who brought to this musty senate a breath of out-door air, of -real life. - -The portentous memory of the octogenarian grew confused and uncertain -when recent events were concerned, and Candás, profiting by this defect -in the admirable faculties of the patriarch, was always trying to trip -him up. “Let us see,” he would say, “how our Don Gaspar would set about -proving an alibi. He is impregnable in all that relates to the -Calomarde ministry or the regency of Espartero, yet he does not remember -what he was doing this morning.” And imitating Don Gaspar’s voice, he -would add, “What did I do yesterday? Let me see. Did I go to see Rojas? -I think so. What am I saying? No, no. I was walking in Recoletos. Yet I -would not swear to that, either.” - -This humorous criticism of the patriarch, might, to a certain extent, be -applied with equal justice to all the other “Señores.” It would seem as -if the present did not exist for them, as if the past only had life and -color. They discussed the news of the reporter, Don Nicanor, for a few -minutes with the pessimism that is characteristic of old age; then they -resumed their progress up the stream of time, plunging with supreme -satisfaction into the fogs of vanished years. Perhaps, along with old -age, they were influenced in this to some extent by the character -acquired in the practice of the law, a profession based on scientific -notions already stratified, a science purely historical, in which the -spirit of innovation is a heresy, and in which the judicial problems of -to-day are solved according to the standard of the Roman law or the -jurisdiction of the Visigoths. Thus it was that the reunions in the -house of the Señora de Pardiñas might be likened to a rock standing -motionless amid the ceaseless surge of the sea of life. The worthy -“Señores” did not see that among dusty and worm-eaten parchments, too, -living germs palpitate and the spirit of progress lives. Clinging to -vain formulas, they fancied they were the custodians of a sacred liquor, -when only the empty vase remained in their hands, and, treating of -innovations, they placed in the same category of heterodoxy the use of -the beard, inferior courts, trial by jury, and the revision of the -Codes. - - - - -III. - - -This assembly of sleep-walkers awakened to life and became animated at -the entrance Rogelio, who, before taking his afternoon drive or walk, -was in the habit of showing himself for a moment at the meeting, -laughing at what took place there, but good-naturedly, with the -mischievousness of a spoiled child. He had nicknamed it, “The Idle -Club.” Candás, on account of his bald yellow skull, he called “Lain -Calvo,” and the smooth-shaven and gallant Señor de Febrero, Nuño Rasura. -The servants called them by these names among themselves. Even the -Señora de Pardiñas laughed in secret, although she pretended to be vexed -and would say to the boy: - -“It is very wrong for you to turn them into ridicule, in that -way--those poor gentlemen who are all so fond of you!” - -And they were indeed fond of him. The moment Rogelio appeared it was as -if a ray of warm, golden sunlight had entered a closed and darkened room -where furniture, hangings, paper, and pictures have all acquired the -faded hue imparted by the dust and the damp. All the old men loved the -boy; one of them remembered him when he was a child in arms, another had -been present at his first communion; this one had brought him toys when -he had the scarlet-fever; that other, a professional colleague and the -intimate friend of his father, became a child again when he thought of -the baptismal sweetmeats. If they had acted according to their feelings, -notwithstanding the black fringe that adorned Rogelio’s upper lip, they -would have showered kisses on him, and brought him caramels and -peanuts. For them he was always the little one, the boy. It was true -that by a curious illusion the worthy guests of Señora de Pardiñas were -disposed to regard the young as children and those of mature years as -young. They would say, for instance; “So Valdivieso is dead! Why, he was -in the prime of life, he was only a boy!” And it was necessary for the -malicious Asturian, putting his ear-trumpet, or his hand as a -substitute, to his ear, to interpose, “A boy indeed! a pretty sort of -children you are dreaming of, truly. Valdivieso was past fifty.” “He was -not so old as that, not so old as that!” “What do you mean? And the time -he was in his nurse’s arms and learning to walk, does that count for -nothing?” - -Where Rogelio was concerned, they carried to an extreme this whim of -forgetting the passage of time, and turning a deaf ear to the striking -of the clock. Every additional year he spent in the study of the law, -was for them a fresh wonder; they could not fancy him a lawyer: they -would have had him still at school learning to read. Once, on his return -from a summer excursion to San Sebastián, Señor de Rojas had said to him -with the utmost good faith: - -“What a fine time you must have had, eh? Running about and playing on -the beach all day, I suppose?” - -And the boy answered without betraying any annoyance, but with a grimace -of mischievous drollery: - -“Yes, indeed, splendid! I made holes in the sand, and built little -houses with it. I never enjoyed myself so much.” - -In reality the good heart of the young man had grown attached to the -assemblage of worthy old oddities who frequented the house. This very -Señor de Rojas, for example, inspired him with a feeling of affectionate -respect, on account of the justness of his views, and his unquestioned -probity. If Themis should descend to this lower sphere, she might take -up her abode in the house of Señor Rojas and she would find there an -altar erected to her and her image (of wood, according to Candás). A -jealous interpreter of the law in its literal signification, Rojas -walked along the narrow path that lay before him, without turning to the -right hand or to the left, with head erect, and with a tranquil -conscience. Convinced of the exalted dignity of his position, he -complied with the requirements of social decorum at the expense of -incredible privations in his house, sympathized with and seconded in -this heroic conduct by his wife. In the exercise of his functions he was -influenced neither by considerations of politics nor of friendship. -Interests involving millions had been intrusted to him, without -awakening in him the faintest touch of cupidity, which is only the -instinct of conservation expressing itself in the guise of -acquisitiveness. For this reason the honorable name of Prudencio Rojas -was pronounced, sometimes with veneration, sometimes with the disguised -and caustic irony which vice employs to discredit virtue. The sarcastic -Don Nicanor called Rojas a “puppet of the law.” He said that everything -about him, mind and character alike, was wooden, neither seeing nor -wishing to see that this kind of men, if laws were perfect as far as it -is possible for human laws to be, might, by their firmness and integrity -in applying them, bring back the golden age. - -Often, of an afternoon, especially if it was very cold, or if it snowed -or rained, Rogelio, instead of going out, would settle himself -comfortably in a corner of the broad sofa and listen to the drowsy chat -of the old people. Whenever he could he tried to turn the conversation -toward a subject for him full of interest, and one of which he never -tired--his native Galicia, which he had left when he was very young. -Almost all the party were either natives of that province or had spent -long periods of time there, filling positions in the court of Marineda, -and they expatiated on the benignity and salubrity of the climate, the -cheapness and the excellent quality of the food, the easy and cordial -manners of the people and the extraordinary beauty of the scenery. - -“I cannot understand why our amiable friend, Doña Aurora, does not take -the child to see his native place,” Señor de Febrero would say, stroking -the cushion of his crutch. - -“I am always intending to do so,” Señora Pardiñas would answer, “but it -is one of those plans that something always happens to interfere with. -The truth is, as you know, that up to the present there has always been -some difficulty or other in the way.” - -“Say that you are very fond of your ease, _mater amabilis_,” her son -would interpose. “If it had depended upon you, you would have been a -tree that you might have taken root where you had happened to be -planted.” - -“Just as I take you to San Sebastián I might have taken you to Galicia, -child, but it has not been possible to do so. Do you think I don’t often -long myself to see my native place again? We who were born there--it is -foolishness--but our dearest wish is to go back to the old spot, and our -love for it never changes.” - -“And we who were not born there love it too,” added Don Nicanor Candás, -armed with his trumpet. “I would give my little finger now to spend a -year in Marineda; I would rather go there than to Oviedo or to Gijón. - -“But with me,” continued Señora Pardiñas, “something always occurred to -prevent me from carrying out my plan, as if the witches had interfered -in the matter. Do you long to see your native place again, before you -die? Well, wear yourself out with waiting until you are bent double with -old age. You shall hear the causes of my never going back there”--and -she would count them upon her fingers: “First, the difficulties in the -way of doing so. You leave your family, your home, your possessions, to -wander about the world, with a young child who is always delicate--from -Oviedo to Saragossa, then, on account of the Regency, to Barcelona, then -to the Supreme Court here. I was always saying to Pardiñas, ‘Resign your -position, man, resign your position, and let us return to the old land -and not leave our bones in a foreign soil. With what we have, we have -more than enough to live, and our family is not so large as to be a -burden to us.’ But you know what my poor husband was, there is no need -for me to tell you.” - -(A murmur of sympathy in the audience.) - -“He believed it was his duty to continue at his post to the end. And -whenever duty was in question--at any rate, that was his idea, and it -was necessary to respect it. And afterward, his health became so -wretched----” - -Here Señora Pardiñas’ voice grew slightly husky. She put her hand into -her pocket, and taking out her handkerchief blew her nose and then wiped -her eyes. - -“So that,” she repeated, with a sigh and a shrug of the shoulders, “when -the time came--And afterward you know how I was with my sisters-in-law, -the law-suits and the difficulties I was involved in. I thought I should -never be able to extricate myself from them. From home my old friends -wrote to me, ‘Come back, come back; in a day you will accomplish more -here than you could in a year there. What would you have?’ I was afraid -of the undertaking. With my rheumatism, to think of shutting myself up -in one of those coaches that you couldn’t open a window in if it was to -save your life! And when, well or ill, things were at last settled and -the tangle of the will was straightened out, lo and behold, they put a -railroad direct to Marineda. But by that time I had lost the wish to go, -for to return home to find myself at variance with all my -connections----” - -“Not with all of them, mamma; according to your own account there are -several who have taken our part.” - -“Bah, how can I tell? In our place, child, it is hard to know who is for -and who is against you. On that point I have had terrible -disappointments. When you least expect it, your friends betray you and -drive the knife into you up to the handle. To speak the truth, there we -are not frank and loyal, so to say, like the old Castillians.” - -“You talk like a book,” assented Señor de Candás, who never let slip an -opportunity of showing his claws. “The Galicians may have all the good -qualities you please, but so far as being tricky and slippery and -deceitful is concerned, there is no one who can beat them. Don’t trust -to the word of a Galician, for they have no faith; or, if they have, it -is Punic faith. What must the Galicians be when the gypsies don’t -venture to pass through their country lest they should be cheated by -them?” - -“Take care how you insult the old land,” said Rogelio. - -“Why, that is a well-known fact. No gypsy will go to Galicia. They are -trickier and more crafty than all the gypsies put together. And as for -going to law--Good Lord! They are born litigants. And they will be sure -to get the best of you; the most ignorant peasant there could wind you -around his finger.” - -“That is a proof,” responded Señor de Febrero, “that we are an -intelligent race; you will not deny that?” - -Señor de Candás, removing the silver tube from his ear so as not to find -himself in the necessity of replying to this observation, and, in order -to finish his argument to his own satisfaction, continued: - -“And there are simpletons, who call the Galicians clever! I call them -crafty. If they were clever, they would not be always sunk in poverty, -eaten up with envy, without ever making an effort to be anything better -than beggars and grumblers. They are more given to complaining than any -people I know. They are always crying and groaning about something.” - -The ivory skin of Señor de Febrero flushed a little, for he found it -impossible to accustom himself to the malignant rudeness of Lain Calvo. - -“You are a little severe, Señor Don Nicanor,” he said, “remember that we -Galicians are in the majority here. How would you like it if I were to -repeat to you now the vulgar saying, ‘Asturian, vain, bad Christian, -insane’?” - -“There are plenty of fools,” continued the imperturbable Crown -Solicitor, “who make a great show of surprise when they hear these -things, but every one knows them so well that no one thinks it necessary -to repeat them. The Galician, it is true, possesses some shrewdness, -especially when the question is how to cheat his neighbor, but for all -that he can neither cultivate any industry nor better his miserable -condition. There he is, contented with his crust of corn bread, a poor -creature, without clothes to his back, who never eats meat and who does -not drink a glass of wine even once in the year. With all his -reputation for smartness, he sometimes seems more stupid than the -Aragonese themselves. He is stingy and he would save an _ochavitu_ even -if he had to scrape it from his skin with a file; but you need not fear -that he will ever think of investing this _ochavo_, or that he will have -the energy to work in earnest in the hope of saving a dollar. Nothing of -the kind. All he asks is to be let go on undisturbed in his lazy ways. -See, for instance, the network of railroads they have, and what use do -they make of them? They would not move a finger to attract summer -visitors. None of that desire to please, that neatness of the people of -our country.” - -“One must either choke this Don Nicanor or take no notice of what he -says,” exclaimed Nuño Rasura, furious, “for he won’t listen to argument. -Where is that network of railroads he talks about? A pretty network! -Full of holes. He wants everything to be done in a day; no one but God -can work miracles! Everything needs time and patience. Let Don Nicanor -take note of the growing importance of beautiful Vigo. Its cool climate, -its coasts and rivers are the admiration of the newspapers. And the -women--always excepting those present, but then my good friend is from -there, too. And the fish, the like of which is to be found nowhere else, -what do you say of that? My dear Doña Aurora, I have eaten neither -sardines nor soles since I left there. Just before the downfall of -O’Donnell, I remember we were taking baths in Marin, and they brought a -turbot to the door that----” - -Here the old man went on spinning the thread of memory, and Rogelio, -leaning with his elbow on the sofa, his cheek in the palm of his hand, -listened absorbed. It seemed to him as if he - -[Illustration: “Rogelio ... his cheek in the palm of his hand, listened -absorbed.”] - -were listening to some family tradition. The apartment, and the people -in it assumed an air of friendly intimacy; the atmosphere, moral and -material, was genial; the world was as comfortable and easy for him as -the cushion against which he leaned. Each of the company was for him, if -not a father, at the least an uncle. Around him reigned sweet security; -and as in certain luxurious abodes embarrassment and privation betray -themselves, so in this modest dining-room was plainly visible domestic -comfort, the most perfect golden mediocrity that poet could dream or -philosopher desire. Harmony and moderation are always beautiful, and -Rogelio, without being able to define this beauty that surrounded him, -felt it and sheltered himself in it as the bird shelters itself among -the feathers of its nest. And while the blazing logs crackled in the -fireplace, and the sounds of the mortar came softened from the kitchen, -and the old men chatted and his mother knitted her stocking, the boy, -plunged in vague reverie, tried to picture to himself what that -beautiful country, that green Galicia, abounding in rivers, in flowers, -and in lovely girls was like. - - - - -IV. - - -The whole street--shopkeepers, peddlers, servants, and inhabitants--all -knew Rogelio; as the saying is, every one had some account to settle -with him. He was familiar with all the establishments, or rather, the -modest little shops for the sale of crockery, imported provisions, -novelties, cordage and periodicals, interspersed among the ancient and -imposing ancestral houses of the Calle Ancha, which was animated by the -presence of the students and by the passing up and down of the street -cars. - -But those with whom Rogelio was most intimate were the drivers of the -hackney coaches, of which there was a stand in the little square of -Santo Domingo. Doña Aurora seldom went out that a twinge of her -rheumatism or the cold or the heat did not decide her to send for one of -those vehicles, so shabby in appearance but so comfortable and -convenient. She called them, emphatically, her “equipages,” and declared -laughingly that her coach stood always waiting at the door with so -punctual a driver that he had never once kept her waiting. Rogelio, as -the only son of wealthy parents, indulged in a more luxurious mode of -conveyance; his mother allowed him to keep a dashing brougham and a pair -of spirited horses at the livery stable of Augustin Cuero, so that on -feast days he might drive in the Retiro, or wherever he might like. She -would not consent to his keeping a saddle horse, through fear of an -accident. But nothing in the world would have induced Señora Pardiñas -herself to make use of that toy equipage. She was perfectly satisfied -with her quiet hacks. Except on some special occasion--to make visits -of ceremony or the like--she cared not a jot whether her carriage had a -little extra varnish or her coachman wore gloves or a goat-skin cape. -Owing to the frequency with which she employed them and to judicious -tips all the drivers of the square were devoted to Doña Aurora, as well -as greatly attached to the Señorito, though he loved to torment them, -especially his compatriots, the Galicians, whom he was never tired of -teasing. He ridiculed their native land, he sang the _Muñeira_ for them, -he spoke to them in the Galician dialect, like the servants in Ayála’s -comedies, and if by a miracle they were vexed, he would say: - -“I too, swift charioteer, am a Galician, a Galician of the Galicians.” - -To which they would answer: - -“What a droll señorito!” - -Whenever he went to engage a carriage for his mother the moment they -caught sight of him, if he was a league away, they would laugh and -lower the sign. And he would appear upon the scene addressing them -something in this fashion: - -“Winged Automedon, touch your fiery courser with the whip that he may -fly to my enchanted palace. Already the generous steed, impatient, -champs the golden bit. Behold him flecked with snowy foam. _Buloniu_, of -what were you thinking, that you did not perceive my approach?” - -“I was reading _La Correspondencia_, Señorito.” - -“_La Correspondencia!_ What name have thy sacrilegious lips pronounced? -_La Correspondencia!_ By the tail of Satan! A revolutionary, an -anarchical, a nihilistic sheet. Quick! Cast away that venom before thou -comest near the honorable dwelling of peaceful citizens. Hasten, run, -fly, coachman! Hurrah, Cossack of the desert! On, drunkard, demagogue!” - -The more extravagant the absurdities he strung together the more -delighted were the drivers. - -One morning Rogelio left the house wrapped up to the eyes in his cloak, -for these closing days of October were bitterly cold, although the -bright Madrid sun was shining in all its splendor. As usual, his errand -was to go in search of a carriage for Doña Aurora. On reaching the -corner of the square he caught sight of one of his favorite equipages--a -landau whose lining of Abellano shagreen was less soiled and worn than -that of the generality of those vehicles. The driver, a stout man, fair -and ruddy, answering to the name of Martin, was a Galician. Rogelio made -signs to him as he approached, crying: - -“Martin, Martin of the cape! Ho, with the imperial chariot!” - -The driver was conversing with a woman whose face was hidden from the -student, but at the sound of Rogelio’s voice she turned around and he -saw that she was young and not ill-looking, of humble appearance and -dressed in mourning. - -“Señorito, what a coincidence!” exclaimed Martin, as he recognized -Rogelio. “This young girl is looking for the señorito’s house and she -was just asking me the way there. She is a country-woman of ours. She -brings a letter----” - -“Will you let me look at the direction?” said the student, changing his -manner and the tone of his voice completely, as he addressed the young -girl. - -The girl handed him the note, for it was only a note. - -“Why, it is for mamma!” he said, as he looked at the superscription. -“Come with me; I will show you where the house is. Do you, driver, -follow in our resplendent wake with your imperial chariot, drawn by -that stately swan.” - -“Many thanks, Señorito,” said the girl in a sweet and well modulated -voice, and with the sing-song accent peculiar to the Galicians of the -coast. “There is no need for you to trouble yourself. I can see the door -of the house from here; the driver pointed it out to me.” - -[Illustration: “Will you let me look at the direction?”] - -“It is no trouble; I am going that way,” replied the young man. - -Without offering any further objection the girl walked with him in the -direction of the house. Rogelio instinctively took her left as he would -have done with a lady. He had not gone a dozen steps, however, before he -repented of his gallantry. In the first place, his companions would -ridicule him unmercifully if they should chance to meet him accompanying -so politely a girl wearing a shawl over her head and dressed in a plain -merino skirt. In the second place, Rogelio was at the age when a boy -brought up under maternal influence in the pure atmosphere of home -cannot avoid a feeling of painful shyness when brought in contact with -persons of the other sex with whom he is unacquainted. It is true that -women of an inferior station did not confuse him so much; young ladies -were like death to him; he always fancied they were making fun of him, -that everything they said to him was only in sport; to draw him out, -enjoy his confusion, and ridicule him afterward among themselves with -malicious and pitiless irony. Walking at the side of this girl dressed -in mourning, however, he experienced the same sort of confusion, for, -notwithstanding her humble dress, neither in her manner nor in her -appearance was there a trace of vulgarity. “Shall I speak to her?” he -said to himself. “Will she laugh at me? She will laugh at me more if I -say nothing. No, I must say something to her.” What he said--and with -the utmost seriousness, was: - -“Do you know whom that letter is from that you are taking to mamma?” - -“Why, certainly;” she replied; “it is from the young ladies at General -Romera’s. Don’t you know them?” - -“Of course I do. General Romera was a friend of papa’s. We have not seen -them for a long time.” - -“Doña Pascuala, the elder, has been sick. She had something they call -_tonsilitis_. Ah, she was very ill!” - -“And is she better now?” asked Rogelio, for the sake of saying -something, for anxiety for Doña Pascuala’s tonsils would never have -deprived him of his sleep. - -“She is entirely well now. If she was not well I should not have left -her.” - -“Were you--living there?” (Rogelio did not venture to say _at service_.) - -“Yes, Señor, ever since I came from the old land.” - -“Ah, you are a Galician, then?” - -“There is no reason why I should be ashamed of it.” - -“Nor I either, _caramba_!” - -“No, Señor, no indeed. It is a very good country, better than Madrid or -than any other place in the world.” - -Rogelio smiled, pleased with the girl’s patriotism, and beginning to -feel at home with her, for she seemed to him incapable of ridiculing -any one. They were now near the house; Martin, who had gone on in -advance, stopped his hack, a task which was easier than to make him -start, and at the door stood Doña Aurora, making signs to her son. - - - - -V. - - -“Mamma, here is some one with a love-letter for you.” - -“Who? This girl?” - -“Yes, Señora--from the Señoritas Romera,” said the young Galician. - -“Come here, let me see. Perhaps it is something that requires immediate -attention.” - -But no sooner had she torn open the envelope than she burst into a -laugh. - -“How crazy I am! Without my glasses--Here, child, read it you.” - -Rogelio unfolded the missive and began in a pompous voice: - -“High and mighty and most tormented lady: if your beauty----” - -“See, child; have sense and read what is set down there; there is a -terrible draught and the rheumatism in my joints won’t allow me to -stand here listening to nonsense.” - -In his natural tone of voice Rogelio read as follows: - -“Most respected friend: Esclavita Lamas, the bearer, will inform you of -the favor she desires; all we can say is that during the time she was -with us, she was most exemplary in her conduct and fulfilled her duties -faithfully; so much so that we are very sorry to lose her, as we have no -fault to find with her; quite the contrary. - -“Your old and affectionate friends, - - “Pascuala and Mercedes Romera.” - -“Is there nothing more, child?” - -“There is a foolish postscript that it is not necessary to read.” - -“A foolish postscript?” - -“Yes; asking why no one ever sees me now and saying that I must be grown -a fine-looking young fellow. The stereotyped, silly compliments----” - -“I am always telling you so, child!” exclaimed his mother, with -vexation. “You never go to spend ten minutes at the house of these poor -ladies, who are so fond of you. They have seen you so petted that they -will think it is all my fault. Well, I speak to you often enough about -them. Pascuala and Mercedes! If you don’t go, I shall.” - -“But, _mater terribilis_, when I put my foot in that reception room, I -get so sleepy that I can do nothing but yawn!” - -“Well, they are a pair of saints.” - -“Amen; I don’t dispute their sanctity; I am only saying that they are -very tiresome and that they never stop talking. They keep up a duet like -the Germans in _La Diva_. ‘Rogelio, how is mamma?’ ‘And how are you -getting on with your studies?’” And he imitated the husky voice and -Malagan accent of the old maids. - -“What nonsense you talk,” said Señora de Pardiñas, repressing a smile, -“I don’t know why Pascuala and Mercedes should make you sleepy.” - -“Unfathomable mysteries of the human heart. Profound arcana. In that -_dimora casta e pura_ a fatal narcotic pervades the atmosphere.” - -“Humbug!” - -During this skirmish between mother and son the girl stood waiting, -motionless, with her eyes fixed upon the ground. Doña Aurora, at last -remembering her presence, turned toward her: - -“Excuse me, child; this letter says that you will tell me what you have -come to see me about. Will you come upstairs?” - -“No, Señora. Don’t put yourself to any trouble on my account. Here will -do just as well.” - -“Well, let me hear. Is it some favor you wish to ask of me?” - -“Favor? No, Señora. I would like to enter into service in your -house--or in the house of some other Galician family,” she added, after -a pause. - -Doña Aurora looked fixedly at the petitioner and fancied she reddened -slightly under her gaze. - -“You--were not contented at the Señoritas de Romera’s, then?” - -“Yes, Señora, I was contented enough--and I think they were pleased with -me, too. You can see that from the letter they gave me. As far as the -Señoritas are concerned I would be in glory, for they are as good as -they can be, not belittling others. God grant them every prosperity! -Only that sometimes--there are good people that one doesn’t find one’s -self at home with. Those ladies are from Malaga, in the Andalusian -country, and they have customs and dishes that I don’t understand. Even -their way of talking is strange to me. When they tell me to do a thing -and I don’t understand, I feel as if I had heard my death sentence. -And, then, Señora, the truth before all--not to be among people of one’s -own country, never to hear it mentioned, even, makes one’s heart very -sad. For the half of the wages and with double the work I would rather -serve a person from my own place.” - -All this she said with an air of so much sincerity that Doña Aurora’s -good-will toward her increased, prepossessed in her favor as she already -was by the respectable and decorous bearing of the girl, so different -from the bold manners of the Madrid Menegildas. Only there was something -in the girl’s story that was not altogether clear to her. There must be -some mystery in all this. Before the door the driver was smoking his -cigarette, while the hack, with drooping head and projecting lower lip, -was dreaming of abundant fodder and delightful meadows. - -“Child,” said Señora Pardiñas. “I am going to sit down in the carriage. -As I am not as young as you are I feel tired standing, and my legs are -bending under me. If you don’t want to go upstairs, come over to the -carriage with me.” - -The little Galician helped Doña Aurora to settle herself in the vehicle, -and the latter when she was seated said: - -“Tell me, if you were so greatly attached to your country how was it -that you came here?” - -Ah, this time there was not the slightest doubt of it; it was a blush, -and a vivid blush, that dyed the girl’s cheeks. And when she answered -one must be deaf, and very deaf, not to perceive that she stammered, -especially at the first words. - -“Sometimes--one has--to do what one’s heart least prompts one to do, -Señora. We are children of fate. I was brought up by my uncle, the -parish priest of Vimieiro. It was the will of God to take him to himself -and I was left without a protector. To get one’s bread one must work. I -was a queen in my own house; now I am a servant. God be praised, and may -we never lose the power of our hands or our health.” - -“Why did you not go out to service there?” persisted Señora Pardiñas, -who had a keener scent than a bloodhound where a secret was concerned. -And that the secret was there she could not doubt on seeing that it was -not now a blush but a hot flame that passed over Esclavita’s face. - -“I--I couldn’t find a place,” she answered, in choking accents. “And -then, as everybody there knows me, I was ashamed.” - -Doña Aurora Pardiñas reflected for some two minutes, and speaking gently -to soften the harshness of the words: - -“Let us see,” she said. “You can refer only to the Señoritas de Romera -who--knew nothing about you before you went to their house. Isn’t it so? -It would be well, then,--you will see that yourself,--if you could find -some one here who knew you at home who would recommend you.” - -The girl hesitated for an instant, and then said: - -“The Señorito Gabriel Pardo de la Lage and his sister know who I am.” - -“Rita Pardo? The wife of the engineer? I am very well acquainted with -her. And you say that she knows you?” - -The girl answered by raising her hand and shrugging her shoulders as -much as to say, “Why, ever since I was born!” - -“Well, child,” rejoined Señora Pardiñas, frankly, “I am sorry that you -should leave the Romeras. You could not find a better house or better -ladies.” - -“I do not deny that,” replied Esclavita with greater emphasis than -before, if possible; “only that I have told you the truth, Señora, as if -I were talking to my dead mother or to the confessor. I was seized with -homesickness, and if I hadn’t left them I think I should have lost my -reason or have gone straight to my grave. I couldn’t eat. I would go off -by myself to a corner to think. I grew paler and paler every day, and so -thin that my clothes hung loose on me. At night I had fits of choking, -as if some one was tightening a rope about my neck. But in spite of all -that I was loth to say anything to the Señoritas. They saw it -themselves, though, and they were the first to advise me, if I did not -go back home, to look for a place with some family from there! ‘Child, -you are so altered that you don’t look like the same person,’ were the -very words they used.” - -As she said this, Esclavita’s chin trembled like a child’s when it is -making an effort to keep from bursting into sobs. Her eyes could not be -seen, as she had cast them down, according to her wont. - -“Calm yourself,” Señora Pardiñas said kindly. She was beginning to -conceive an irresistible sympathy for this girl, whose bearing was so -modest and whose heart was apparently so tender. How different she was -from the impudent servants of Madrid, the gadabouts of the suburbs, -shameless termagants who could not stay in any decent house. It was not -two hours ago that Pepa, the house-maid, for a mere nothing had thrown -aside all decency and scolded like a fishwoman. This little Galician -might have had--well, some slip--for the reasons she gave for leaving -her native place did not seem all clear; but her whole appearance was -so--well, so like that of an honest woman--God alone knew how the poor -thing had been tempted. - -[Illustration: “‘See,’ she said, putting her head out of the carriage -door.”] - -“See,” she said, putting her head out of the carriage door, “for the -present I cannot give you a decided answer as to whether I will take you -or not. Come to the house to see me to-morrow morning about this time. -I should be glad to--but I must think the matter over. If I should not -be able to take you myself, I will look for a place for you with some -other Galician family. Tell me your conditions, in case any one else -should want to know.” - -Esclavita, meantime, stood rolling an end of her black silk handerchief -between her thumb and forefinger. - -“May God reward you!” she answered. “As for the wages, a dollar more or -a dollar less makes no difference to me. Work does not frighten me. I -would not engage as a cook, for I don’t know how to make those fine -dishes that are the fashion now. I understand simple dishes like those -of my native place. In everything else I think I could give -satisfaction--in the cleaning, the mending, and the ironing. All I ask -is that in the family you look for there should not be--well, men, -who----” - -“I understand, I understand,” interrupted Doña Aurora. And she added -jestingly, “But in that case, tell me why you want to come to my house. -Haven’t you seen that there is a man in it?” - -And she pointed to Rogelio who, relieved from his embarrassment by his -mother’s presence, stood leaning against the carriage door, looking at -the girl. Esclavita followed the direction of Señora Pardiñas’ hand; for -the first time her eyes, green, changeful, sincere, rested on the -student. After a pause she said with a smile: - -“Is that young gentleman your son? May God spare him to you for many -years. That isn’t the kind of man I mean, he is only a boy.” - -Rogelio changed countenance as if he had received the most outrageous -insult. He tried to disguise his annoyance by a laugh, but the laugh -died away in his throat. It must be confessed that he even felt his eyes -fill with tears of vexation. It was one of those moments of insensate -and profound rage which must come at one time or another to the man -whose childhood has been unduly prolonged; moments in which he desires, -as if it were the highest good, to possess the bitter treasure of -experience--sorrows, disappointments, trials, struggles, sickness, gray -hairs, wrinkles, calamities, betrayal of friendship and of love--all, -all, so that he may hear the supreme word, so that he may taste the -fruit of good and evil, the immortal apple, golden on the one side, -blood-red on the other. All, so that he may fulfill the destiny of -humanity, all, so that he may pass through the cycle of life. - - - - -VI. - - -When the driver whipped up his horse, Señora Pardiñas called out to her -son, who was on the box: - -“Give him Rita Pardo’s direction.” - -Rogelio obeyed; but when they reached the house in the dingy Calle del -Pez, in which the engineer’s wife lived, he jumped down and opening the -carnage door, said to his mother: - -“I won’t go in. To make your inquiries you have no need of me.” - -“And where are you going now?” - -“Oh, to take a turn,” responded the student, indifferently, with a -farewell gesture of the hand which betrayed the impatience of the boy -growing into manhood to assert his manly independence, something like -the nervous fluttering of the wings of the bird when his cage door is -opened to him. Without further explanation he drew his cloak more -closely about him and disappeared around the nearest corner. His mother -followed him with her eyes as long as he remained in sight, then she -sighed to herself and half smiled. “It must come some day,” she thought. -“He is at an age when the reins cannot be held too tightly. Of course, -the poor boy does not impose upon me, that is only to show his -independence; he will look in at a few shop-windows, buy half-a-dozen -periodicals, and take a turn or two with any friend he chances to meet, -and then go to the apothecary’s. If I could only see him strong, robust, -burly--there are boys at his age that are perfect giants that have a -beard like a forest. He is so delicate, and so puny! Our Lady of Succor, -bring me safely through!” - -These maternal anxieties had calmed down by the time Señora Pardiñas, -releasing her grasp on the banister of the stairs, had rung the bell of -Rita Pardo’s apartment--a third floor with the pretensions of a first. -The door was opened by a girl of eleven or twelve, pale, black-eyed, -with her hair in disorder, her dress in still greater disorder, who as -soon as she saw the visitor ran away, crying: - -“Mamma! Mamma! Señora de Pardiñas!” - -“Show her into the parlor; I will come directly,” answered a woman’s -voice from the inner regions of kitchen or pantry. Doña Aurora, without -waiting for the permission, was already entering the parlor, a perfect -type of middle-class vulgarity, full of showy objects, and without a -single solid or artistic piece of furniture. There were three or four -chairs covered with plush of various colors, an _étagère_ on which were -some cast-metal statuettes; several trumpery ornaments and silver -articles which were there only because they were silver; two -oil-paintings in oval frames, portraits of the master and the mistress -of the house, dressed in their Sunday finery; on the floor was a -moquette carpet, badly swept. It was evident that the parlor was seldom -cleaned or aired, and the carpet gave unmistakable indications of the -presence of children in the house. - -At the end of ten minutes, Rita Pardo, the engineer’s wife, made her -appearance. She came in fastening the last button of a morning gown, too -fine for the occasion, of pale blue satin trimmed with cream-colored -lace, which she had put on without changing her undergarments soiled in -her household tasks. She had powdered her face, and put on her -bracelets. Although she was no longer young and her figure had lost its -trimness, neither maternity nor time had been able to dim her piquant -beauty, but the coquette whom we remember laying her snares for her -cousin, the Marquis of Ulloa, had been transformed into a circumspect -matron, with that veneering of decorum under which only the keen eye of -the student of human nature could discover the real woman, such as she -was, and would ever remain; for the real man and the real woman, however -they may disguise themselves, do not change. She greeted Señora de -Pardiñas cordially, with her usual, “What a pleasure to see you, Aurora! -Heavens! in this life of Madrid months may pass without seeing one’s -friends or knowing whether they are living or dead. You have caught me -like a fright. The mornings are terrible--they slip away in listening to -idle chatter and sending and receiving messages. How sorry Eugenio will -be----” - -No sooner had Doña Aurora broached the subject of her visit than Rita -Pardo suspended the flow of her talk and waited to hear further, with -evident curiosity depicted in her voluptuous black eyes, and on her -hard, fresh mouth. A series of ambiguous gestures and malicious little -laughs was the prelude to the following commentary: - -“What do you tell me? What do you tell me? Esclavita Lamas. The rector -of Vimieiro’s Esclavita Lamas! Ta, ta, ta, ta, ta! And how has Esclavita -Lamas happened to come across you?--Isn’t she a girl with auburn hair?” - -“I don’t know whether her hair is auburn or not. She wears a shawl over -her head. She is in deep mourning and looks very neat. Her appearance is -greatly in her favor.” - -“Well, well, well! Esclavita Lamas! Who would have thought it! Yes, she -is, as we say in our part of the country, very demure, very mannerly; -she talks so soft and low that at times you can scarcely hear her. She -smells a hundred leagues off of the sacristy and of incense. A little -saint!” - -[Illustration: “Who would have thought it!”] - -Doña Aurora was more discouraged than was reasonable by this preamble; -she resolved, however, to disguise her feelings and to find out the -truth, the whole truth, even though it should grieve her to the heart to -hear any ill of the girl, in whom she was deeply interested. - -“So that you know her very well?” she said. - -“Heavens! As well as I know my own fingers. Indeed I know her! Lamas -Tarrío was a great friend of the family even while he was in the other -parish in the mountains before papa presented him for Vimieiro. He -always lived in our house, and he was very fond of making presents. What -lard, what cheese, what eggs at Easter and what capons at Christmas he -used to give us! Papa thought a great deal of him, for in the mountains -he took charge of the collecting of the rents. In short, he was devoted -to us. He was indebted to papa, too, for a great many favors, important -favors, Doña Aurora.” - -“Well, what I want to know is what relates to the girl. If her -antecedents are good, and I can admit her into my house, I shall be -glad of it. I am not satisfied with Pepa, and I have taken a liking to -this girl.” - -Rita Pardo smiled maliciously, as she smoothed out the lace of her left -sleeve, a little crumpled with use. She arched her eyebrows, and made a -grimace difficult of interpretation. - -“Um! Good antecedents may mean much or little, as you know. What is good -for one is only middling for another. In that matter, some people are -more particular than others. If the girl pleases you so much----” - -“No, not so fast!” exclaimed Señora de Pardiñas, alarmed. “For me good -antecedents are good antecedents, neither more nor less. Be frank and -tell me all you know, for that is what I have come for; and now with the -thorn of suspicion you have planted in my mind, I would not take the -girl, not if she were crowned with glory, unless you explain to me----” - -Rita smoothed out her lace again, and gave a little sigh of -embarrassment as she answered: - -“Aurora, there are certain things that, no matter how public they may -be, one cannot have it on one’s conscience to reveal them. You know -nothing about the matter, eh? Then it would be very ugly on my part to -enlighten you. So much the better if it has not reached your ears; it is -an advantage for Esclavita. And you can take her without any hesitation; -I am certain she will turn out an excellent servant.” - -“You are jesting, Rita,” said Señora de Pardiñas, letting her growing -irritation get the better of her, “You envelop the affair in mystery, -you make a mountain out of it, and then you tell me that I may take -Esclavita. No, child; in my house people are not received in that way, -without knowing anything about them. Explain what you mean----” - -When the interview had reached this point Rita assumed a manner that was -almost discourteous; she threw herself back, her nostrils dilated, her -bosom swelled, and she began to excuse herself from answering with an -air of offended dignity and wounded modesty. - -When, after exhausting all her arguments, Doña Aurora obtained for her -sole response, “I am very sorry, but it is impossible,” she rose, -without troubling herself to conceal the annoyance this impertinent -affectation of modesty had given her. She was just saying angrily, -“Excuse my having come to trouble you,” when after a loud ring at the -bell, followed by exclamations in a childish voice in the hall, the -eldest girl--the twelve-year-old madcap, rushed joyfully into the -parlor, crying: - -“Mamma! mamma! Uncle Gabriel!” - -Then, the widow Pardiñas, with sudden inspiration, planted her feet -firmly on the floor, saying to herself: - -“Now I shall have my revenge. Now you shall see, hypocritical cat, -impostor, humbug!” - - - - -VII. - - -The commandant, dressed in the costume of a peasant, unceremoniously -entered the room with his niece, who was the apple of his eye, his arm -encircling her waist as if he was going to dance a waltz with her. In -the salutation he exchanged with his sister, however, Doña Aurora could -detect a shade of coldness, not far removed from dislike, a feeling -which can sometimes be dissimulated where strangers are concerned, but -never where its object is a member of one’s family. After the customary -salutations and compliments, Señora de Pardiñas, who did not belie her -race so far as wiliness and obstinacy were concerned, said tentatively: - -“Well, I will leave you now. After all, I did not find out what I had -come to learn, and consequently---- Your sister is very reserved, Señor -de Pardo.” - -“Upon my faith, I have never thought so,” answered the artilleryman -bluntly, almost rudely. - -“Well, every one speaks of the fair according to the bargain he has -made. With me she has shown herself extraordinarily reticent.” And -without heeding the gesture or the glance of Rita, she continued -undaunted: “For the last quarter of an hour I have been asking -information from her in vain about a young countrywoman of ours, -Esclavita Lamas, the niece of the rector of Vimieiro.” - -Pardo listened like one in whose memory some vague recollection has been -awakened. - -“Stay--let me think--Vimieiro--Lamas--Lamas Tarrío. He was an intimate -friend of papa’s. Rita knows all about him; she has the whole story at -her fingers’ ends.--What objection have you to tell it to Doña Aurora?” - -A caricaturist desiring to represent _bourgeois_ dignity in its most -exaggerated form might have copied with exactness the features and -expression of Rita as, arching her brows and pointing to her eldest -daughter leaning against the commandant’s knees, she exclaimed -impressively: - -“The child!” - -“Well, what of the child?” responded Don Gabriel, imitating his sister’s -tragic tone. “Is it one of those shocking things that innocent ears must -not hear--that the cat has had kittens, for instance?” - -“Gabriel, you are dreadful,” groaned Rita, casting up her beautiful -southern eyes. “When one is killing one’s self, trying to make your -nieces what they ought to be in society, you must do your best to--there -is no use in trying to struggle against people’s dispositions.” - -“Well,” insisted the obstinate Doña Aurora, “I come back to my -complaint. Rita, don’t say that it was for the child’s sake that you -refused to give me the information I asked. The child was not present, -and even if she had been, by sending her out of the room----” - -[Illustration: “Well, what of the child?”] - -“Which is what I am going to do now. Eugenita, child, go practice your -Concone.” - -The girl left the room, much against her will, casting on her uncle, as -she went, a couple of affectionate farewell glances; but no scale or -study was heard to tell that she had shut herself in the musical -torture-chamber in which our young ladies, worthy of a better fate, are -condemned to dislocate their fingers daily. - -“You shall hear,” said Doña Aurora, emphatically, “now that we can speak -freely. The question is that that girl, Esclavita Lamas, wants to enter -my service; and that I, for my part, am greatly pleased with what I have -seen of her. But I know nothing about her past, nor why she left her -native place. There seems something odd in the whole affair. Your sister -knows the story, and neither for God’s sake nor the saints’ will she -tell it to me. There you have the cause of our dispute. It was beginning -to grow serious when you came in.” - -“The story,” said Gabriel, nervously wiping his gold-rimmed spectacles, -and putting them on again carefully. “Wait a moment, Señora; for if my -treacherous memory does not deceive me--Rita, is not that the Father -Lamas who took a poor girl off the street into his house for charity? -Tell the truth, or I shall write this very day to Galicia to inquire.” - -“Heavens! What notions you have! You are growing more unbearable every -day--Was I not going to tell you the truth? Yes, that was the Lamas, and -since you insist upon opening his grave, and dragging him out to public -shame, do it you, for I don’t want to have such a thing on my -conscience.” - -“It should weigh more heavily upon your conscience,” replied Gabriel, -with vehemence, “to try to prevent the girl getting her place on account -of the sins of others. Now I can tell you the whole story, Doña Aurora, -by an end I have unwound the skein; it is the same with stories as with -an old tune--if one remembers the first bar, one can sing the whole of -it through without a mistake. And I can tell you that it is a novel, a -real novel.” - -“It may seem so to you,” said Rita, venomously, pulling the lace of her -sleeves again. “As for me--there are certain things---- Well, I wash my -hands of it.” - -Doña Aurora concealed the satisfaction her victory gave her, but, a -woman after all, she said to herself, casting a side glance at Rita: - -“I’ve got the best of you, hypocrite!” - -“You shall hear,” began the commandant. “This Father Lamas was a -simple-minded man, illiterate as all the rural clergy were at that -time,--now they are much more enlightened,--and not over-intelligent; -but he performed all his parochial duties faithfully, and if he -committed faults he succeeded in hiding them. If you cannot be chaste, -be cautious, as the saying is. Well, one night there came to the door of -the rectory a girl, about tea years old, an orphan, who lived upon -charity; in one house they gave her a piece of corn bread, in another a -bundle of corn leaves to sleep upon, here a ragged shawl, there a pair -of old shoes. In this way the wretched girl managed to live. The rector -took pity upon her and said to her: ‘Stay here; you can learn housework; -you will have clothes to wear, a bed to sleep in, and good hot soup to -nourish you.’ And so it was decided--the girl stayed.” - -“The girl was Esclavita?” - -“No, Señora, no Señora. Wait a while. The girl turned out bright and -capable; she put away from her her melancholy, as they say in our -country, and she even grew rosy and handsome. And--” here the voice of -the commandant took a sarcastic tone--“when the flower of maidenhood -bloomed--” - -“Oh, Gabriel,” remonstrated Rita, “certain things should be spoken of in -a different way. There is no need of entering into details that----” - -“Bah!” said Doña Aurora. “We are all of us married and I am an old -woman. We know all about it and are not to be so easily shocked as that -comes to, my dear. Go on. What came afterward?” - -“Afterward came Esclavita.” - -Although Señora Pardiñas had affirmed that she _knew all about it_, this -piece of information, given thus suddenly, almost made her jump in her -chair. - -“Ah!” she exclaimed, and then looked very thoughtful. “That is why the -poor girl--well, and afterward?” - -“Afterward,” cried Rita impetuously, unable to keep silent any longer, -“papa had the greatest difficulty to pacify Señor Cuesta, the Cardinal -Archbishop. As the Archbishop himself was so virtuous he maintained -strict discipline and permitted no misconduct. If it were not for all -papa’s efforts with his eminence, to-day one entreaty and to-morrow -another, Lamas Tarrío would have been deprived of his license and would -have been left to rot in the ecclesiastical prison. For it is one thing -for a priest to commit a fault that no one knows anything about, and -another to scandalize his parishioners, bringing up the child in his own -house, outraging public opinion, petting and indulging her----” - -“My father,” said Gabriel, interrupting his sister, “with one hand -smoothed down the Archbishop and with the other hammered away at the -sinner. By dint of exhortations he succeeded in having the siren sent -away from the rectory; but Lamas continued to see her. At last papa -took a firm stand and prevailed on him to allow the mother to be sent to -Montevideo, on condition that he was permitted to keep the child.” - -“Yes,” again interposed Rita, “a fine remedy that was, worse than the -disease. The man became wilder and more reckless than he had been -before. He spent night after night without closing an eye, crying and -screaming. He had a rush of blood to the head--he was in our house at -the time--so that they were obliged to apply more than forty leeches to -him at once, and the blood that came was as black as pitch. We thought -he would go mad; he would go about the corridors tearing his hair, -calling on the woman’s name with maudlin expressions of endearment.” - -As Rita said this her brother observed that the curtains of the -adjoining room moved as if they had been stirred by a breath of -hoydenish curiosity, and the outlines of an inquisitive little nose -were vaguely defined against them. - -[Illustration: “The outlines of an inquisitive little nose were vaguely -defined against them.”] - -“See,” he said, “now it is you who are getting beyond your depth. All -that has nothing whatever to do with the case. Let us end the story at -once, and let me tell it in my own way. Poor Lamas became so ill that -the Archbishop himself was sorry for him, and sent for him to cheer him -and inspire him with thoughts of penitence. And in effect, in process of -time he grew calmer and even behaved himself very well afterward. The -only fault to be found with him was that he brought up the child with -extraordinary indulgence; but as the feelings of a father, even when -they contravene both human and divine laws, have something sacred, -people shut their eyes to this. He introduced the girl as his niece. As -such children do not inherit, the priest saved up money, ounce upon -ounce, which he put into Esclavita’s own hand; but the girl, who had -turned out very discreet and very devout, and, in addition to that, very -unselfish, when Lamas died, gave all this money, in gold as she had -received it, for masses and prayers for the soul of the sinner. This act -alone will give you an idea of the girl’s character. There are not many -girls who would do so much even if they had been born in a better -station and in a more orthodox manner.” - -“As my brother is of a romantic turn he sees things in that way,” -interposed Rita. - -“Señora de Pardiñas, I give you my word as a gentleman that I neither -add nor diminish. That girl, in my opinion, would be capable of going -bare-footed on a pilgrimage to any part of the world in order to get the -soul of the rector of Vimieiro out of purgatory.” - -“And well he would need it,” said Rita, “and her mother too, who, by all -accounts, does not lead the life of a saint over there in America.” - -“Good Heavens! How merciless you women can be, who have never had to -suffer for the want of consideration or of bread,” exclaimed Pardo, now -really angry. “I do not err on the side of philanthropy, but there are -certain things that I cannot understand in people who make a boast of -being good Christians and who go to mass and say their prayers. Fine -prayers those are! Is that what you understand by charity? Well, my -dear, I declare that Esclavita is worth more than----” - -Fortunately he restrained himself in time and ended: - -“Than some other people. How is she to blame for her parents’ faults? -Tell me that! And she is expiating them as if she had committed them. -She even left her native place, it seems, so as not to be where people -know and remember and discuss----” - -“I would swear the same thing,” asserted Doña Aurora warmly. “Now I know -why it was that she became so confused when she was asked certain -questions. I am of the same opinion as you, Pardo, that she is good, -that she has noble sentiments, and that those traits do her honor.” - -“Yes, be guided by my brother, admit her into your house,” exclaimed -Rita, with a spiteful and insolent laugh. “For giving advice, Gabriel -has a special gift. I tremble when he and my husband get together. If -Eugenio were to be led by him we should be living on charity. Take that -girl on your hands, and you will see how it will end. Then you will say, -‘Rita Pardo was right after all.’” - -Señora Pardiñas thought within herself: - -“I will take her if only to spite you, hypocrite, impostor. I have taken -your measure, now.” - -When Gabriel was going out, he found his eldest niece waiting for him in -the reception room. He caught her by the waist, and lifting her up to a -level with his mouth, whispered in her ear: - -“Good little girls, if they want Uncle Gabriel to love them, must not -go peeping and spying and hiding themselves behind portières. They must -obey mamma because she is mamma, and she will not tell them to do -anything wrong. Take care and don’t bite, little lizard. Good little -girls--are good. Ah-h-h! my cravat!” - -[Illustration: “He caught her up by the waist.”] - -“Uncle Gabriel, will you take me with you?” coaxed the little madcap. -“With you, yes; with you, no; with you, yes, I will go. Come, take me -with you!” - -[Illustration: “The commandant threw a kiss to the girl, which she -promptly returned.”] - -“To Leganes it is that I will take you. Be good now! Study your French -lesson! Comb that mane of yours! Run into the kitchen to see what the -girl is about there! Papa likes his roast beef well done! See to papa’s -roast beef!” - -As he crossed the threshold the commandant threw a kiss to the girl, -which she promptly returned. - - - - -VIII. - - -Doña Aurora was in the habit of taking her son his chocolate every -morning before he was out of bed, for, old-fashioned in many other -respects, the household was old-fashioned also in the matter of early -rising. Those were delightful moments for the doting mother. - -The boy, as she called him, felt on awakening that causeless joy -peculiar to the springtime of life, that season when each new day seems -to come fresh from the hands of time, golden and beautiful, and -embellished with delights, before painful memories have begun to weigh -down the fluttering wings of hope. Rogelio, who in the afternoon -suffered from occasional fits of nervous depression, in the morning was -as gay and sprightly as a bird. Even his chatter resembled the chirping -of birds or the cooing of infants when they open their eyes in the -morning. His mother, after removing the articles of clothing and the -books lying about, would seat herself at his bed-side and hold the tray, -so that the chocolate might not spill as the boy dipped the golden -biscuits into it, while a glass of pure fresh milk stood beside it -waiting its turn. - -[Illustration: “His mother ... would seat herself at his bed-side and -hold the tray.”] - -And what anxiety and trouble this glass of milk cost Doña Aurora! She -knew more on the subject than the entire municipal board of chemists; -without analysis or instruments or other nonsense of the kind, she could -distinguish, simply by looking at it, by its color and its odor, every -grade and quality of milk that is consumed in Madrid. For her hopes of -seeing Rogelio grow robust were all centered in that glass of milk drank -before going to college, and in the beefsteak eaten after returning from -it. - -While he was taking his chocolate, it was that all the events of the -preceding day were discussed, the amusing skirmishes between Nuño Rasura -and Lain Calvo, the college jokes, the latest crime, last night’s fire, -together with all the trifling incidents of that home so truly peaceful -like many another in the capital, notwithstanding the provincial -superstition that Madrid is a perpetual whirlpool or vortex, Rogelio’s -first words on the morning following the day of the Galician’s -application were to ask his mother with ill-disguised interest: - -“Well, what did they tell you about the fair maid--of all work?” - -There was nothing strange or out of the way in his asking this question, -and yet Doña Aurora was somewhat embarrassed by it, and hesitated -whether she should tell him what she had heard or keep it to herself. -No, it would be more prudent to say nothing about it. It was a serious -matter, and if Rogelio should be wanting in discretion--it was necessary -to proceed with caution. - -“See, little mouse, in the first place I must tell you that I have -dismissed Pepa.” - -“Hello! Is a change of ministry to take place here without my being -consulted in the matter?” - -“You shall hear! She was getting to be very conceited, very fond of -answering back. So I handed her her wages. I will bear anything from -them but answering back. I suppose there was a lover in the business or -she would not----. To tell the truth I am tired of these Madrid -servants, they are so upsetting and unbearable with their airs and -assurance. I prefer a modest, docile girl. With a civil word you can -conquer me, I can’t help it. If you were to see that Pepa, as stubborn -as a mule and as wild as a mountain rabbit. Ah, I can’t believe that she -is gone!” - -“_Mater_, enough of _prolegomena_,” exclaimed the boy, dipping the end -of his biscuit into the milk. “All this means that you are going to take -the black-robed Unknown. She found her way straight into your heart -through your eyes. We all have our weaknesses.” - -“Don’t be foolish. What I want is that things should run smoothly in -the house. That is a deserving girl. When I say so----” - -Ah! those resolutions to be reticent, those determinations to be -discreet, shun them as you would fire, for they open wide the door to -unrestrained confidences. Señora de Pardiñas meant to be silent, but who -is silent after letting out the first hint. Nor would Rogelio have given -her any peace. Besides, Doña Aurora in her heart was eager to recount -her triumph and tell how she had got the best of that hypocritical -humbug, Rita Pardo. This sweet satisfaction was the reward of her -victory. There is a pleasure whose origin cannot be defined but whose -attraction we almost all feel, in relating these tragic episodes of -human life which by their reaction on society affect us all, which -interest us, because they appeal to our sentiments of compassion and -justice, and at the same time present to us grave problems, not for our -solution, but only for our consideration, as we consider the argument of -a tragedy which we see represented on the stage and which arouses our -horror and pity. Rogelio, leaning with his elbow on his pillow and with -wide open eyes, waited eagerly for his mother’s romantic story. - -“You see,” said the latter, when she had finished her story, “that we -must treat the poor girl with some consideration. In the circumstances -she could not have behaved better than she has done. She has shown -herself to be remarkably unselfish, and along with that, religious and -discreet. As far as I understand she believes herself to be under a ban, -and that she must bear the sins of her parents, and it makes her ashamed -that in her native place they should see her and remember what has -happened. We must be very careful how we speak to her. Her father we -must not even mention; still less her mother--for the wretched woman is -still living and wandering about the world, leading Heaven knows what -sort of a life.” - -“Well,” responded Rogelio, recovering his good humor, “it seems then -that we are to regard the girl as if she were a mushroom. If the -question ever turns on fathers or mothers I will say to her--“Of course -I know you never had any. Will that do?” - -“Child, don’t be absurd. Eat that other biscuit. What I mean is that you -must not tease her. People who have suffered great misfortunes are very -sensitive; the least thing is apt to upset them. I should like her to be -contented. In this Madrid, where there are so few good servants, to find -a virtuous girl of so attractive an appearance is a great piece of good -luck, I can tell you. They are either like sergeant-majors or like -rushes.” - -“Shall I buy a bunch of flowers to present to her gallantly when she -enters our mansion?” asked the student. His mother gave him an -affectionate little tap, saying: - -“What I am going to buy is a washstand and a few other necessary -articles, for that untidy Pepa has left the room like a den of lions; -otherwise this girl, who is so neat, will not find a place to wash her -hands. A washstand, some soap, a little table, and new mat so that she -may not have to step on the tiles, that are as cold as ice, when she -gets out of bed in the morning. Or better than a mat would be a piece of -moquette carpet, and it can be had so cheap. I am going to buy her some -warm cloth, too, to make a little jacket. I don’t believe she has a -wrap; she came without any yesterday. I don’t know how she may be off -for clothing. I am sorry now for the three beautiful garments I gave to -Pepa less than a fortnight ago.” - -“Bah! All you have to do is to order a trousseau from Paris, like that -of the Señora de Cánovas, for instance. Ten dozen elegant wrappers and -four thousand pairs of silk stockings. Would that be enough?” - -Doña Aurora went out early and returned home before twelve with her new -acquisitions. It was a pleasure to her to see the room swept and the -washstand and the piece of carpet in their places. She put out clean -towels and had a white quilt put on the bed to make the iron bedstead -look more attractive. She left the room for a moment, and on returning -she could not help bursting out laughing. In a blue glass was a cheap -bunch of flowers and Rogelio was hidden behind the door, watching. - -“What do you think of that idea, eh? Now we have a bouquet. _Caray_, -_carapuche_, as Lain Calvo says. They are gardenias; ten dollars they -cost me. Shall I go get a begonia? It would look very well beside the -washstand. We will write a description of it afterward: ‘The alcove was -transformed at the touch of a fairy’s wand into a leafy winter garden.’” - -Esclavita was engaged when she presented herself at about one o’clock. -But she wished to go to say good-by to the Señoritas de Romera. She did -not install herself in her new home until the afternoon, when she -brought a boy with her to carry her trunk--one of those Galician trunks -covered with leather, with tin clamps. It was so light that at the foot -of the staircase the girl took it on her shoulders and carried it -upstairs herself. In this trunk, which was almost empty, she carried all -the wealth she had inherited from the rector of Vimieiro. - - - - -IX. - - -During the first few days she was like a hen in a strange yard. In -truth, whether it were owing to sad recollections, or to the strange -malady of homesickness from which she had suffered ever since her -arrival in Madrid, the girl began to decline visibly in looks and she -fell into a state of dejection which, though it did not prevent her from -working with diligence and even with ardor, deprived her of the -elasticity which lightens toil. It was plain to be seen that she had -grown thinner, and although from the slenderness of her form and from -the expression of her face it was evident she was younger, from her -serious turn of mind, and the gravity of her demeanor, she might be -thought twenty-eight or thirty. - -It is to be adverted that this species of melancholy or dejection did -not interfere with the strict performance of her duties. On the contrary -Esclavita was a model servant. She rose very early, almost with the sun, -indeed, and before the cook had thought of lighting the fire she was -already arranging everything for the breakfast of the mistress and the -young master. From the very first day she took charge of the preparation -of the chocolate, a duty which she performed with scrupulous care. The -secret, which is fast becoming lost, of making chocolate--of the number -of times necessary for it to boil up, and of the amount of beating -required in order that a solution of cocoa should be aromatic, smooth, -and nutritious--Esclavita knew so well that Doña Aurora declared she had -never in her life tasted chocolate like hers. In the sweeping, too, she -was no less skillful. With her handkerchief knotted at the back of her -head and her skirt turned up around her and fastened behind, she would -sweep quietly, not making a great disturbance and upsetting everything -in the room, yet doing the work thoroughly. That she did not brush and -beat too vigorously, annoying everybody in the house, under pretense of -cleaning, was an additional merit in the eyes of Doña Aurora, who could -not bear rough or noisy people. But what the new maid excelled most in -was the mending. It was evident that she was less accustomed to cooking, -ironing, or housework than to sedentary tasks. Seated in a low chair by -the window, in a couple of hours she would empty the basket of linen, -and her invisible darns, her skillful patches, her firmly sewed strings -and her well-fastened buttons were Doña Aurora’s admiration. She would -say to her friends: - -“I am not afraid now of wearing my best linen every day. This Esclavita -does not leave a bit of torn lace or embroidery unmended. It is a -pleasure to see her with the needle in her hand.” - -But at the same time Doña Aurora’s expansive disposition was little in -accord with the reserved melancholy of the girl. The more pleased she -was with her service the more she desired to see her go about with that -lightheartedness that shows a cheerful conformity with one’s lot in life -and the occupation in which one is engaged. All the consideration she -had for that blessed girl, and yet she looked always dissatisfied and -gloomy! In the kindness of the Señora de Pardiñas there was an element -of selfishness, the natural outgrowth of that kindness; if she conferred -a benefit on any one, she wished to enjoy in return the spectacle of -that person’s felicity; and so strong was this feeling that in order to -live tranquil and happy she needed to be persuaded that everybody around -her was tranquil and happy too. In deciding to take Esclavita she had -been influenced by two motives; the first was to spite “that hateful -Rita Pardo”; the second to make a girl of so engaging an appearance as -Esclavita happy, playing in a certain sense the rôle of Providence, and -reconciling her with destiny, for her fatal and implacable from the very -hour of her birth. And in the latter generous desire she could not -succeed because the girl would not respond to her efforts and allow -herself to be cheerful. - -One day Doña Aurora noticed that Esclavita ate scarcely anything, -persisting at the same time in going on with her work, saying in answer -to her mistress’s questions that there was nothing the matter with her. -Señora de Pardiñas was of a frank, impetuous, and straightforward -character, such as is rarely to be met with among the Galicians; the -moment a thought came into her mind she gave expression to it, and when -anything prevented her doing this she felt as if she had something -sticking in her throat. Without further delay, then, she brought the -girl close to a window where the shade of her black silk handkerchief -would not conceal the expression of her eyes or the working of her -features. - -“What is the matter with you, child?” she asked her without preface, -with motherly solicitude. “Is there anything troubling you? Do you want -for anything?” - -The girl turned red, as was habitual with her when she was affected by -any emotion, and answered in a low voice: - -“No, Señora. How could I want for anything? May God reward you for your -kindness.” - -“But what is the matter, then? Are you not happy here, either? Do we -treat you badly? Does the other girl not behave as she ought? Do you -want more covering?” - -As the girl remained silent, answering these questions in the negative -by a shake of the head, Señora de Pardiñas went on: - -“You will do very wrong, I warn you, if you lock up your trouble in your -own heart. It is worse for yourself if you are foolish. When you might -be happy, I don’t understand the reason of this reserve and this -nonsense. For my part I like to see pleasant faces around me. A gloomy -countenance, especially when there is no cause for it, disgusts me.” - -The last words she pronounced in a tone of annoyance, seeing that -Esclavita persisted in her obstinate silence. At the same time she said -in her own mind, “The girl has the good qualities of our country, but -she has its defects as well. She is modest, respectful, and quiet, but -she is a little foxy, too, and there is no way of knowing what she is -thinking about, or what are her feelings. The jades here are barefaced -and impudent, but at least they are not deceitful; they call bread bread -and wine wine; it is either yes or no. For a disposition like mine----” - -While these thoughts were passing through her mind, the bell rang, and -the voice of Rogelio, who had just returned from college, was heard in -the hall. Esclavita’s cheeks grew redder than they were before, and she -made an involuntary movement as if to run away and hide herself. “Ta, -ta!” said Señora Pardiñas to herself, a sudden thought flashing across -her mind, “I noticed that the lad seemed to have something against this -girl. He speaks to her so coldly, which is unusual with him. That must -be it. The poor girl is dejected because she sees that she has not -fallen into the boy’s good graces. I must set this matter right. It is -plain that Esclavita is too sensitive and when she fancies that she is -not liked----” She resumed aloud, “Well, child, if you are -dissatisfied----” - -“I am not dissatisfied; no, Señora,” answered Esclavita, respectfully -and not without firmness, “unless others are dissatisfied with me. I am -perfectly contented; it would be a pity if I was not. But others----” - -“What has put that idea into your head?” said her mistress, looking at -her fixedly. “Have I ever found fault with you since you came into the -house?” - -“No, Señora, you are very kind. I am not complaining of anybody,” -responded the girl. “I am only afraid--well, that I may not give -satisfaction. If I did not give satisfaction I would rather not stay. -Unless people were satisfied with me I would rather be in purgatory--or -worse.” - -“Hold your tongue, silly girl, hold your tongue,” said her mistress -reprovingly. “Of course you give satisfaction. Go to your mending. If I -hear any more of this nonsense, you shall see.” - -As soon as a favorable opportunity presented itself Doña Aurora took her -son to task. “I am convinced,” she said, “that the secret cause of all -Esclavita’s dejection is your manner toward her. You speak to Fausta in -a different way; you may not be aware of it, but with Fausta you are -always jesting or disputing, and with the other one you are always -serious and formal; she fancies you do not like her, that she does not -give satisfaction, as she says. I assure you that the poor girl is -greatly distressed and that she is capable of worrying herself into a -sickness about it. These nervous girls are ticklish creatures to deal -with. And apart from that, on account of her--the rector, eh?--the girl -gets more and more sensitive every day. On my word I pity her. If I were -you I would speak to her--well--with more kindness.” - -The student listened to his mother’s words with his face turned toward a -picture, that seemed to possess a great attraction for him. When he was -at last obliged to answer, he did so jestingly. “Don’t say another word. -I shall get a mandolin and give the young lady a serenade this very -night. I will bring her another bouquet and see if I can’t write her -some sentimental verses, like those of my friend Anastasio Cardona. You -shall see! you shall see! We will sign a treaty of peace, the -illustrious kitchen-maid and I.” - -In reality, Rogelio was extraordinarily flattered and pleased by -Esclavita’s complaint. If his coldness and indifference touched her so -profoundly, it was because the girl did not regard him as a child, or, -as she said, a boy. Is any one vexed or troubled by what a child does or -says? There was not a doubt but that she looked on him as a man, and a -man on whose conduct her peace of mind depended; she took it so much to -heart that her spirits and even her health were affected by it. Rogelio -allowed his mind to dwell with pleasure on this thought. During -breakfast, however, notwithstanding his mother’s repeated signals, he -made no change in his manner toward the girl. Without knowing why, he -felt ashamed of making this alteration in Doña Aurora’s presence. -However, he glanced furtively from time to time at Esclavita, who--no -doubt from the excited state of his imagination--seemed to him thin and -pale and drooping like a willow. As this idea took possession of him his -noble youthful heart overflowed with compassion, but his vanity, -youthful also, thrilled with sweet satisfaction. “And it is on my -account that she suffers thus,” he thought. “To judge by the respectful -attention with which she serves me one might almost think her afraid of -me.” - -Rogelio was washing his hands in his room when he heard a light tap at -the door, and in answer to his summons, “Come in,” Esclavita entered -carrying a shallow willow basket containing half a dozen ironed shirts. -Holding her burden in her uplifted hands, the girl’s fine figure and her -graceful and rhythmic gait were displayed to advantage. She was going to -lay the shirts upon the bed and leave the room again without speaking, -when Rogelio, going up to her and shaking his hand threateningly at her, -cried: - -“Let us see how these cuffs are ironed. If I find a single scorch on -them, woe be to you!” - -On hearing the young man’s voice, - -[Illustration: “Holding her burden in her uplifted hands.”] - -Esclavita started, imagining at first that he was scolding her in -earnest; but when she raised her eyes and noticed the expression on his -countenance, she saw that he was jesting. Her glance revealed such -sincere joy, she was so visibly relieved, so delighted, in a word, that -the young man’s kind heart was once more pleasurably thrilled, and in -order to conceal his emotion he went on with the jest. - -“Is it right that I should go about like a half-pay government official -with my shirts looking like the face of the worthy Señor Don Prudencio -Rojas? Let me see; lift up that snowy gauze and show me those inner -garments. If my _togæ pretextæ_ display the wrinkles of old age, fly, I -warn you, beyond the reach of my avenging wrath.” - -Esclavita’s face, that had been gradually clearing up, brightened as she -lifted up the cloth with a look of affectionate mischievousness. - -“Let us see, Señorito,” she said, “let us see what fault you have to -find with these bosoms. Not even the king himself wears finer ones.” - -“What the king wears is bibs; let us not get things mixed up. Let me see -those prodigies.” - -And indeed they were beautifully ironed, so smooth and lustrous that it -would have been an unreasonable exaction to require them to be better -done. - -“Well, for this time I grant you your life. But woe to you if you should -ever grow negligent in the performance of so sacred a duty.” - -“No, Señor; no, Señor. They shall be whiter and whiter every day. As -white as doves.” - -“Deign to tell me that in Galician; I intend to begin the study of that -language, as I am so perfect now in Greek and in Sanscrit that I cast -the professors in the shade. What is dove in Galician?” - -“And you are from there and you don’t know that. Well, what a being! It -is called _pomba_, and also _suriña_.” - -“Ah! _suriña_, how sweet that sounds! I shall begin to-morrow to study -the classic tongues; you shall be my teacher. ‘Mademoiselle Suriña; -professor of languages; lessons given at the house.’ We will put a card -on the window and an advertisement in _El Imparcial_. Suriña, take those -shirts off the bed; they are in the way there. Put them in the wardrobe. -So!” - -“Oh, Señorito, how upset your wardrobe is!” exclaimed the girl when she -opened it. - -[Illustration: Esclavita.] - -“Put it in order, then, Suriña. The putting in order of wardrobes is a -part of the lesson in Galician.” - - - - -X. - - -Whether it were owing to this circumstance or not, it is not to be -denied that, after signing the truce with Rogelio, Esclavita’s manner -and appearance underwent a complete change. Her eyes brightened, her -cheeks grew rosy, her voice lost its melancholy accent, she was less -silent; and while her occupations continued the same, her manner of -performing them was so different, that if she had looked before like a -resigned victim to duty and had seemed to cast a shadow of gloom over -the house as she went about her work, her brisk and active movements now -filled it with cheerfulness. - -Doña Aurora did not cease to congratulate herself on this change. -“Praised be God,” she would say. “That is the way I like to see people -around me look. I can’t endure those people who go about with -long-drawn, gloomy faces, without knowing why or wherefore. You see, -child. It was all on your account, neither more nor less. Now that you -treat her with a little friendliness see how she is a different person.” - -And different indeed she was. Even her physique had undergone a -favorable change. Whether in sign of happiness or for some other reason -unknown to us, she had removed the black kerchief from her head, -allowing her hair to fall negligently down her neck, whose extraordinary -whiteness was set off by the black silk of her neck-kerchief. Her -complexion now was the complexion of the young maidens of Galicia, that -bright complexion that seems to preserve the dewy freshness of their -native land, and whose rosy tint puts to shame the sickly pallor of the -daughters of Madrid. Her expressive eyes, green, with yellowish lights, -emphasized the vernal and delicate character of Esclavita’s beauty, -reminding one of a valley watered by two crystalline rivulets. But the -girl’s chief beauty was her hair, auburn changing to gold where it -caught the light, that, parted in the middle, flowed in luxuriant -natural waves on either side of the head, crowning the low forehead and -the delicate temples. She wore it hanging down her back in two thick -braids, or gathered up in a heavy coil at the back of the head, and if -in the morning it looked smooth and even lustrous while damp with the -water which was the only cosmetic Esclavita used, as the day wore on, -and she went about her work, it curled up, and, rough and silky at the -same time, framed her face in an aureole like that of a saint in some -old painting. And indeed Esclavita, with her simple rustic manner of -wearing her hair, reminded one of some old Flemish painting on wood, or -one of the creations of early Italian art, the resemblance being -heightened by her modest air, her downcast look, that odor of incense -and the sacristy, which Rita Pardo had observed in her. Looking at her -full face when she smiled, the type of the rustic could be descried -through the angular outlines of the virgin. - -All these perfections and graces, with many more that I refrain from -mentioning, were perceived through his spectacles, appreciated, talked -about, and lauded to the skies by the discreet octogenarian whom Rogelio -called Nuño Rasura, and whom we with more respect call Don Gaspar. Nor -did he wait to pronounce his panegyric until the transformation we have -spoken of took place, but from the very first day on which she had -opened the door for him the gallant old man began to extol her merits, -wearying the rest of the company with his exaggerated praises, his -rhapsodies, his silly effusions, and, in the words of the Crown -Solicitor, his archfooleries. - -“Just see,” Señor de Febrero would say, throwing back his handsome -Orleanic head and gently smoothing the curls of his wig or stroking the -velvet cushion of his crutch, “what judgment our excellent friend Doña -Aurora has shown in choosing this girl, who is unique in her class. In -the first place, she is so handy, so careful, so industrious, and then -she has such a modest and truthful air, a great merit in my eyes, now -that good manners are out of date and that viragos and strapping jades -swarm around us. In former times--do you remember, friend Candás--women -were all like this girl, there was none of that effrontery that we see -nowadays.” - -“Yes, yes, very demure, on the outside,” the incorrigible Don Nicanor -would respond, putting his ear-trumpet into requisition--“little saints, -all sweetness and softness. But within they made up for it. You may say -so indeed! But I have cut my wisdom teeth and I am not to be imposed -upon by those Madonna faces.” - -“See how far our friend Candás carries his evil-mindedness! That may be -the case in Asturia, in your part of the country, but it is not so in -ours; am I not right, Doña Aurora? And there is no denying that as -boldness and want of decorum in a woman repel, so neatness and modesty -are an additional attraction.” - -Here Señora de Pardiñas was obliged to use all her efforts to keep from -bursting out laughing, for Rogelio, who had followed the conversation -from his corner on the sofa, made a comical grimace and winked at her -roguishly to give point to the old man’s remarks. - -But before many days were over the benevolent admiration of Señor de -Febrero was converted into a keen interest, an irrepressible curiosity -to know all that related to “our little country-woman.” - -“Tell me how you came to get her?” he asked Señora de Pardiñas, speaking -rather with his half-closed and expressive eyes that sparkled behind his -glasses than with his voice. - -“She was recommended to me by the daughters of Romera, whom you must -know.” - -“Ah-h-h-h yes, yes! Romera, Romera. Of course.” And he settled his -glasses on his well-shaped nose. “But our little friends, the Romeras,” -he continued, with the persistence of a judge who is conducting a -cross-examination and the obstinacy of an old man who is bent on gaining -the information he desires, “they did not bring her from Galicia, did -they? I did not know they had ever been there. Is not the girl a -Galician?” - -“A Galician, yes,” said Doña Aurora, without volunteering any further -information. - -“She belongs to a decent family, eh?” continued the undaunted Nuño -Rasura. “So I should judge, at least--and I have a keen scent,” he -added, laying his finger on his classical nose. “As for her language, -she speaks well, with the exception of an occasional solecism. Her -appearance is refined and lady-like. So she belongs to a decent family, -eh?” - -“Decent, yes,” Señora Pardiñas was obliged to answer, making a mental -reservation. - -“But what are they? Artisans? Householders? Employees?” - -“No, she is the niece” (Doña Aurora’s voice grew slightly husky) “of a -village priest.” - -“So, so, so!” exclaimed the dean emphatically. “Did I not say so? The -niece of a clergyman! _Boccato di cardinale!_ Those girls are always -very pious, admirably brought up, and above temptation. So, so!” - -Señora de Pardiñas tried to turn the conversation, but if there is -anything in the world more persistent than a child’s caprice, it is an -old man’s whim. Don Gaspar played with his crutch, turning it round and -round, and then, unable to restrain himself longer, said: - -“Do you know, friend Aurora, if I may say so, that I have not yet taken -a good look at the face of that girl? And I am curious to know if she -really resembles a certain Señorita de Vivero--a lovely girl she was, by -the way--that we boys used to call the little Magdelen--somewhere about -the year ’24 or ’25. Could you not call her with the excuse of bringing -a glass of water, or the like?” - -The meaning look that passed between mother and son was observed by -Lain Calvo, who exclaimed with simulated terror, and forgetting for the -moment his pretended deafness: - -“_Caray_, my dear Doña Aurora, don’t call that nymph, I beg of you; if -you do, you will be responsible for the ruin of our friend Señor de -Febrero. At Don Gaspar’s age, the passions make sad havoc. Prudence, Don -Gasparin, remember that there is a heaven above us.” - -When Esclavita, whom Doña Aurora called under some pretext, entered the -room, no one could help smiling. This embarrassed the girl, who, not -knowing the cause of their merriment, blushed furiously, and as a -consequence, looked lovelier than ever, with that charm peculiar to her, -that chaste and modest air, through which could be divined a firmness of -character bordering on obstinacy. Señor de Febrero devoured her with his -eyes. The old man’s head was turned. When Esclavita had left the room -Lain Calvo whispered to Señora de Pardiñas: - -“Well, the girl may be a treasure, but as for me”--and he touched his -throat significantly--“I can’t swallow her. I steer clear of those girls -that grow confused the moment one looks at them. Keep an eye upon her, -Doña Aurora. Take care!” - -“I don’t know why you should say that, Señor Candás,” said Señora de -Pardiñas with displeasure, wounded in the affection she felt for the -girl. - -“Girls like that, that look as quiet as mice, are very limbs of Satan,” -declared the malicious Asturian. “They pretend to be modest, and all -they want is to be coaxed; they pretend to be innocent, and they are -more full of wiles than the devil himself. They are the kind of women -who say, ‘Don’t ask me for a kiss, that would be shocking! But if you -steal one, why, it can’t be helped.’” - -“Señor Candás, there are certain insinuations that can only be qualified -as venomous,” Nuño Rasura exclaimed angrily, striking the floor with his -crutch. “When the honor of the fair sex is in question, one cannot be -too careful; one should consider well what one says and not speak -lightly of any one.” - -“So, so!” replied the Crown Solicitor, taking refuge in his deafness. “I -see this class of women give you, too, something to think about. It is -not for nothing that we have lived all these years, and have lost our -teeth and our hair. But tell me, Doña Aurora, how this wandering -princess happened to come here. Was she forsaken by some Galician Æneas? -There seems to be some mystery in the affair.” - -“Not at all, Señor,” exclaimed Señora de Pardiñas sharply. “Don’t fancy -that by thinking evil in this case you will think right. On account of -the death of--of her uncle, she was obliged to go out to service.” - -“And how long has she been at service?” - -“Well, for a year and a half, more or less.” - -“And she has been in two situations already. Bad! bad!” - -“What do you mean by bad? Nothing of the kind! You are altogether -mistaken, Don Nicanor. The poor girl was affected with a sort of -homesickness, the homesickness that we Galicians feel when we leave our -country for the first time, and she wanted at least to be with some -family from there. As you Asturians are a more mixed race, you can’t -understand that. Ask the Romeras if they have any complaint to make of -the girl; for it was from there she came to this house--which is very -much at your service.” - -“Ah! ah! homesickness, eh? Romantic notions and affectations, -_carapuche_! Now, indeed, I can safely predict that you will be obliged -to take that princess lime-leaf tea for her nerves, every morning. She -has more airs than Lucifer! When she has good food and is well treated, -I don’t see what the deuce it matters to her what may be the nationality -of the people she is with.” - -“You are mistaken,” said Señor de Febrero angrily. “This malady called -homesickness is a serious affection with our country people, Señor de -Candás, and I have even known persons to die of it. Don’t laugh; every -one there, even to the cats, knows that, and if you don’t know it, learn -it now. Sometimes it is cured by evoking in the mind of the patient a -recollection of home. Have you never heard of the conscript who was -dying of homesickness in the hospital at Havana? Well, how do you think -he was cured, and that like magic? By hearing the _muñeira_ played on -the bagpipes of his native place. Exactly as I say, by hearing the -_muñeira_.” - -“Don’t be a fool, man, for Heaven’s sake. That conscript must have been -as drunk as a fiddler. Pure drunkenness. I would soon cure him with a -good flogging.” - -“There is no use in talking to you, Don Nicanor. You refuse to believe -what we all know to be true. It would be better to pretend to be deaf, -as you do. If our little countrywoman does not suit you, Doña Aurora, -for such a servant I----” - -“Well, I protest! If this man doesn’t want to carry off the fair Helen -that you have discovered! It is a crime against public morality. Say -no, Doña Aurora; this is something serious!” - -“Of course I shall say no, for my own sake. I am too well pleased with -Esclavita to wish to part with her.” - -Rogelio had been listening in silence to the dispute between Nuña Rasura -and Lain Calvo. He was inclined to share the indulgent views of his -mother and the ex-president of the court. With all this, however, he was -at times tempted to believe that the spiteful Asturian knew more about -life and was a better judge of human nature than they. By an illusion -common to the inexperienced, cynicism and pessimism seemed to him the -highest expression of human knowledge. His own inclination to think well -of everybody must be the result, he thought, of his youth and -inexperience. “Any one can throw dust in my eyes,” he said to himself. -“I am a child, but I am determined not to remain one forever.” - - - - -XI. - - -Esclavita was crossing the hall when she heard her young master’s voice -calling her: - -“Esclavita!” - -“I am coming.” - -“Come quickly! Your presence is required to relieve me from an appalling -situation.” - -The girl entered the student’s room and found him standing in his shirt -sleeves in the middle of the floor, his waist-coat in one hand while the -other was tightly clasped, as if it held some precious object. - -“A moment ago,” he cried tragically, opening his hand, in which was a -small mother-of-pearl button, “this precious button flew with -lightning-like swiftness from my collar. Can you secure it in its place -again without inflicting with the murderous steel a mortal wound upon my -throat?” - -Esclavita smiled, and, putting her hand into her pocket, took out her -needle-case, spool, and thimble. This latter was open at both ends, like -the thimbles used by the peasantry. She put it on quickly, with equal -quickness threaded her needle, knotted the thread, and took between her -thumb and forefinger the little pearl button. She pulled out the threads -where the button had come off, set the button in its place, and inserted -the needle. Here began the difficulties of the undertaking. It was -impossible to draw the needle straight through without pricking the -young man’s chin, smooth and clean as a woman’s. He pretended to be -making desperate efforts to assist in the operation, accompanying them -by comical grimaces and cries of, “Help! She is severing my carotid -artery! she is piercing my jugular vein! she is performing the -dangerous operation of tracheotomy upon me without my having the croup!” -And the girl, smiling, but undisturbed, would say, “Hold your head up a -little--take care, now--there, that will do; I will soon be through.” At -last, with a triumphant gesture, she twisted the thread around the -button to form the stem, fastened it by a stitch or two, and then broke -it off. - -[Illustration: “Hold your head up a little--take care, now--there, that -will do.”] - -“Hurrah! Victory! Now button it for me.” - -The slender fingers, marked with the pricking of the needle, passed over -the throat of the student, who broke into fresh cries: - -“Oh! Oh! Oh! she is p-i-i-i-nching me.” - -As soon as the collar was buttoned, however, he said softly, as if he -were begging her to render him some important and difficult service: - -“Esclavita, deign to encircle my neck with this halter.” - -Esclavita took the silk necktie, and as she put it around the young -man’s neck their glances met. During the previous operations this had -not happened, for Rogelio’s head had been turned aside, as far as his -fits of laughing would permit; but now it could not be avoided, for -Esclavita’s face was raised, and Rogelio, taller than she, looked, of -necessity, into her eyes, green, shot with golden lights; and the -parting of the hair, straight and even, like a furrow cut through a -field of ripe grain; and her rounded forehead, smooth and fine, and the -little blue veins in her temples and eyelids. He inhaled her sweet -breath, that intoxicated him for a moment, as if he had opened a jar of -oxygen. - -It was but for a moment, but it was a moment which seemed to Rogelio a -year. Childhood, with its butterfly lightness, its blue and silvery -skies, was left behind forever. Esclavita, having finished tying the -cravat, drew back to a little distance, the better to observe the effect -of the bow. - -It was as if the communication between the wire and the battery had been -interrupted. Rogelio came to his senses. “How disgraceful!” he thought. -“What a vexation for my mother!” - -The precepts of morality, which others learn as a rational necessity -and a compulsory duty, or as a part of their religion, Rogelio, who as -an only son, had been petted and spoiled, had learned through the medium -of his feelings. All his ideas of decorum, of goodness, of rectitude, -had come to him by this indirect but pleasant path. “Ah! what a grief it -would be to me, child, if you were to do such or such a thing!” his -mother used to say. “Heavens! what a mortification for me if you should -commit this or that fault!” Thus it was that, without being conscious of -it, what Rogelio first considered in all his actions was the effect they -would be apt to produce on his mother’s feelings; and this was now his -first thought when the vertigo passed away that had obscured his reason, -while the girl was close beside him. When Esclavita had left the room -his very want of confidence in himself made him take an honorable -resolve, that of avoiding fresh temptations and still greater dangers. -These resolutions are difficult to keep when the temptation is close at -hand. Rogelio felt his first desire return to him continually, and the -same fumes mount into his brain, like puffs of hot air. At table; when -she came to his room, bringing the light, or some message, or his linen, -he could not help devouring her with his eyes, following the perfect -lines of her slender form, noting the grace and lightness of her -movements. The stronger and more passionate his desire, the more -embarrassed did he feel himself in the girl’s presence. When with her it -seemed to him impossible that he should ever venture to pay her a -serious compliment; while in the solitude of his own room at night, -unable to sleep, and tossing about restlessly in his narrow bed, he felt -himself equal to any undertaking, no absurdity seemed to him -unreasonable, and he even thought--strange effect of passion--that it -was his bounden duty to do what in the light of day he regarded as a -crime and an act of madness. “And then,” he said to himself, “no one can -call me a child any longer, and I shall be fully convinced myself that I -am not one.” This absurd idea vanished in the morning, when his mother, -according to her old affectionate habit, brought him his chocolate. When -he saw Doña Aurora, dressed in her plaid morning gown, come into his -room with the tray in her hands, when he tasted the fresh biscuit, the -spoiled child felt all the power of the moral law imposing itself upon -him with apodictic force; and precepts, unknown or denied a few moments -before, now presented themselves to him clearly, significantly, plainly. -“To give mamma cause for grief--it makes me shudder even to think of it; -it would be unpardonable. Even though she should not discover it I -should fancy she was reading it in my eyes, in my very breathing. And -she would discover it,--she would discover it, there is not a doubt of -it. Mamma is very shrewd, easy-going and good-natured as she appears. No -one can throw dust in her eyes. She knows me so well that before the -words were out of my mouth she can tell what I am going to say. As she -cares for no one and thinks of nothing but me. God grant I may never -give her cause for grief.” - -Thus this criminal in thought studied Doña Aurora’s countenance -attentively, fearful lest some glance he might chance to cast at -Esclavita should betray him. At times he exposed himself to the risk of -attracting attention by going to the opposite extreme, affecting not to -look at the girl, and avoiding even the contact of her dress when she -waited on him at table. It is true that this simple contact affected -him so powerfully as to cause him pain from the intensity of the -emotion. His was the passionate desire of youth that has not learned -either how to control itself or how to attain its object. After avoiding -Esclavita for two or three days, he would devise some excuse to go and -surprise her in the little room where she ironed and where the basket -containing the mending was kept, and when he was there, the only thing -that occurred to him to do was to sit down in a chair and cheat his -passionate longing by contemplating the girl who, rosy and perspiring, -her right arm curved out firmly, leaned with all her weight on the iron -as she smoothed the bosoms and the cuffs of his shirts. When the impulse -to embrace her became too violent, Rogelio would rise and take refuge in -his little study. There, on the polished desk were the hateful -text-books, printed on brown paper with worn and blurred type, - -[Illustration: “Contemplating the girl who ... leaned with all her -weight on the iron.”] - -exhaling aridity and tedium from their musty leaves and gray covers. -Rogelio had never had any liking for these books, but now, whenever he -opened one of them to go over a lesson, a thick fog seemed to envelop -his faculties, and a sort of moral dissolution to take place in his -spirit, where a rebellious voice would whisper softly such heresies as -these: “Go, child, give up those futilities, renounce that dry, -worthless, empty, sapless science of the schools. Real life and humanity -are something altogether different from this. This pretended nourishment -for the mind is a collection of antiquities, the rind of a lemon which -the hand of history has been squeezing dry for nineteen centuries. All -that you are studying is out of date. They wish to store your mind with -mummified remains, dusty rags, and old cobwebs. They wish to fill your -head with antiquated juridical rubbish, and they desire that at a bound -you should be as old as your mother’s guests, Lain Calvo, Nuño Rasura, -and the honorable Puppet. They would have you be of wood, like him. No, -you are of flesh and blood, you are a man; life calls to you, and life, -at your age, in default of a pursuit which would unfold your faculties -harmoniously is--Esclavita.” - -To these vague promptings, translated here into plain and vulgar speech, -the student responded by yawning, rising nervously from his chair, and -taking down from the book-shelf a novel or the latest number of _Madrid -Comico_, which, throwing himself on the bed, he would eagerly devour, -seeking thus to forget his feverish longings. - -He had not the resource of a cigar, for he belonged to the younger -generation who do not smoke; and who, unless God take pity upon them, -will come in time to faint like an Englishwoman at the smell of a -Havana. He was deprived of this sweet soother of impatience, this great -counselor in trouble, this powerful sedative, this most spiritual of -material distractions. One day he thought about it a great deal. “What -would happen to me if I should smoke?” he said to himself. “The first -thing would be that I should grow dizzy, perhaps sick at my -stomach--yes, there is not the least doubt of it. And then mamma would -know that I had been smoking, from the smell. No, the remedy is worse -than the disease.” - -The idea of smoking, which pleased him, because there was something -manly and rakish about it, suggested another expedient, more effective, -besides being easy and pleasant to put in practice. How was it that it -had never occurred to him before when it was so simple, so extremely -simple, and even so natural and right, and especially when it would be -so efficacious as a consolation in his present suffering. “Why, the only -thing to be wondered at is, that I should not have a sweetheart -already,” he said to himself. “Every one I know has one. And they are -quite right. If I had one, I should get rid of these crazy notions. I -shall take a sweetheart, yes, indeed. There is nothing wrong in having -a sweetheart, and even if mamma should find it out, she will not be -vexed on account of it. One nail drives out another. That will be my -chief distraction.” - -The post being created, it now only remained to find some one to fill -it. Rogelio passed in mental review all the young ladies with whom he -was acquainted. Some of them were ugly; others were already engaged; -this one was too old; that one was never to be met outside her house; -one would turn him into ridicule; another would require him to prove his -affection for her by performing some difficult task. He remembered at -last that in a little street opening on to the Calle Ancha de San -Bernardo, just in front of his house, there lived three or four young -girls, daughters of an employee in the Colonial Department. They were -not bad-looking, especially the youngest, a pale blonde, whose -complexion, eyes, and hair were all the same color, which was becoming -to her, giving her a certain resemblance to the Infanta Eulalia. Rogelio -looked at her occasionally, receiving prompt payment of every one of his -glances. “The little blonde will suit me,” he thought. “It will not be -necessary for me even to move from the dining-room.” Accordingly, the -very day on which the thought occurred to him he took up his post before -breakfast by the window, and, opening it slightly, looked toward the -windows of the third floor opposite. At one of them was the blonde, -dressed in a soiled and crumpled morning-gown of dotted percale. On the -railing of the window hung various undergarments, more than half worn, -drying, and on a bureau he could see some bottles covered with dust, the -empty cage of a lark, some old rags, and an old shoe. As he contemplated -this interior, in no wise resembling a Dutch interior, Rogelio -abandoned his purpose of looking there for a sweetheart. He remained for -the space of ten minutes or so, perplexed. Then he said to himself: “I -shall look somewhere else, that’s all. As for remaining without a -sweetheart, I cannot make up my mind to that; it would be absurd.” - - - - -XII. - - -One Sunday morning Señora de Pardiñas awoke her son with the following -intimation: “To-day we must make some visits; there is no help for it; -we owe visits to everybody. I sent to Augustin’s livery stable for the -landau; he says it will be at the door punctually at two o’clock. Ah, -and what do you think? I shall go dressed so that if I look at myself in -the glass I won’t know myself. The dressmaker brought me my black velvet -gown, trimmed with jet and lace, yesterday; the hat to match is ready, -too. I shall put on all my finery. You must stop in at the barber’s -after breakfast; your hair needs cutting.” - -Rogelio grumbled not a little; he declared that he had two or three -indispensable tasks to perform that day, but all in jest, for he saw -very well that Señora Pardiñas was resolved not to go to bed that night -without having laid a grand sacrifice on the altar of social duty. At a -quarter before two Rogelio had finished fastening the first row of -buttons of his English frock-coat, before his bureau glass. Fortunately -it was Sunday, when the neighborhood of the University is of all places -the one where a student is least likely to be met with. For a pretty -teasing he would have to stand if any of his college companions should -chance to meet him in his present guise, dressed like a _gentleman_, -with gloves and a silk hat. Accustomed to the cloak and the low, -broad-brimmed hat, he felt at first as if to wear a frock-coat were like -going disguised. There lay the silk hat, shining and resplendent, on the -table of the study, and beside it the gloves, the cane, the Russian -leather card-case and the handkerchief with its handsome embroidered -initial. He took note of all these articles, placed his hat a little to -one side, over his carefully smoothed hair, and was proceeding to draw -on his gloves with the ill humor that was habitual to him when -performing this operation, when his mother entered. - -“Heavens! _mater admirabilis!_” he exclaimed. “How magnificent you look! -Ho! for our handsome women, our stately and aristocratic dames.” - -What Doña Aurora really looked was very uncomfortable, with all this -finery, which only on state occasions could she bring herself to wear. -She never wanted anything better than her comfortable mantle, her merino -gown, and her large fur cape. All this frippery was enough to put one -out of temper. The weight of the hat, with its high bows, obliged her to -bend her head; the steels of the skirt impeded her movements. But there -was nothing for it but to submit to this tyranny of fashion at least -twice a year. She, like Rogelio, carried a card-case, and a list of the -houses where she owed visits. Peeping out from her mink muff was a -handsome lace handkerchief, perfumed with some delicate extract, and in -her ears were two fine solitaires--the modest elegance of a lady who -aspires only to dress in a style suited to her station. And yet such is -the power of the arts of the toilet and of dress that Doña Aurora seemed -to have left ten of her fifty odd years inside the door of her -dressing-room; her face glowed with pleasurable animation, and in her -bearing there was an unaccustomed dignity. - -Esclavita stood behind with her wrap, which she was to take in the -carriage lest the afternoon should turn cold, busying herself--with that -admiring interest which attached servants display when they see their -masters or mistresses in gala dress--in giving a touch here and there to -her gown, smoothing out its folds and brushing off some almost -imperceptible speck of dust from the bottom of the flounce. Suddenly the -girl raised her eyes and exclaimed, casting a glance of frank admiration -at Rogelio: - -“Our Lady of the Hermitage! how fine the Señorito is!” - -“He looks like a fashion-plate, does he not? Turn round, Rogelio, turn -round--so. The coat looks as if it grew upon you.” - -“Mamma!” protested Rogelio. But he was obliged to allow himself to be -examined and re-examined by Esclavita, and even to consent to her giving -the collar of his coat a touch with the brush. The girl’s eyes told him -with innocent speech that he looked _well_. She arranged his cuffs and -when they were going downstairs, she even called after him: - -“There! There is a bit of the wool of the carpet on the right leg of -your trousers.” - -The first visit was to the house of Don Gaspar Febrero, to see the -daughter of the worthy dean, who was on the eve of her departure for the -Philippine Islands with her husband, a staff-officer, who had been -ordered to Manilla. They talked about the voyage, the climate, the -hurricanes, the clearness of living there, and of the old gentleman, who -was to be left behind alone. Fortunately, he had never been in better -health, never more animated nor more gay. Only a moment before, taking -advantage of the pleasant weather, he had gone out, leaning on his -crutch, for a little walk in the sun. Gratified by this satisfactory -account, they left the abode of Nuño Rasura, and proceeded to make -other visits more or less of the same ceremonious nature. At some of the -houses they merely left cards, and these were the most pleasing visits -for Rogelio, who, as he approached each door, repeated under his breath -the customary aspiration: “I pray the saints they be not in!” - -But his desperation reached its height when his mother announced to him -that they were now going for a moment to the house of the Señoritas -Pascuala and Mercedes de Romera. - -“Mother mine, if it be possible, spare me this sacrifice!” he cried. -“_Carapuche_, as our friend of the ear-trumpet says, don’t you know that -I shall be obliged to pinch myself to keep from falling asleep at that -house?” - -“So nice as you look and you don’t want to make a good impression on -the pretty girls? Come, come, give the direction--Calle del Barquillo.” - -The house of the old maids had a surprise in store for the student, in -the person of the sprightly girl who came out to receive the visitors -and show them into the parlor, saying that her aunts would come -immediately. In saying this she practiced a thousand witcheries with her -features and her eyes, which were black, small, sparkling, and very -expressive. The niece of the de Romeras wore a rather short dress, a -token that she had not yet reached the dignity of the mantilla, and an -apron with a bib, with a bright-colored embroidered border. A blue -ribbon, tied in a bow, fastened the end of her short braid, and her -shoes, worn at the toes, gave evidence of the restlessness of the small -feet with their arched insteps within. Pascuala, the elder of the old -maids, soon came into the parlor, sniffling and coughing, declaring that -her sister was unable to leave her room, as she was suffering from a -cold still worse than her own, which made it necessary for her to avoid -a change of temperature. “And to keep my sister in-doors is like giving -her a stab,” she added. Presently she presented her niece as she might -have presented a frisky little dog who disturbed the drowsy quietude of -that peaceful abode. “This is my god-daughter, Inocencia, the second -eldest girl of my brother Sebastian, who resides in Loja. He has left -the poor thing with us because she requires to have her teeth attended -to; she has a tooth growing over another, and it will have to be -extracted. She is very lively and can’t remain still for a moment; there -is no kind of shoe that is strong enough for her; that is why you see -her so badly shod.” These explanations being made, it was in order to -speak of Esclavita; and in view of the fact that the matter could not be -discussed before a child, and as Mercedes, besides, wished to enjoy the -society of Doña Aurora, the two ladies went into the dressing-room, -leaving Rogelio and Inocencia alone. “Go show him the albums and the -views of Granada, child,” was the order the girl received from her aunt -as the latter left the parlor. - -Inocencia obeyed--playing off all her coquettish arts as she walked over -to the table--and cried precipitately and with an affected lisp: - -“Come here, come here, and look at the pictures Aunt Pascua told me to -show you! They are lovely!” - -Although the idea of looking at pictures was little to the taste of the -_gentleman_ with frock-coat and silk hat, ashamed to refuse, he went and -seated himself beside the girl who, as she opened the album, darted at -him, with all the boldness of fourteen, an incendiary glance--a glance -impossible to be misunderstood. When he found himself alone with the -girl, it occurred to the student that there could not be a more -propitious occasion to provide himself with a sweetheart than the -present one. His vanity was a little piqued, it is true, at the thought -that she was so young; a sweetheart of eighteen or twenty would have -done him some credit, while this would look like playing at lovers; but -when he was beside her, and looked at her more closely, with her -well-formed little figure, developed with Southern precocity, and her -full upper lip, slightly raised by the projecting tooth, she seemed to -him a woman in miniature, and he thought to himself: - -“I will declare myself now!” - -He declared himself accordingly, without further preamble or preface, -with high-sounding phrases culled from farces and comedies, magazines -and college jests. The girl, without manifesting the slightest -surprise, listened with a serious air, rolling between her thumb and -finger an end of the ribbon tying her braid, which she had brought -forward to show off the beauty of her hair, putting in practice at the -same time all the airs and graces of a finished coquette. The student -raising his voice a little, the girl whispered: - -“Hshh! They are in the dressing-room there!” - -Rogelio lowered his voice and redoubled his entreaties, although he -began to feel a strong inclination to burst out laughing. After making -three or four gestures in the negative, the girl all at once, and -without further preface, said yes. - -“Give me a token of your love!” implored Rogelio; and without waiting -for permission he bent his head and kissed her on the cheek, feeling as -if he were kissing the painted cheek of a doll--smooth, rosy, and -insensible. Inocencia betrayed no emotion whatever--neither pleasure nor -coyness--at receiving the kiss; on the contrary, seizing the student by -the lapel of his coat, she declared, with an air of conviction: - -“I think we ought to say _thou_ to each other. All my girl friends and -their sweethearts do.” - -“Very well, I will say _thou_ to _thee_. See, I am doing so now!” - -She continued, with the same decision and eagerness: - -“We ought to write to each other every day, too; every day, without -missing a single one. My sister Lucia’s sweetheart writes a letter that -long to her every morning; and another, every afternoon, that is longer -still.” - -“Very well; we will write to each other, too. I will make arrangement -with the servant to carry our letters.” - -“And you must give me your likeness. Have you a photograph? My parents -would not let me have mine taken until I have my tooth drawn, but I can -give you some of my hair for a locket. Shall I cut you some now?” she -added, playing with the curly ends of her braid. - -“No, it will be time enough when I give you my likeness.” - -The girl rose quickly and walked on tiptoe to the door of the room where -the grown people were chatting. She returned with the same caution, a -look of satisfaction on her face. - -“I thought god-mother was coming,” she said. “But I was mistaken; they -are having a great chat.” - -She resumed her seat beside the student, and three or four minutes -passed without either speaking. The girl waited, surprised that her -lover should have nothing to say to her; but the young man, ransack his -brain as he would, could not find a word to say. All he felt was a wild -desire to laugh, and to keep from doing so he covered his mouth with his -handkerchief. His _sweetheart_, looking at the handkerchief, observed -the richly-embroidered initial, and asked quickly: - -“What letter is that?” - -“R. My name is Rogelio.” - -“I was going to ask you what your name was. How shall I address your -letters? Señor Don Rogelio----” - -“Pardiñas.” - -“Pardiñas, Pardiñas, Pardiñas.” The girl repeated the name several times -to herself as if afraid of forgetting it, and then, looking the student -straight in the face, she said to him, in solemn accents: - -“Are we to be married?” - -Here Rogelio could no longer restrain his hysterical inclination to -laugh. He laughed with his mouth, with his eyes, with his whole body, -holding his sides, that ached with the violence of his laughter; and -throwing himself back in his chair, he sighed: - -“Ah, I shall die! I shall die!” - -“What are you laughing at?” asked the girl, a little offended. “You act -like a fool. Tell me whether we are to be married or not.” - -“Of course we are to be married. Only I can’t help laughing. Let me -laugh or I shall become ill.” - -As soon as his laughter had exhausted itself, Inocencia whispered in his -ear: - -“Will you pass by the house to-morrow at nine? I will be at the window. -At that time I always stand at the window to see the mounted artillery -pass. It is a very pretty sight. What are you going to be?” - -“A lawyer.” - -“That’s a pity; then you won’t wear a uniform.” - - - - -XIII. - - -Rogelio was still laughing at himself at the idea of his engagement when -they were nearing the bottom of the stairs, for which reason he -neglected to offer Doña Aurora his arm, as was his custom. A sudden cry -and the sound of a fall froze the blood in his veins as he saw his -mother slip and fall headlong down the stairs on the tiled floor of the -hall. It is only on supreme occasions that the real depth of our -sentiment is revealed to us. Rogelio did not know that there were chords -in his larynx or tones in his voice capable of the heart-rending pathos -with which he uttered the words: - -“Mother! my darling mother!” - -He cleared at a bound the steps down which his mother had fallen, and -in an instant had her on her feet and was holding her in his arms and -pressing her to his heart, examining her wildly to assure himself that -she was not dead and that she had no bones broken. Suddenly he uttered a -terrified cry. - -“Blood, mamma! you are bleeding. Where are you bleeding? Here. Good -heavens, blood!” - -Her head had struck against the edge of one of the steps, and the wound -was bleeding slightly. Half stunned as Señora de Pardiñas was by the -force of the blow, the agonized voice of her son recalled her to -herself, and she answered faintly: - -“Don’t be frightened, child; it is nothing; you may believe me, it is -nothing. I am a little better now.” - -“There is no one in the porter’s room. I am going upstairs to get some -vinegar--some water----” - -“No, child, no, for Heaven’s sake. Don’t call any one; make no -disturbance. Help me gently to the carriage. For illness or the like, -the best place is home.” - -Trembling, and covered with a cold sweat, Rogelio assisted his mother to -the carriage, into which he lifted her bodily, and then made her lean -back in a corner while he fanned her with his handkerchief, thinking, -with terror, “Can there have been any injury to the brain?” - -“Home--drive slowly,” he said to the coachman, who had turned round -curious to know what had happened. And unable to control himself, he -threw his arms around his mother, putting the question usual in such -cases: - -“But mamma, how did you fall?” - -“I don’t know, child. My foot slipped; it must have been the heels of -the new shoes; or my foot may have caught in the flounce of my dress.” - -“It was my fault not to have given you my arm. I am a brute. Where does -it pain you? How do you feel now, mamma?” - -“I don’t know; I think I am going to faint,” answered his mother, in a -weak voice. - -And indeed she looked as if she were going to faint, to judge from the -cold perspiration and the deathly pallor that overspread her face. -Rogelio, greatly alarmed, was on the point of calling out to the -coachman to drive to an apothecary’s when his mother revived a little -and made signs to him that she was better, and the carriage rolled on -toward the house. When Rogelio, assisted by the footman, was helping his -mother out of the carriage, she uttered a cry. - -“Where do you feel pain?” Rogelio asked her. - -“In this leg. There, don’t be frightened. It is nothing.” - -When Esclavita was informed of what had occurred, she hastened to her -mistress without useless outcries, and quickly and skillfully loosened -her clothing, applied vinegar to her temples, and afterward undressed -her and put her comfortably to bed. Doña Aurora complained of a desire -to retch, of heaviness, of oppression, of continued nausea, and an -inclination to vomit--all which made the student say to himself with -terror, “My God! there is concussion of the brain.” He called Esclavita -apart and said to her hurriedly: “Take care of her, I am going to -Sanchez del Abrojo and I will not come back without him.” - -In effect, he returned with him after a delay of two hours, and the -distinguished physician, having made a careful examination of the -patient, and a minute and skillful investigation into the manner of the -fall, was obliged to acknowledge that there had been a little, a very -little, cerebral congestion. The only treatment he prescribed was rest -in bed, and diet until the disturbance in the stomach should be settled. -The other injuries were of little consequence--the lesion on the -forehead did not go beyond the skin; the contusion on the left leg was -no more than a bruise of little importance. In short, it was nothing. -All she required was rest. - -To carry out the physician’s orders, then took place that revolution in -the habits of the household, and that transformation in the aspect of -the house itself, which sickness always brings with it. The household -concentrated itself within the narrow limits of the bedroom and -dressing-room of the patient. Rogelio and Esclavita took up their -station there--the former receiving the visitors; the latter changing -the cloths wet with arnica, bringing cups of lime-leaf tea, burning -lavender, and undertaking whispered commissions and receiving keys -slipped into her hand secretly. “Don’t let the boy want for anything. -Remember to warm his bed.” To these recommendations, which Esclavita -listened to with religious attention, followed suppressed groans. “Oh, -how this wretched leg hurts me. My head is splitting with pain!” - -Esclavita performed her duties as sick nurse with that earnest and -silent assiduity which she always displayed when employed in the service -of others. She came and went with noiseless footsteps and without -rustling of garments. She took charge of everything, and if she was -absent for a moment from the bedroom it was because she was in the -kitchen, compounding some potion. She even managed to get time to give -Rogelio his dinner, without neglecting her mistress; but no one knew at -what hour she herself had taken food on that memorable day. - -When the night was advanced and every one had retired, she trimmed a -lamp carefully and set it on the floor so that the light should not -disturb the patient. She then placed a low chair at the head of the bed -and seated herself in it. As Rogelio, who was sitting in an easy-chair -in the dressing-room, made no motion to retire, she went to him and -whispered to him, in tones of entreaty, “Go to bed, Señorito; don’t stay -here.” The patient, who had begun to doze, overheard the words and added -her entreaties to Esclavita’s, saying, “Child, do go to bed. You are not -accustomed to sitting up; it will injure your health. Don’t be foolish; -go to bed. Esclavita is taking the best possible care of me.” But it was -impossible to persuade Rogelio, and they compromised the matter by -deciding that a temporary bed should be made for him on the floor. The -little Galician, displaying extraordinary strength, brought in two -mattresses, beat the pillows noiselessly, and as noiselessly made up the -bed. Rogelio divested himself of his coat and waistcoat only, and thus, -half dressed, lay down. Then only did he begin to feel the extreme -exhaustion which follows great shocks and profound emotions. At the same -time a comical recollection crossed his mind. - -“And my sweetheart,” he said to himself, “will she be at the window -to-morrow to see me pass by?” - - - - -XIV. - - -Although tired out by the emotions of the day and comparatively tranquil -in his mind in regard to his mother’s condition, Rogelio tossed and -turned about for a long time before he fell into a light doze. He did -not succeed, however, in obtaining a sound and restorative sleep; his -slumbers were interrupted and restless and visited by distressing -dreams, in which he seemed to be always falling down, down, rapidly, -interminably, with the added distress of never being able to reach the -ground and of seeing below him the place on which he was about to be -dashed. In one of those painful and involuntary efforts which we make in -our sleep to shake off a bad dream or to change its character, he woke -with a start and looked about him wonderingly, unable to remember at -first how it was that he came to be sleeping here, in his mother’s room. - -Absolute silence reigned around. The room, dimly lighted by the little -lamp, was in a semi-obscurity; his mother, he thought, must be asleep, -for he could hear her breathing deeply, almost snoring; at the head of -the bed he saw Esclavita sitting motionless, with large, wide-open eyes -fixed on himself. An irresistible impulse made him call to her with the -accent of a child who, because of some nocturnal fright, begs not be -left alone. - -“Esclavita! Hist! Esclavita!” he called softly. “Come here!” - -The girl glided toward him, silently as a shadow, and bent over him. - -“Is mamma asleep?” he asked. - -“Sound asleep.” - -“Well, I am wide awake now. Talk to me--softly, so that we may not -waken her.” - -“Ah, Señorito, and how if we should disturb her?” - -“There is no fear of that. Come closer, and speak softly.” - -“Wouldn’t it be better for you to go to sleep?” - -“Sleep! If you knew the horrible dreams I have had! No, I would rather -stay awake now. Sit down here.” - -“Where?” - -“Here on the floor beside me. Otherwise we cannot speak in a -whisper--and we might waken mamma.” - -Esclavita acceded to the proposal without demur, and stretched herself -on the floor, almost cheek to cheek with Rogelio, but without losing her -modest and reserved air, showing in this that she was born in the land, -where bucolic naturalness of action is united to modesty of demeanor. -The girl’s pure virginal breath mingled for the second time with that -of the student, but the feelings it awakened in him now were of a very -different nature from those he had experienced on the former occasion. -Whether it was that the shock caused by his mother’s fall had -transformed his youthful sensations into sentiment, or that the place in -which he was did not admit of evil thoughts, certain it is that near to -him as Esclavita was, and easy as it would have been to take liberties -with her, it did not even enter into his mind to attempt doing so; all -he was conscious of was a sort of affectionate effusiveness, unusual -with him, a feeling of inexplicable tenderness, which caused his eyes to -fill with tears. Reaching out his hand, he grasped Esclavita’s and, -pressing it with force, said: - -“Esclavita, mamma came near being killed to-day.” - -“Thank God it was nothing serious, Señorito!” answered the girl, -returning the pressure. - -“And if she had been killed, what should I have done, tell me that?” - -Esclavita did not answer, thereby showing her wisdom, for the question -put to her was one of those which do not admit of being answered in -words. She pressed more forcibly than before the student’s hot, -trembling hand in hers, and her eyes responded in the half shadow with a -long and eloquent glance. - -“If she had died,” continued Rogelio, yielding to his involuntary -emotion, “you see that I should have no one in the world but you, no -one.” - -“I?” stammered the girl, whose hand trembled in the student’s clasp. - -“Yes, you; and no one but you. Relations I have none--that is to say, I -have several aunts at home in Galicia, with whom we are on cat-and-dog -terms. You see what a protection they would be, child. As for -friends--well, two or three in the University over there--college -friends, that are of little account. Then the old men who come to see -mamma. Of much use they would be; they are all in their dotage. It is as -I say, Suriña. I should have only you.” - -[Illustration: “Rogelio had raised himself on his elbow.”] - -Rogelio had raised himself on his elbow as he spoke, in order to make -himself heard by the girl without disturbing his mother, and this -lowering of his voice made his words more persuasive, bestowing on them -the passionate and mysterious air of a confession. Persuaded himself, he -persuaded his hearer. He was not in a frame of mind to measure the -importance of his words or to calculate the effect they might produce, -still less did he suspect that sensibility and goodness may, on certain -occasions, be more fatal than anger and hate. There was a large share of -nervousness in his emotion, and the words fell from his lips in the -reaction after the morning’s fright as a groan follows a painful hurt, -involuntarily and almost unconsciously. All there was in him of the -child--and there was much--overflowed in this affectionate unburthening -of his heart, and he neither desired nor could he foresee any further -consequence, granting even that in moments like these it is possible to -calculate effects. - -“You, Suriña,” he repeated, yielding his hand to the hands that with -almost convulsive force pressed his. “You care for me, and a great deal, -too, do you not?” - -Unable to respond in words, she nodded her head energetically. - -“I knew it. I had guessed it; and that is the reason why I told you that -no one would be left me but you and that I should cling to you; do you -know that? Even if you had told me that it was not so, I should not have -believed it. You care for me--and for mamma, too.” - -“That I do,” said the girl at last, recovering her speech and -withdrawing a little from the student. “I don’t know what it was that -came over me in this house that made me take a--a kind of affection for -it--a very, very great affection from the first moment I crossed its -threshold. Why, it seemed to me as if I was at home again. As you are -from there--But I think the more one tries to explain these things, the -less one is able to do it. What I know is that if I had remained with -those other ladies, it would have soon been all over with me.” - -“And why, then, were you so sad at first here, Esclavita?” - -“You shall hear. I thought you had taken a dislike to me.” - -“I a dislike to you!” - -“Yes, and thinking of that I became very melancholy. The _worm_ got into -my head.” - -“The _worm_?” - -“That is what we say at home, when one gets a notion one can’t get rid -of into one’s head. I would spend the whole blessed night trying to -untangle the skein--What shall I do to make the Señorito lose his -dislike for me? What means shall I take to please him? And the worst of -it was--you may believe what I say, for it is as true as that God is in -heaven--that heavy as my heart was, I did not feel as I did in the -other house. No; from this house I would not have gone, not if I was to -be cut in quarters--unless I was turned out of it.” - -“Because you knew I liked you, Sura?” - -“No, indeed I didn’t know it. I give you my word I thought you hated me. -It made me so wretched that I wanted to die.” - -“And I am ready to die with joy at hearing you, Suriña. You are not -comfortable there, child. Put your head on this pillow. Here, let me -pull it out to make room for you.” - -Esclavita laid her head on the pillow without embarrassment or mistrust, -and both remained silent for a while, absorbed in the happiness of the -moment. The dim light of the lamp threw the girl’s features into relief, -bestowing on the lights a pure pale tint, on the shadows a uniform -grayish rose. Her head had the effect of a fine engraving, and Rogelio -expressed his admiration by saying: - -“Suriña, you are lovely.” - -At this moment Doña Aurora sighed profoundly and both started, although -their conversation could in no sense be called guilty. The nurse rose to -go see what was the matter. She returned in a moment, saying: - -“She sleeps like a saint.” - -“Settle yourself comfortably again. I want to ask you something. Give me -your hand. What put it into your head to care so much whether I liked -you or not?” - -“Ah, I don’t know. From the first day I said to myself, If they don’t -want you here, Esclavita, it is because there is no room for you in the -world. You came into it against the will of Our Lord. God has always -looked on you with disfavor. Didn’t you know it, Señorito?” - -“Yes, I knew it, Suriña. But it is dreadful to say that. Why should God -look on you with disfavor?” - -The girl half raised herself in her place, her eyes wide open, terrified -at seeing that the fact which she was trying to bring herself to -disclose was already known. - -“Don’t be foolish,” murmured Rogelio, kindly. “What fault is it of -yours, child? The same thing might have happened to me or to any one. We -don’t choose our parents. Foolish girl!” - -“If you knew how _that_ weighs on me here,” exclaimed the girl -vehemently, opening her heart as one seeks to open one’s lungs to the -air when one feels that one is going to faint. “I am always saying to -myself, Esclavita, it is impossible that God should love you. You can -never have any good fortune, never. Since the hour in which you were -born you have been in the power of the Evil One, and he is not likely -to let go what he has once got hold of. No matter how hard you may try -to be an angel, you will be forever in mortal sin. You must be so; there -is no remedy for it. For you there is neither father nor mother, nor -anything but shame when you are asked about them. And in the same way -all you undertake must go against you, and if you take a liking to any -person, worse still; for God will take away that person’s affection from -you.” - -“Well, with me that is not going to happen, my white dove. I am as fond -of you as if you were a king’s daughter. And mamma is very fond of you, -too; don’t you know that she took a liking to you from the very first -day?” - -Esclavita, when she heard this assertion, raised her head and turned her -eyes toward Señora de Pardiñas’s bed. Her glance and her smile were full -of meaning, but Rogelio was in no mood to interpret them. He was not in -a condition of mind for reasoning; he wanted to be gently soothed by the -affection which he needed as a sedative and a medicine. Seeing that in -Esclavita’s presence he no longer felt the same temptations as before, -he thought that his affection for her had been purified, and that this -anomalous courtship was the most innocent thing in the world. Or to say -the whole truth; he was passing through an emotional crisis, and he -neither weighed nor measured his words nor his affirmations. This was -for him one of those moments in which we obey our natural impulses, our -secret egotism, and abandon ourselves to the pleasure of feeling -ourselves loved and of making ourselves still more dearly loved. It is -as natural for one who is sad to seek consolation as it is for one who -is hungry to seek food. - -“Mamma is very fond of you,” he repeated. “You don’t seem to believe -me. Silly girl! why, she herself scolded me because I treated -you--well--a little coldly at first. She told me you were unhappy on -that account.” - -Esclavita lowered her eyes, doubtless lest they should betray her -thoughts and forebodings regarding the future. - -“See,” said Rogelio, softly, “if you knew how well I feel with you here -beside me! I even think I am beginning to grow sleepy, and that I shall -have no more bad dreams or such nonsense. I think I shall sleep as sound -as a patriarch; but for that you must have the good nature to stay there -at my feet. If you go away I shall waken up again.” - -“I won’t go away!” the girl answered with decision. “Not with pincers -would they be able to pull me away from here.” - -“Well, then, I shall go to sleep. Ah, how pleasant!” - -Tasting already the first sweet sip of that cup of oblivion which -sleep, when it follows some great moral or physical shock, presents to -our lips, Rogelio spoke once more: - -“Suriña?” - -“Well?” - -“Do you care for me?” - -He only half-heard her answer, and for this reason he was never quite -certain that it was this--so romantic and unsuited to a country girl: - -“Until the hour of my death.” - - - - -XV. - - -Notwithstanding her positive promise, when Rogelio opened his eyes after -a peaceful and beneficial sleep, he saw Esclavita standing at his -mother’s bedside, giving her a cup of broth. Señora de Pardiñas -complained greatly of the contusion in the spine, but her headache was -much better. Sanchez de Abrojo soon came and justified her complaints by -saying that, judging by the symptoms, the contusion threatened to assume -an erysipelatous character, for which reason, in order to avoid the -pernicious effects of cold on the injured parts, it would be well to -remain in bed. “And even if he had given me permission, I could not have -got up,” Señora de Pardiñas said. “I feel as if I had been tossed in a -blanket and been beaten with sand-bags afterward. There is not a bone -in my body that does not ache. It is only now that I begin to feel the -full effects of the bruise.” - -Rogelio took his chocolate, seated at the foot of his mother’s bed, and -showed little inclination to stir from there. But Doña Aurora soon -observed this. “Oh, oh, child,” she cried, “Hurry off to college! You -know very well that the professors, especially Ruiz del Monte, won’t -excuse absences. The examinations will come afterward, and then you will -be wondering why you didn’t pass.” - -He must, then, shake off his laziness, go to his room, bathe his face -with cold water, wrap himself well in his cloak and proceed to the -confounded “_chocolate factory_,” as he called the University, for the -reason that in no place is there more grinding going on. When he left -the warm atmosphere of the house, his faculties brightened by his -matutinal ablutions, and felt the cold of the early morning in his eyes -and on his lips, it seemed to Rogelio as if a veil of fog had suddenly -been rent apart and his recollections of the day before took clear and -distinct shape in his mind. At this hour his sweetheart, the little girl -with the superfluous tooth, would be leaning over the balcony to see, -first the mounted artillerymen, and then himself pass by. Rogelio shook -with laughter when he recalled this episode. “What a joke!” he said to -himself. “What a way I took to find a sweetheart!” Then he remembered -what had passed during the night. “I don’t know what came over me,” he -thought. “Mamma’s fall dazed me. I said some stupendous things to -Esclavita. That, indeed, was like a declaration of love, in earnest; -yes, truly. And I felt it all, and if I had not tried hard to control -myself, I should have cried. And she, too, was inclined to be -sentimental. But looking at it calmly, nothing that we said to each -other compromises either of us. They were words that slip from -one--well--because at times--if I were required now to give an -explanation of why I said them I could not do it. They came without my -thinking. Perhaps this is _love_; as for the other, that was pure -make-believe. Well, _this_ at least, if mamma were to find it out, would -not vex her so much as what was near happening the other day. In what -happened last night I don’t see anything bad.” And as he exchanged a -salutation at the door of the University with the sleepy door-keeper, -his thoughts took another direction, and he said to himself, “I shall -make a nice show of myself if I am questioned on the lesson to-day.” - -In the afternoon the house was full of friends who had heard of the -accident and who had come to offer their services. There were two or -three ladies who were allowed into the bed-room to chat with the -patient, whose head was well now and who, consequently, was not -disturbed by the noise. The _habitués_ of the house came as usual and -remained in the dressing-room to accompany the “son of the victim,” as -Rogelio laughingly called himself. They discussed the possible -consequences of the fall; they devoted a good half hour to a -consideration of what would have happened if the patient, instead of -setting her heel down in _this_ way had set it down in _that_. Only Lain -Calvo, the representative in that senile assemblage, at once of common -sense and of malevolence, pretended deafness more than ever, confining -himself to stirring the fire and looking over the pictures and -caricatures in the illustrated periodicals. Two or three times he took -his ear-trumpet from his pocket and made a pretense of cleaning it and -putting it into his ear, but the plainest proof that he heard perfectly -was, that under pretense of showing some illustration or other in _La -Ilustracion Iberica_ to Rogelio, he leaned toward the student and said -to him with a look that would better have become the face of a -mischievous urchin than of a grave old man: - -“When are those manikins going to stop their senseless chatter, boy? -They are even more idiotic to-day than usual. What is the use of talking -about what the possible consequence might be of something that might -possibly have happened but that didn’t happen? It is like saying, ‘If -she had fallen on her head instead of on her side it would have killed -her.’” - -Then another discussion arose--in relation also to the great event of -the fall--as to whether it might not be well for some friend to stay and -take care of the patient, as there were certain services which Rogelio, -being a man and inexperienced in such matters besides, could not very -well render her. But here Don Gaspar Febrero broke out, emphasizing his -asseverations by striking the ferule of his crutch against the -chimney-guard: - -“Why, she has the best nurse she could possibly have! Don’t be afraid -but that our friend Doña Aurora will be well taken care of by the -sympathetic Esclavita. You may be sure she will wait on her like a -sister of charity. Don’t pity Doña Aurora; pity a poor fellow like me, -rather, who will have no Esclavita at his pillow to close his dying -eyes, when his last hour comes.” - -The company here all protested, with the exception of Lain Calvo, whose -attention seemed to be occupied in adjusting his trumpet in his ear. - -“You, Don Gaspar, why, you will live to bury us all! Why you are only in -the prime of life! You are as vigorous as a boy.” - -Don Gaspar shook his head, but with an air of such Olympic serenity, -with so animated an expression on his classical features that he seemed -rather a demi-god of antiquity affirming his immortality than an old man -of our restless age announcing the decline of his vital powers. - -“The truth is,” interposed Lain Calvo, “that we are all like moldy -parchment, ready to burn to dust at a touch, like the mummies of Peru. -Is not that what you were saying, Don Gaspar?” - -“He was saying,” screamed Rojas, “that he would like to have Esclavita, -Doña Aurora’s maid, to nurse him when he is sick.” - -“What an idea!” exclaimed the Asturian. “With a girl like that to take -care of him, an old man would soon be in his grave, even if he were as -strong as an oak, _caray_. Unless he were like King David.” And turning -to Rogelio, he added. “What does the son of the house say to that? Would -he be willing to give up the pretty girl to the old fellows? Wouldn’t -he protest against it?” - -Whether because of the manner in which the question was put to him, or -because his conscience was not altogether tranquil, or finally because -owing to his youth and inexperience he had not the self-possession -demanded by the occasion, Rogelio turned crimson (which was the more -noticeable in him, on account of his habitual pallor), and stammered: - -“No--to Señor Febrero--I--I--” And in his own mind, he said “Hypocrite! -You can’t hear, indeed. I verily believe you can hear the grass grow.” - -The arrangements for the night were the same as on the previous night, -only that, in order not to vitiate the air of the bed-room, Rogelio’s -bed was placed in the dressing-room, the door between the two rooms -being left open. It was long before the patient fell asleep; she -complained of much pain, of a sensation of heat in the injured leg, and -an unaccountable feeling of weariness. Rogelio, laying his hand on her -forehead, noticed that it was hot, a fact which kept him from sleeping, -without preventing him, however, from wondering a little if Esclavita -would come to chat a while with him, a thing which he at once feared and -desired. Debating this question in his mind, he at last fell asleep, and -waking toward morning, he saw the girl approach his bedside. Leaning -over him, she said quickly, “I can’t stir from there; she is continually -asking for water. She complains of pains all over her body. It is all -the effect of the fall.” Rogelio, greatly troubled, answered softly, -“Very well, Suriña.” But this bad news prevented him from falling asleep -again. Was there any danger? Was this the beginning of a fever? The -doctor, who came at an early hour, relieved him from his apprehensions. -“All this,” he said, “is the after-effect of the fall. The fever is -slight. The inflammation we will soon have under control. Give me a -piece of paper. You will see an improvement by evening.” In the evening, -instead of the promised improvement, there was an increase in the fever, -but at nightfall a change for the better took place, and at ten o’clock -the patient ate with appetite the wing of a chicken. “Ah, God be -praised!” she cried. “The pain in my bones seems better now. I felt such -an oppression inside. Child, I think I shall soon be myself again.” This -cheerful prognostication was followed by a period of freedom from pain, -and toward midnight Doña Aurora was enjoying the profound and peaceful -slumber of a convalescent. - -“To-day she will come flying,” said Rogelio to himself, resolving to -keep awake, and notwithstanding his sophistical arguments to prove _all -that_ of no importance whatever, he felt his nerves thrill with -excitement, and his heart throb tumultuously. - -[Illustration] - - - - -XVI. - - -She came on tiptoe with an air of gayety and animation that contrasted -with her usual reserve of manner, and curled herself up on the floor -like a pet kitten, at the foot of her master’s bed. The latter, however, -did not dedicate his first words to her, but instinctively consecrated -them to the real love of his life, the mother who had borne him; who was -sleeping close by in the next room. - -“Only think what happiness, Esclavita! Mamma is almost entirely well. I -can scarcely believe it. She gave me a terrible fright. This morning -when you told me how ill she felt, I could not go to sleep again.” - -Esclavita gave the student a curiously penetrating and meaning glance, -and then answered: - -“I prayed earnestly to Our Lady of Slavery that the mistress might get -better. I offered her a mass, besides. You see how the Virgin has -listened to my prayers, Señorito.” - -“Of course. You must have a great deal of influence with the saints.” - -“Yes,” murmured the girl, “I have--to obtain what is against myself.” - -“Against yourself!” exclaimed Rogelio, surprised and somewhat -displeased. “And is it against yourself that my mother should get well?” - -“That she should get well--no,” stammered Esclavita; “that she should -get well, no, indeed; and I hope God will take me to himself before he -takes her. But as soon as her illness is over our sitting up with her -will be over. And when that is over, these pleasant times will be over.” - -The explanation flattered Rogelio’s vanity, assuring him once more that -he was loved, and not as a child is loved, but as a man is loved by a -woman; in which consisted the whole charm of this singular intercourse, -that not even to himself did he venture to call amorous. These words, -that were rendered sweeter to him by the tremulous and regretful tones -in which they were uttered, impelled Rogelio to put his arm around her -head, and, drawing it toward him, he tenderly pressed it to his breast. -Esclavita’s breath came and went so tumultuously that Rogelio said to -her at last, affectionately: - -“There, I will release you. I don’t want to hurt you or distress you.” - -“Hurt me, no,” murmured the girl; “hurt me, no.” - -Rogelio did not again attempt to caress her. It was not necessary that -he should impose any restraint upon himself in order to treat Esclavita -with respect here, almost at his mother’s bedside, or to refrain from -these manifestations of affection, that were fraternal rather than -lover-like; of whose real meaning and significance he himself was -ignorant. He only permitted himself to pass his hand now and again over -her loosely-flowing and luxuriant auburn hair. Esclavita’s hair looked -softer than it really was, but it was certainly pleasant to pass his -hand over the warm, wavy tresses. - -“Don’t you want to sleep a little?” he said. “You have been sitting up -for two nights, and you must be worn out. If mamma moves I will waken -you. I will not sleep in any case.” - -Esclavita refused. To sit up three nights! What was that? She had spent -forty nights without taking off her clothes, when nursing the priest -during his last illness, without other rest than such as was afforded -her by leaning back in an old arm-chair and dozing for five minutes or -so at a time. Do without rest for three nights! She could do without -rest for three months if it were necessary. - -“Well, if you don’t want to sleep, amuse me, then. Tell me something,” -he said. - -“Ah, Señorito, a good person you ask to tell you something! One who -knows nothing herself.” - -“Of course you know something, silly girl. Tell me something about our -native place. I am dying to hear about it. When I left there I was only -a child. I can scarcely remember it.” - -Hearing him speak of her native land, Esclavita’s eyes glowed in the -darkness like the eyes of a cat. - -“Don’t you remember it at all, Señorito?” she asked. - -“Well, I will tell you. Searching in my memory I fancy I can see a great -many green fields and a rough sea, very green, too. But it is all very -confused. Do you know what I can remember most distinctly? A sailor -taking me in his arms to bathe me; I fancy I can see him now before me, -as black as pitch and smelling of sardines.” - -“And why don’t you go back there to see it all again?” - -“This year it will go hard with me or I will persuade mamma to go. We -will pass through Marineda and Compostela. We shall see the provinces of -Pontevedra and Orense. We will feast upon oysters and lobsters. It must -be like Paradise there. We will take you with us. You shall see.” - -“Me?” said the girl, shaking her head. “Me? Ah, no; you will see that -you will not take me.” - -“Why not, silly girl?” - -“When my heart tells me anything it always comes true, and my heart -tells me that my eyes shall never see home again.” - -“Be still, bird of ill omen! Let me get through with the worry of the -examinations and you shall see. So it is a beautiful place, eh? Come, -tell me all about it? What is it like? They say it is the loveliest -province in all Spain.” - -“Or in all the world; I have already told you so,” Esclavita answered, -with profound conviction. “If you were to see the rivers of Pontevedra -you would be struck dumb with admiration. If you were to see them -casting the nets for sardines!” - -“It must be delightful. You are already making me long to see it. And -the pilgrimages with their drums and bagpipes, what do you say of them?” - -“A festival like one of those,” declared the girl, very seriously, “is -better than all the diversions of Madrid put together. There I was very -gay and I danced every Sunday; here I feel as if my _paletilla_[A] had -sunk in.” - - [A] Paletilla: xiphisternum, metasternum, or ensiform cartilage. - -“And what do you mean by that? Tell me.” - -“It is a bone that we have here,” she answered, touching her breast, -“that when it sinks in, it seems as if one’s soul sank, too; one keeps -growing sadder and sadder, and one loses one’s color and appetite, so -that after a while if one doesn’t get it raised again, one dies.” - -“Do you believe that, child?” - -“It is the truth. Some people say that all that about the _paletilla_ is -the effect of witchcraft, but I have seen two or three die already -because they wouldn’t have it raised.” - -“Well, then, Suriña, sometimes it seems as if my _paletilla_, too, had -fallen, for I have fits of the spleen and I lose my appetite completely. -I have got the notion into my head that as soon as I go home I shall get -strong and grow as fat as a pig--so,” and he puffed out his cheeks to -show how fat he expected to become. “Here, I will always be as thin as -a lath. The life here is not calculated to make one grow strong. Come, -tell me something about home.” - -Esclavita obeyed, and began to narrate, without order or descriptive -skill, incidents connected with her own history rather than having any -relation to the country. “When I was a child, such or such a thing took -place--” “One afternoon when I went to see the sardine fishing--” “When -I was learning to make lace with the bobbins--” “Once when we were -baking the bread in our oven.” The very personality of these -recollections lent them a singular charm in Rogelio’s eyes. While he -listened to the girl’s words, it seemed as if the vanished memories of -his childhood took definite and distinct shape in his mind. The room -seemed to be filled with rural scents of mint, anise, new-mown hay. The -illusion was so strong that he drew Esclava’s head toward him and -smelled it. “Your hair smells like--like the fields,” he said. While the -girl talked, his determination to go _home_ grew every moment stronger. -“If I don’t go home,” he thought, “I shall never be a man. It is the -first thing to be done. I am going to ask mamma to go when she is well. -It is a wonder she has never gone there before to spend the summer -instead of going to that ill-smelling, crowded San Sebastián. The moment -I set foot in the old land I shall grow as strong as a young ox.” - -“Ah, Señorito,” said Esclavita softly, “how ugly and arid all the -country on the way coming here seemed to me! Not a solitary tree, not a -streamlet, not a green bush. How can the farmers live here?” - -“Better than there, foolish girl. This is the land that produces bread -and wine.” - -“Holy Mother! It seems impossible that people could live contented in -that parched land. And then, never to see the sea! When you look at the -sea, it seems the same as if you were looking at the grandeur of God. -Isn’t it true that only God could create a thing so grand as the sea, -and all that comes out of it? Those pretty little shells; so many, many -kinds of fishes, the sardines, that are the maintenance of the poor.” - -“You talk like a book, Esclavita. I am not surprised that your devoted -Nuño Rasura----” - -“Who?” - -“Señor de Febrero, child.” - -“The old man with the crutch?” - -“Yes. Well, he says that you are a treasure. You must know that he is -head over ears in love with you.” - -“Nonsense. Don’t make sport of me.” - -“I am in earnest. Why, he wants to take you to his own house. They say -it will end by his offering you his lily-white hand and his lame foot. -He has conceived for you an insensate passion which will carry him to -the tomb in the flower of his youth, in the smiling age of illusion, -before he has reached his eighty-sixth April.” - -“Well, well! Poor man, he hasn’t even the use of his legs.” - -“Hold your tongue, ungrateful girl; hypocrite, rather. You will gain -nothing by concealing the profound impression which his curling locks -have made upon you.” - -“Yes, taken from some dead man’s head,” said the girl, smiling -humorously. - -“His pearly teeth and his slender form. But lay no plans, traitress, for -I will not allow you to follow that Don Juan. If you should prove false -to your duty, be prepared to die at my hands. I will tear your heart out -if you betray me.” - -He ran his hand through her tresses caressingly, and murmured softly: - -“Suriña will not go with the old man. Suriña belongs to me. Who wanted -to steal her from me? Let them prepare to defend themselves; let them -prepare to defend themselves. Suriña is mine!” - - - - -XVII. - - -On the following day Doña Aurora was so much better that she was able to -sit up for a couple of hours, and when night came she refused to consent -to Rogelio’s sleeping in her room. “It does not suit me,” she said. “You -don’t sleep comfortably; you lie awake for a long time; you toss about; -you chat with Esclavita. Last night I could hear you between sleeping -and waking, and then you get up in the morning looking pale and -miserable; and you have no appetite.” When Señora de Pardiñas was saying -this the girl, who had been going about the room putting things in -order, turned her back quickly to her, pretending to be looping up a -curtain which had become unfastened, an operation which - -[Illustration: “The girl ... turned her back quickly to her, pretending -to be looping up a curtain.”] - -engaged her attention for some time. The student fixed his eyes with -alarm on his mother’s countenance; but that dear face, so little -schooled in dissimulation, and so familiar to him in its every line, -reflected no other thought than that to which her lips had given -utterance, and the student, breathing freely once more, acceded to her -wish that he should sleep that night in his own room. His mother was -not without reason in saying that he needed sleep. At the most important -stage of his development, his health not yet fully established after a -childhood, if not precisely sickly, at least weakly, his delicate -organization was easily disturbed, and the three nights of wakefulness -he had spent had begun to tell upon him. - -When he was in his own room, however, he felt sad and solitary. -Accustomed to be surrounded by tenderness and indulgent care--wrapped in -cotton, as it were--he was avid of affection, and two days had sufficed -to habituate him to those tender and novel conversations, carried on at -an unusual hour with a woman who offered him so large a measure of -affection and loyalty that not even his own mother, seemingly, lavished -love upon him more profusely. If Rogelio had been able to analyze his -sentiments he would have found that a great part of the charm of his -intercourse with Esclavita consisted in the fact that in it he was the -one who commanded, while the woman of twenty-five, who at first had -treated him like a stripling, a _boy_, was now all obedience, submissive -as a very _slave_. No matter how loving and tender his mother might be, -Rogelio was always conscious of his subjection to her; the habit of -respecting and obeying her had become rooted in his nature, keeping him -in a state of perpetual childhood. In his intercourse with the girl, on -the contrary, he could gratify at once his youthful vanity and his vague -and secret longing to assume the virile toga, the symbol of human -dignity. - -For this reason the interruption in those pleasant nocturnal chats vexed -him greatly. He was on the point of stealing into his mother’s -dressing-room on tiptoe at about one o’clock to bring back a smile to -Suriña’s countenance that had grown a mile long. But what if his mother -should surprise them? She would think all sorts of evil things; it would -be a dreadful affliction to her; she might have a relapse; perhaps she -would dismiss Esclavita. The instinct of cautiousness, which in moments -of passion springs up in the soul to moderate the fever that urges to -rash resolutions and wild extremes, counseled him to observe prudence; -and on the following day, when he saw Esclavita’s face looking pale and -haggard, he drew her into a corner of the hall and said to her, between -jest and earnest, “Suriña, don’t wear that look of misery. Last night I -thought a great deal about you and about our chats together. I longed to -go to you, but I did not dare to do so. We must be careful for poor -mamma’s sake. Come, Esclava, smile on your lord!” - -This glimpse of happiness sufficed to bring back the color to the girl’s -cheeks, and even to restore to her, apparently, cheerfulness and -serenity. - -Rogelio had consented to sleep in his own room, partly through prudence, -partly through filial respect. “Only let mamma get quite well,” he -thought, “let her be herself again; that is the first thing. Until she -is strong and well, let Esclavita nurse her, that is all. But mamma is -much better now, and will soon be convalescent; in eight or ten days -more there will not be a trace of the injury left. Then we shall have -time enough for all the chats we desire. Mamma will go out, or she will -be occupied with her visitors, and--we shall have all the liberty we -want. I must tell Sura this to make her completely happy.” - -He watched for a favorable opportunity to communicate these agreeable -plans to her. Kept a prisoner in the patient’s room during these days, -Esclavita did not enter that of the student; it was necessary to take -the hall as the center of operations, and Rogelio resolved to wait there -for her in the afternoon, as the morning slipped away between breakfast -and college. At about four o’clock, the coming and going of Doña -Aurora’s daily visitors introduced a certain animation and disorder into -the house which were favorable to Rogelio’s plans. And on these days -there were many visitors, for Señora de Pardiñas’s illness not being of -a nature to exact quietude, imposed upon her friends the duty of keeping -her company. Not only the gentlemen came, but also the feminine -contingent, composed almost entirely of mothers of families of moderate -means, who, lacking Doña Aurora’s wealth, could indulge only -occasionally in the luxury of visiting, and then not without much -previous preparation so as to present themselves in public with the -respectability demanded by their station as the wives of magistrates. On -the afternoon in question two ladies came who allowed themselves to be -seen but seldom: the wife of the President of the Court, Don Prudencio -Rojas, and the wife of the ex-Crown Solicitor, Don Nicanor Candás, -nicknamed Lain Calvo. If a painter, had desired to symbolize Dignity -clad in the garb of modesty he need only have copied faithfully the -costume and the features of Señora de Rojas. For one whose sentiments -had not been perverted or distorted and whose sensibilities had not been -blunted, there was something in the appearance of this simply dressed -woman, socially insignificant, which would impel him irresistibly to -uncover the head and bend the knee before her. Her worn black velvet -wrap, scrupulously brushed, carefully altered to meet the fashion of the -day at the cost of a week’s labor, perhaps; her bonnet, the lace on -which betrayed by its gloss its home making-up; her new two-button -gloves of a dark and serviceable color, bought for the occasion; her -old-fashioned earrings, each a cluster of minute brilliants; her white -hair, worn smooth over the temples with the supreme decorum of a widowed -queen who has renounced the aspiration to please, revealed more courage, -more endurance, more secret heroism than any beggar’s rags, any -invalid’s uniform, any nun’s sackcloth. The living commentary and -perhaps the best explanation of the strict integrity of the husband was -the aureole of domestic patience and of serene acceptance of daily -sacrifice which surrounded the brow of the wife. The severity and -inflexibility of Rojas in his manner of interpreting and administering -the law were softened by the sweetness of his wife, whom ancient Rome -would have chosen as a priestess of domestic piety. This matron had -never asked, even in her own mind, why her life, for thirty years or -more, should be one continued act of self-abnegation. She knew, and this -sufficed, that in her house the stern image of duty was worshiped side -by side with the gilded statue of decorum, and without a protest she had -consecrated herself to the worship of both deities. - -There could not be a greater contrast than that which existed between -Señora de Rojas and Señora de Candás. As in the magistracy great -importance is attached to family antecedents, doubtless his marriage to -so vulgar a woman, who, according to report, had been the landlady of an -inn at Gijón, had had much to do with certain clouds that at one time -had rested on the reputation of the Crown Solicitor, and had caused his -colleagues, irritated at being obliged to associate with her, to regard -him with a disfavor which was heightened by the incorrigible mordacity, -the mocking cynicism, and the intermittent deafness of the Asturian. -Señora de Candás, a stout woman with a wen on the left eye-lid, who was -very showy in her dress, always wearing gowns full of furbelows, and -bonnets looking like sentry-boxes or preserving kettles, who spoke -partly in Spanish, partly in the Asturian dialect, calling her husband -_this one_, and describing in mixed company ailments which, with more -propriety, might have been allowed to remain buried in oblivion--was a -perfect type of incurable and ingrained vulgarity; a vulgarity which was -proof against example, against the atmosphere of the court, against -ridicule, and against the influence of time, which smoothes and -polishes, as the waves smooth and polish the roughest stone. If Don -Nicanor had ever made the effort to civilize his wife, he had certainly -long since given up the task; and besides, his colleagues affirmed that -to polish Pachita it would be necessary for Don Nicanor to begin by -polishing himself, and abjuring the roughness of his speech, the -harshness of his manners, and the bad taste of his opinions; for even -the opinions of the Crown Solicitor were in bad taste, or at least -seemed to be so from his manner of expressing them. - -But whether he were or were not on a level with his Pachita (and perhaps -the only superiority he possessed over her was his masculine acuteness -of intellect and his learning), it was certain that Don Nicanor seemed -at times a little ashamed of his better half. A concealed observer, -stationed at Doña Aurora’s door and noting first Señor de Rojas and then -Señor de Candás, each accompanied by his wife, as they entered the house -on the day in question, might, from this observation alone, have been -able to form a correct idea of the psychic natures of each of the -couples and of the moral atmosphere of their houses. Rojas offered his -arm to his wife as they were going upstairs, hurried forward to ring the -bell, and then stood aside courteously at the door to allow her to enter -first, afterward drawing aside the portière of the dining-room (where -the receptions were once more held). His manner of seating himself -beside her, of associating her with him in his inquiries for the health -of Rogelio’s mother, was full of the same consideration, the same -delicate feeling of reverential familiarity, if I may say so, and the -magistrate, in respecting his partner, showed that he respected himself. -Señor de Candás, on the contrary, entered with the same want of ceremony -as on the other days, and almost left his wife in the corner where he -left his umbrella. One might have thought that Pachita and her husband -were strangers to each other who had met by chance on the staircase. But -further: while Señor de Rojas, conversing with his wife in the same -deferential tone as with Doña Aurora, made no motion to go until Señora -de Rojas gave the customary signal, saying: “When you wish, Prudencio, -we will go home,” Señor de Candás, brusquely cutting short a harangue of -Pacha on the dearness and the rancidness of bacon in Madrid, said, with -the greatest rudeness: - -“Eh, Pacha, hold your tongue and come on; it is time for us to go.” - -Señor de Candás left the room first, doubtless to show the way to his -wife, who was floundering through the ceremonies of leave-taking, and -was just in time to surprise two persons who were whispering earnestly -together at the further end of the hall. No one could excel the sly -Asturian in the art of appearing not to see what was not meant for him -to see, but as for seeing, _carapuche_, he saw so much that long after -he had quitted the house a smile still played among the wrinkles of his -Voltairian countenance. - -[Illustration: “Great news, Suriña! This summer we are to go home--all -of us.”] - -What Rogelio was saying to the girl with so much eagerness was: - -“Great news, Suriña! This summer we are to go home--all of us. Mamma has -promised me.” - - - - -XVIII. - - -Señora de Pardiñas was now pronounced entirely well, and the -advisability of her going out for a walk was being considered, when one -morning, at the hour when Rogelio had his lecture on Political Economy, -an hour which was unusually early for visitors, Don Nicanor arrived, -smiling, and seemingly in a very good humor. He pretended to be -surprised at finding none of the accustomed visitors there, whereupon -Doña Aurora, who was knitting a woolen stocking, answered with much show -of reason that as it wanted at least two hours to the usual time of -their arrival, it was not strange that none of them had yet come. But -apparently Lain Calvo did not hear this answer, for he had kept his ear -trumpet in his pocket, using his hand as a substitute. - -“Tell me, Doña Aurora, have you not noticed something?” he asked, -settling himself comfortably in his easy-chair, whose broad back already -bore the impress of his form. - -Doña Aurora raised her eyes with an expression that seemed to say: -No--that is to say, I don’t know. Do me the favor to explain yourself. - -“Did you not notice the other day, the day that Pacha and I were -here----” - -“Yes, yes; I know--Friday.” - -“How dejected the wife of Rojas seemed?” - -“Poor woman! She is never very cheerful; but she never seems -discontented, either. She is an excellent woman! As good as gold!” - -“Well, she tried hard to conceal her grief, but it was very evident, -especially to those of us who were already aware of the circumstances.” - -“Why, what has happened? Have they had any trouble?” asked Señora de -Pardiñas in alarm, for she sincerely esteemed and liked Señora de Rojas. - -“Joaquin--the son, the judge--they have transferred him again from one -end of Spain to the others, two months after the first transfer, and -just when his wife is about to be confined. That will convince him that -one cannot play the Quixote here, _carapuche_. Fancy a young man, who is -beginning his career, making his début by opposing so powerful a chief -as Colmenar, who has at his back the Minister of the Department. He will -soon see, he will soon see that they are not the people to be trifled -with. And he will see, too, of how much consequence the law is. A judge -can be transferred only at his own instance? Well, put in the royal -order, ‘at his own instance,’ and that settles it. Why, there have been -people who were placed on the retired list ‘at their own instance.’ And -when they protested, they were told they were wanting in respect for the -Minister.” - -“But, Señor Don Nicanor, that is very creditable to the Rojases. It is -evident the young man is of his father’s school. People as upright as -that are seldom seen nowadays. I understand nothing about those things, -but I remember the affair was discussed here, and it was said that they -wanted Joaquin Rojas to be a party to a dreadful piece of dishonesty--a -robbery of----” - -“The idea of a jackanapes like that,” continued Lain Calvo, persisting -in his deafness, “wishing to set himself up in opposition to the -Minister. The Rojases are as stubborn as mules. _Talis pater_--a fanatic -the father, a fanatic the son. That is to say, a still greater fanatic, -although that might seem to be impossible. For the father at least does -not get himself into a fix; he adheres to the letter of the law and -that is the end of it. The code says white? White let it be, then. Does -it say black? Then let it be black. Rojas is a machine for carrying out -the law. If the law to flog criminals or to cut off their ears were -still in force, Rojas would himself go about seeing it carried into -execution. But the boy! Because he has read a few trashy German and -Italian books, translated into worse gibberish, he plays the learned man -and the phi-los-o-pher. A judge a phi-los-o-pher! Fancy! What -pretentiousness!” - -“Well, for my part,” protested Doña Aurora, without raising her voice, -for she knew how much faith to put in the Crown Solicitor’s deafness, “I -think that in every situation in life a man should behave himself with -dignity and propriety. For that reason I have a great deal of sympathy -for the Rojases.” - -“And as a natural consequence,” continued Lain Calvo, “they are very -straitened in their circumstances. They never light a fire in that -house, they eat only the plainest food, they drink no coffee. The salary -is not enough to meet the expenses of moving from one place to another; -he has married a girl without a penny, and as soon as things come to a -crisis the young gentleman will lower his tone. Necessity teaches more -than all the universities put together. They will tame him yet. He will -be as soft as a glove before the year is over.” - -Convinced that she would gain nothing by argument, Doña Aurora went on -narrowing the heel of her stocking, contenting herself with shaking her -head in dissent from time to time, for her quick temper would not allow -her to listen quietly to the spiteful remarks of the malicious Asturian. - -“We all begin life with the idea that we are going to reform the world,” -he went on, “but very soon we take in our sails. Oh, yes, we soon take -in our sails. Or if we do not, we lead a miserable existence. You will -see that the storm that has caught Joaquin will reach his father also. -It is brewing for him. Before the year is out they will give him a -lesson he won’t forget. They cannot transfer him? They will superannuate -him, then. I am no lover of the past like Don Gaspar and the others, but -I must acknowledge that in my day politics had less to do with the -magistracy than it has now. That is the way things come and that is how -we must take them. Those gentlemen are always in the clouds, -_carapuche_. Complete fools! The new generation understand things -better. I am the only one of our circle who lives in the world. If it -were not for this cursed deafness----” - -“Don’t come to me with stories about your deafness,” protested Señora -de Pardiñas. “God deliver me from deaf people like you. You hear more -than you ought to hear. Give over your nonsense with me, eh? I wasn’t -born in the year of the fools.” - -“And the craziest of them all,” continued Lain, pretending not to have -heard, “is the worthy Don Gaspar. He is a perfect simpleton. He has gone -back to his childhood. We shall have to give him a nurse, or at the -least a maid to take care of him. That is what he wants, and that is -what he sighs for, and he is trying to steal away from you the one you -have chosen for your boy. I am speaking in earnest; as sure as my name -is Nicanor he is crazy for your maid, for Esclava, or whatever her name -is. No boy of twenty could be more desperately in love than he is with -her. I am certain that Rogelio is not half so deeply smitten.” - -On hearing Rogelio’s name, and observing the tone in which it was -uttered by Candás, Señora de Pardiñas started, and let her knitting fall -on her lap. - -[Illustration: “On hearing Rogelio’s name ... Señora de Pardiñas started -and let her knitting fall on her lap.”] - -“As for Rogelio,” continued the Asturian, with the same affectation of -indulgence, “what has happened to him is so natural at his age that the -wonder would be if it had not happened. It is plain. A woman of -twenty-five, good-looking and affectionate; a boy of twenty, what was to -happen? A glance to-day, a touch to-morrow, a caress in the hall, a -romp in the reception-room--youthful follies that come to an end of -themselves.” - -Señora de Pardiñas jumped in her chair as if she had been moved by a -spring. - -“Do you know what you are saying?” she exclaimed. “Do you think it is -right to say such things for no other reason than your own pleasure, -without any proof or foundation whatever? Are you to let your tongue -gallop away with you without caring whom you knock down? Rogelio, poor -boy, is incapable of such conduct in his mother’s house.” - -“Of course I can understand your attaching little importance to the -matter, and turning it into ridicule, for those things are follies -natural to youth; and for that reason when I caught them the other day -in the reception-room billing and cooing like a pair of turtle-doves, I -said to them in my own mind: ‘That’s right, children, amuse yourselves; -that is the law of God.’ But when I think of that other driveler, with -his eighty odd years, playing the love-sick swain, I vow I could lay him -across my knee and give him a sound flogging for an arch fool.” - -And Doña Aurora felt that she could with the greatest pleasure have -performed the same operation on the person of the incorrigible Asturian. -To say these dreadful things to her and to say them in that treacherous -way, that did not even give her a chance to set him right, for with the -pretense of his deafness, he might assert what he chose regardless of -all that might be said either in denial or disproof of his words. It was -enough to make one’s blood boil with rage. It was a stupid, shameless, -insufferable jest. And was she going to let it pass? No, indeed. Señora -de Pardiñas’s anger was aroused; the blood boiled in her veins. -“Hypocrite! liar! fire-brand! tale-bearer! fox!” she said to the -Asturian in her own mind. “Now I am going to settle accounts with you.” -She rose from her chair, went up quickly to him, put her hand in the -pocket of his coat with the dexterity of a professional pickpocket, and -took from it the case which contained his ear-trumpet. And before the -astonished Lain Calvo could make a movement to defend himself, Doña -Aurora had taken the silver tube out of its case, introduced it into his -ear, and screamed with all her might: - -“Whenever you talk to me in future, either use your trumpet or else make -up your mind to hear what I say in answer to you. All that about Rogelio -and Esclava is the suggestion of your own vile thoughts, do you hear? My -boy is not in the habit of flirting with his mother’s servants, do you -hear? People are not so loose and so shameless in their conduct as you -try to make them out to be, do you hear? do you hear? And decent people -are not the same as villains, do you hear? And I am not so great a -simpleton, listen well to what I say, that such things could take place -under my very nose without my seeing them. And malicious people are not -to my taste, do you hear? For I always think of the saying, ‘Ill-doers, -ill-deemers,’ do you hear?” - -Her philippic ended, she let herself fall on the sofa, agitated and -unstrung, while the Asturian, putting both his hands up to his bald -crown, exclaimed in distressed accents: - -“_Carapuche_, Aurorina, you have broken the drum of my ear. Another such -outbreak as that and you would leave me deaf.” - - - - -XIX. - - -But no sooner had the hypocritical Lain Calvo taken his departure than -Doña Aurora, whose agitation had now subsided, and in whose mind anger -had given place to reflection, scratched her head with her knitting -needle, as was her habit, and put to herself the question invariably -suggested by mistrust.--“And why should it not be true?” Without the -need of any great perspicacity, without possessing the Crown Solicitor’s -evil-mindedness, her own good sense suggested to her that such proverbs -as, ‘Fire and tow,’ etc., were not without foundation. And by a natural -process of reasoning, based on common sense, Señora de Pardiñas arrived -at a conclusion exactly the reverse of her first conviction, and -accused herself of being simple-minded and credulous, because not only -the possibility but the probability also of so obvious a result had not -occurred to her until it had been maliciously brought to her notice by a -stranger, when it was her duty to have foreseen the danger. “We mothers -make the mistake of thinking that boys will always remain boys,” she -said to herself, “and time passes, and they become men without their -mustaches waiting for our permission to grow. When we don’t imagine they -are still children we go to the opposite extreme and think that they are -old men, and ought to have as much sense as we have ourselves--another -absurdity, another mistake. Youth will have what belongs to it, and it -is a folly to shut our eyes to it. The worst of it here is that we have -the enemy within our very gates. And it was I myself who admitted her. I -opened the door and invited her in. Besides putting myself in a -humiliating and unbecoming position, I have placed the temptation in his -way and increased the seriousness of the consequences that may -follow--and how serious they may be! Of course I never supposed that -Rogelio was going to live all his life like a saint, but this--here, in -the very house----” - -Another scratching of the head suggested to her the logical counterpoise -to these reflections. “It is very likely that that vile old man may have -slandered my boy and poor Esclava merely for the pleasure of slandering. -I am not so easily deceived where birds of that feather are in question, -and it was precisely on account of her modest and serious appearance -that I took a liking to Esclava. It is true her family antecedents are -not in her favor, and that she has bad blood on both sides, but in -that--in that one is sometimes apt to be greatly mistaken; people are -not like peppers, that grow good or bad according to the seed they -spring from. No, there is only one course to be pursued here--to -observe, to be on the alert, and to provide some outside distraction for -the boy. I will be guided by circumstances. I am not going to commit the -cruelty of turning the girl away without a word of warning. If all this -should turn out to be only stories of Don Nicanor, I should have it on -my conscience. And if it is the truth, the lad might rebel and we should -have a fine time. These first fancies are apt to be very violent with -boys. I must proceed with caution. Aurora, imagine that you are a -policeman, and that they have set you to track a crime. Keep your eyes -open, be prudent, and suspect everything.” - -Never was programme more literally carried out. Señora de Pardiñas -occupied herself from that very instant in making up for lost time. In -proportion as she had been trusting and credulous before, did she become -incredulous and mistrusting from the moment when suspicion first -suddenly laid its cold touch upon her. She watched them adroitly, -without betraying her suspicions or allowing her uneasiness to be -perceived. In every woman, in the most innocent and frankest even, there -is the germ of the detective. The habits of dissimulation, practiced -from childhood, make it easy for her to play the part. In order not to -awaken suspicion, Doña Aurora resolved to exercise her surveillance over -one only of the supposed criminals. And, indeed, in the circumstances it -cannot be denied that watching Esclavita it was unnecessary to watch -Rogelio. And this was what Señora de Pardiñas did. Making use of her -indisputable right she studied, without a moment’s cessation, every -action, every step, every movement of her servant. She knew at what -hour she awoke in the morning, what she did when she arose, how often -and with what object she entered Rogelio’s room; how she spent the -afternoon; in what way she was occupied when there were visitors; when -she retired for the night, and when she put the light out. And it must -be confessed that at first this espionage was absolutely without result. -Esclavita, when she left the room, attended at once to the making of the -chocolate, and afterward to her toilet, which was simple; she did not -even arrange her hair in the coil at the back of the head which is the -only adornment indulged in by the domestics of Madrid. She put Rogelio’s -study and bed-room in order while he was at college or out walking; she -never entered either room when he was there. Esclavita never went out on -Sundays except to go to church, consequently Rogelio did not go out -either. During the receptions Rogelio did not stir from his corner on -the sofa, nor the girl from her basket of mending, except to open the -door. And the evenings, which, unless some college friend came to see -him, Rogelio spent reading the magazines or at the theater, Esclavita -spent in her room sewing or doing some other work for herself. There was -nothing in all this to arouse suspicion, and Señora de Pardiñas would -have slept with a tranquil mind if her powers of observation had been of -a more vulgar order. - -But she was not a woman to let pass unnoticed certain things, -insignificant in appearance, but in reality very significant and even -alarming for a suspicious mother--loose threads which her maternal -perspicacity divined to belong to a tangled skein. These indications, -signs or guides for the investigations of the watchful mother, were -something of the following nature: At breakfast, when Esclava brought -Rogelio his pills or his syrup of iron, or when she handed him some -favorite dish, there passed between them (and it would have been useless -to try to persuade Doña Aurora to the contrary, for she had seen it only -too well) an exchange of glances, at times languishing and sentimental, -at times flashing and ardent. When Esclavita went to open the door at -Rogelio’s ring she showed an eagerness which she was very far from -showing when it was one of the tiresome old men who rang the bell; it -was evident that she recognized the Señorito’s ring, and even the sound -of his step upon the stairs. When Esclavita was ironing Rogelio’s linen, -she took the greatest possible pains with it, and this sign was also -observable in the manner in which she arranged his room and waited on -him at the table. Sometimes, when Rogelio was going out of an evening, -the girl would be in the hall and they would exchange a few words, but -always in so low a tone that it was impossible to catch what they said; -the same thing happened when Rogelio came in from college in the -morning, if Doña Aurora did not chance to be in the reception-room at -the time. Finally, and this last was the most significant sign of all, -Rogelio had, on two or three occasions, objected to accompanying his -mother when she went out, and although he always finally yielded, it was -with much grumbling and evident dissatisfaction. - -This was all Señora de Pardiñas perceived, but this was enough and more -than enough to keep her in a state of constant anxiety, and to inspire -her with an ardent desire to put an end, in the quietest way possible, -to this ambiguous situation, and to unwind the skein which threatened -otherwise to become, with time, an inextricable tangle. She did not -dare to stir from the house lest she should thus afford them dangerous -opportunities. Such a course may be followed for a time, but it cannot -be continued through a whole winter without arousing suspicion. Rogelio -had already, on several occasions, manifested much surprise at the -discontinuance of the morning drives. “_Mater_,” he said to her -jestingly, “we are soon destined to witness grave disturbances if you -persist in your seclusion, disdaining the gilded chariots that wait -impatiently to receive you at the foot of our palace walls, that, -reclining luxuriously on their embroidered cushions, you may resume your -accustomed matutinal drives. An imposing demonstration is being -organized in which ten thousand of the most distinguished Phætons are to -take part; discourses in the sweet tongue of the troubadour Macías and -the eloquent jargon of Duke Pelayo are to be pronounced. Martin the -_Buloniu_ and José the _Cabaleiro_ are to speak. The government has -adopted precautionary measures and the affair will come off in the -tavern.” - -When the _habitués_ of the house learned of Doña Aurora’s seclusion, -they, too, felt themselves obliged to enter their protest against it on -hygienic grounds. “Friend Aurora, you must not give way to indolence. -Take care how you create humors that may afterward give you trouble. -Look at me, I owe my good health and my cheerful spirits to my habit of -never letting a day pass without walking a certain distance. Less than a -league will not thin the blood. Since the accident to my foot I walk -more than that.” This advice came from the worthy Nuño Rasura. “Exercise -is very necessary,” added Señor de Rojas, with his accustomed -sententiousness, “for the body, and, if it goes to that, for the mind -as well. Walking, the mind is diverted. There is nothing like a little -walk, and if one finds it tiresome, why one can count the stones, or the -trees, or the numbers on the houses.” These counsels at last put Doña -Aurora out of patience. “People have a sort of mania for giving advice -without knowing what is the matter or where the shoe pinches,” she said -to herself. “These gentlemen seem determined on having happen here what -shouldn’t happen. That intermeddler, Don Nicanor, is right in saying -that they all live in the clouds.” - -Doña Aurora, however, was not long in convincing herself that her plan -of remaining always at home was impracticable, and it irritated her to -think that perhaps she was taking unnecessary trouble, for the -inclination of the young people for each other did not seem so strong as -to justify all these - -[Illustration: “And dismissing it shortly afterward, returned home on -foot.”] - -precautions; and even if it were, to try to prevent them from seeing -each other alone was like putting doors to an open field. A device then -occurred to her by means of which to clear up her doubts and measure the -magnitude of the danger. She had a key secretly made for the door of the -apartment; and, provided with this, she drove out one morning in one of -her “equipages”--that of Martin, it chanced to be--and dismissing it -shortly afterward, returned home on foot, opened the door noiselessly -with her key, and made her way softly to the lion’s den, where she -supposed she should find Esclavita, nor was she mistaken. She found her -quietly seated at her sewing, as usual, with that pensive and absorbed -air which characterized her. - -“Where is the Señorito?” Doña Aurora asked her suddenly, with the -intention of taking her off her guard. - -The girl, raising her serene or rather melancholy countenance, answered: - -“I believe he is studying in his room. How did you get in, Señora? I did -not hear the bell.” - -“Fausta was going out,” hurriedly explained Doña Aurora, feeling as if -she herself had been caught in the snare she had laid. She even felt her -cheeks grow red. This was what might be called a take-in! So much -secrecy about having the key made only to find that nothing particular -was going on at the house, and that when she expected to surprise them -in a stolen meeting she found everything going on in its usual routine. -And yet she was not convinced. No, indeed. Let Satan convince himself. -“Can this girl be slyer than I had imagined?” she thought. “Can she be -deceiving me without my knowing it? Are they both laughing at me? For -the glances and the whispered words when they meet and the unwillingness -the boy shows to leave the house--no one can make me lose sight of all -that; I have seen it, and what I see I see, and not all the preaching of -all the bare-footed friars in the world would make me believe anything -else. Instead of this failure reassuring me, I believe it will put me -more on my guard than ever. No, I am not to be so easily hoodwinked as -that. To protect my son I shall do everything in human power to do. They -shall find me prepared--whatever may happen. That girl makes me afraid. -She looks--I don’t know how--but I am not pleased with her. She is a -true Galician: she keeps everything to herself, and one can never be -sure of her, for she never lets you see what is passing in her mind. -Well, then, against deceit greater deceit. Wait, wait for awhile; I -shall find a way to get rid of you, and to get rid of you decently, in a -way that will give you no room for complaint; on the contrary, you will -be obliged to say that you are contented. And now--one nail drives out -another, and boys will be boys--I am going to provide Rogelio with an -amusement. I am going to give you a rival. Wait, girl; against wiles, -counter-wiles. I have found a rival who shall supplant you.” - - - - -XX. - - -And in effect, before twenty-four hours had passed, Señora de Pardiñas -had arranged an interview between her son and Esclavita’s rival. The -place of rendezvous was the abode of the aforesaid rival, an obscure -abode and not a very odorous one, as is apt to be the case with the -dwellings of individuals of her class; for which reason, in order that -Rogelio should make himself acquainted with the bearing and the figure -of his new sweetheart, she was brought out into the yard unadorned, her -graceful form was covered only by an old blanket, which Augustin Cuero, -the proprietor of the livery stable, hastened to take off, so that not a -single one of her charms should remain hidden from view. - -She was a beautiful Andalusian pony, sorrel, with black feet, with a -small, thin head, sinewy legs, curved and shining hoofs, a coat -dazzlingly bright, dilated and sensitive nostrils, and an eye full of -fire and sweetness; she was young, gentle, graceful, spirited, one of -those animals which do honor to the race of Spanish horses by the beauty -of their appearance, by their intelligence, and by their noble and -generous natures. Augustin Cuero was lavish in his praises of the -animal, affecting to be grieved at parting from so precious a treasure. - -“I assure you, Señora, that a finer horse is not to be seen to-day on -the Castellana. She has not a single blemish. And she is a saint--a -skein of silk; an infant could manage her. Spirited as she is, she is -incapable of playing a trick. So that a man becomes attached to her, and -when one sells her, it is like parting, one might almost say, with one -of the family.” - -[Illustration: “I assure you, Señora, that a finer horse is not to be -seen to-day on the Castellana.”] - -“Yes,” answered Señora Pardiñas, who had an eye for a bargain, “but you -won’t attempt to deny that this kind of horse is not now in fashion. The -horses that are in style now have a neck a mile long, and are shaped -like a tooth-pick.” - -“Yes, the English horses; a ridiculous fashion, like a great many -others. And those are for a certain kind of young gentlemen and certain -circumstances. For the hippodrome and that sort of nonsense. A pony -like this will always be of use. Anxious enough the _Baraterin_, is to -buy her from me; only we can’t come to an agreement about the price. The -Señorito there can tell you so.” - -“That is true, mamma,” affirmed Rogelio, stroking the silky coat of the -gentle animal. “I can bear witness to it. Augustin asked him the same -price that he has asked you, and the bull-fighter offers him two ounces -less; he is wild about her; he is all the time hanging around her; he -makes her more visits!” - -“Let him give up hanging around her then, for she is yours,” exclaimed -the mother, with decision, enjoying the sight of the happiness depicted -on the countenance of her son, who, on hearing those heavenly words, -with a spontaneous movement threw his arms around the neck of the pony -and planted a hearty smack on her soft black nose. - -The price and the time of payment being agreed upon, Doña Aurora -proposed to leave the pony in the care of Augustin for the present. But -Rogelio, almost wild with delight, would not hear of this or of any -other definite arrangement being made. “You know nothing about it, -mamma,” he cried. “I will take charge of that, leave it all to me. -Likely, indeed, that I should spend a whole day without knowing how my -pony goes! Every morning and evening I must have a look at my lady pony. -Leave it all to me, I say.” Doña Aurora ended by acceding to his wishes, -and investing him with full powers in the matter, saying, “Very well, -arrange it to suit yourself, then.” When the question arose as to a name -for the pony, the young man said, smiling, “I will call it ‘Suriña.’” - -The cardinal affections of the human soul are at times marvelously -clear-sighted counselors. Señora de Pardiñas had divined, enlightened by -maternal affection, that with a young man of twenty--and one young for -his age--a woman can have no more dangerous rival than a fine horse. The -horse is not merely a distraction for a couple of hours daily, but an -occupation and a preoccupation from sunrise to sunset. To make -investigations with regard to what it has eaten, and whether it has been -robbed of its feed; to see if it has been rubbed down, and if all the -operations of its toilet have been performed--and the toilet of a fine -horse occupies almost as much time as the toilet of a beautiful woman; -then the affectionate understanding that establishes itself between the -horseman who for the first time enjoys the possession of a horse, and -the animal; the tenderness that springs from ownership, the exchange of -caresses, the sugar robbed from the breakfast table to take to it; the -fresh bread put away in the waistcoat pocket, the pleasure produced by -the joyful whinny of the animal when its keen sense of smell and its -delicate perception tell it that its master is approaching with the -dainty. Then the anxieties regarding its health--a horse gives as much -anxiety in this respect as a child. “Señorito, I don’t know what is the -matter with the pony, it hasn’t eaten its feed to-day. I notice that its -eyes look dull--” “Señorito, to-day the pony has not--” But who can -enumerate the ailments from which a pony may suffer. With all these -cares, there are others of a different order, having relation to what -may be called the wedding-finery of horsemanship--the saddle of the best -pig-skin, small, fanciful, that crackles at the touch; the saddle-cloth -of handsome felt, adorned with English ciphers; the steel stirrup, the -fine head stall that gives free play to the graceful movements of the -slender head; and for the rider, the whip with its chased silver handle, -the Tyrolese gloves, the cravat with white horseshoes on a gray ground. -All is excitement, all is delight in the enchanting honeymoon of the -young man and his pony. And what emotion when it is brought out of the -stable! What pride in displaying it before his friends! What ineffable -joy to ride up and down the shady walks of Moncloa, seated on its back; -to see a carriage approach in which some black-robed beauty reclines, -and under the fascinating gaze of the beautiful unknown to make it rear -and prance and show off its grace and spirit until it is covered with -foam and sweat! What delight to put it through all its paces,--passing -from the measured pace to the quick trot, then to the fiery gallop, and, -as he strokes with his palm the neck of the obedient brute, to hear it -snort with pleasure, thrilling through all its sensitive nerves and its -vigorous and sinewy muscles like a young girl when the arm of her agile -partner encircles her waist as he leads her to the dance! - -There was not a doubt but that the idea of the pony had been a happy -one, suggested as it was by experience, and infinitely superior to that -commonplace artifice of taking a sweetheart, which had suggested itself -to the innocent mind of Rogelio as a sovereign remedy against his -incipient love-sickness. His mother did not need now to ask him to -accompany her on her expeditions or to invent excuses to get him out of -the house. Of his own accord the young man spent his time between his -house and the stall of his favorite. The weather was now growing milder. -The closing days of March, notwithstanding the bad reputation of that -variable month, were clear, calm, and pleasant, and every afternoon, at -three o’clock, Rogelio rode out to enjoy the first warm airs of spring, -now alone, again with some friend, and again with the riding-master, to -return home at dusk healthily tired, intoxicated with the pure air, -strengthened and exhilarated, and his mind free from enervating -thoughts. Between this vein of activity which his mother had discovered, -and study no longer to be avoided, as the examinations were approaching -with alarming swiftness, how or when could he find time to devote to -Esclavita? - -His mother did not on this account relax her vigilance, however, or -abandon her well-considered plan of defense. One day Don Gaspar Febrero, -having gone somewhat earlier than usual to Doña Aurora’s, found himself -alone with her, and, according to his custom, turned the conversation on -Esclavita, praising her so extravagantly that his companion at last -began to grow impatient. - -“Now that you speak of the girl,” she said, when the old man allowed her -to get in a word, “I wish to say something to you about her. But promise -me first that you will answer me with the frankness due to our -long-standing friendship.” - -“Can you doubt it? Why of course I shall, my dear Aurora. In what way -can I serve you?” - -“You shall hear. It is something that I have been thinking of sitting -here alone in the mornings when the boy is at college. As you will be -very lonely, no doubt, when Felisa starts on her long voyage to the -Philippines, I have thought--so that you might not miss so greatly the -attentions to which you have been accustomed--what do you think?” - -“Let us hear--let us hear. Since the idea is yours--you always reason -very judiciously, my dear friend----” - -“As you have often told me that you thought Esclavita so excellent a -servant----” - -The sprightly old man made a quick movement of delighted surprise, -settled his spectacles on his nose, and eagerly and tremulously, in -disjointed phrases, exclaimed: - -“My dear friend! my dear friend! what is it you are saying? what is it -you are saying? Have you considered well before speaking? To part with -that treasure! that treasure! You overwhelm me with this proof of your -goodness. Yes, indeed, but in conscience no, I cannot accept. Now I see -of what friendship is capable, Aurora! No, it would be too selfish on my -part. You have not thought well over the matter. Are you speaking in -earnest? in earnest?” - -Señora de Pardiñas felt the pricking of remorse at this spontaneous -effusion of gratitude, and hastened to add: - -“Listen and you will see that it would be for my own advantage as well -as for yours. There is something of selfishness in the offer, too, Don -Gaspar, it is not all a kindness. As I am thinking of taking Rogelio on -a visit to our native place this year----” - -“A reason the more, my friend; a reason the more. You cannot dispense -with the services of such a girl, traveling. The times are bad. With the -Higinias that are going, who would part with an Esclavita? And an -Esclavita of that stamp! Have you thought seriously over the matter, I -mean _seriously_?” - -As he spoke thus, Nuño Rasura jumped up and down in his chair, twirling -his crutch between his palms. His eyes sparkled, his form straightened -itself like a boy’s, and his breast rose and fell with his agitated -breathing. - -“Heaven help us!” thought Doña Aurora, “I shall have to lift the man up -from the floor with a spoon.” And as she remained silent, affecting to -be considering the good man’s arguments, the latter added quickly and -energetically, like a child who pretends to be yielding to persuasion in -accepting a toy: - -“That is to say--of course I know from the very fact of your proposing -it to me that you have thought well over it. I see that you are right in -what you say; very right, very right, Aurora. Traveling, one is better -alone; the boy and his mother, of course, of course. As for me, it is -enough that you should propose it; I accept, I accept; do you hear, my -friend? I accept.” - -“It is true,” reflected Doña Aurora, “that that slippery Don Nicanor, -who is stuffed full of malice and who is capable of thinking evil of his -own mother, irritates one at times; but these simpletons, too, who can -never understand a hint--well, there are days when they keep one’s -nerves on the stretch like the strings of a guitar.” - -Don Gaspar’s scruples being thus vanquished, he himself arranged a plan -of action, which he laid before Doña Aurora--as soon as his daughter -should go away, he would take Esclavita as his housekeeper. The -octogenarian added, rubbing his hands: - -“Don’t let Candás know anything about the matter. I don’t want to be -made the subject of annoying jests.” - - - - -XXI. - - -This domestic conspiracy was kept a profound secret. Doña Aurora was -silent, for women know how to keep a secret when they resolve to do so, -especially if their affections are concerned, and Don Gaspar did not -open his lips because he dreaded more than the cholera the jokes and -insinuations of the Crown Solicitor, and no less--if we must betray the -secrets of his household--the anger of his daughter Felisa. The latter, -suspicious as a wife, distrusting the sociable and gallant disposition -of the old man, had made it her business to provide him with the -ugliest, most ignorant, and worst-tempered Maritornes to be found, for -she always saw in the distance the menacing shadow of a stepmother. -Until Felisa should have started on her voyage to the fifth division of -the globe, the old man did not dare even to hint at his desire of taking -into his service the gentle and pretty Esclavita. It was with the -greatest difficulty that he was able to control his impatience and wait -for this event, for his old age was a second childhood. Capricious and -impatient as a child, if he yielded to his impulses, he would stamp upon -the floor whenever anything interfered with the gratification of his -desires. The outlet he sought for his impatience was a _tête-à-tête_ -with Doña Aurora before the arrival of the other visitors, when he would -talk to her ramblingly, as old people are wont to talk, of his plans for -the future, of the comfort he should enjoy with Esclavita to wait upon -him, of the favors he would heap upon her, of how easy it would be to -wait on an old man like him, without any family, and many other things -of the same kind. And when the good man, owing to the presence of -others, was unable to dilate on his favorite theme, he gave his -excellent friend glances and winks of intelligence. He smiled at her -without any cause, and, in short, sought to give vent to his exuberant -and boyish gayety. “Heaven grant he may keep his reason,” said Señora de -Pardiñas to herself. “I don’t know why we should wonder at the craziness -of youth, when old men can act in this way. No boy could be more deeply -smitten. I declare, if he is not wild for his daughter to take herself -off, so that he may get Esclavita at once. If I did not know that he is -a really excellent man and that the girl, on her part, is incapable of -laying a trap for him, I should be a little uneasy, for no one can tell -where these things will end, and if he should take it into his head to -marry!--” The idea of Don Gaspar marrying a girl of twenty-five was so -absurd that Señora de Pardiñas laughed to herself, and the monologue -ended by the good lady scratching her head with her knitting-needle, and -saying, as a corollary of her reflections: “It won’t be my fault if -anything extraordinary should happen. To find a good situation for a -good servant is not a crime. All I am sorry for is that that tiresome -Felisa Febrero keeps forever putting off her departure for the -Philippines.” - -It was true, indeed, that Don Gaspar’s daughter delayed her journey in a -way to make the blood boil in the veins of a more patient person than -Doña Aurora. What made the latter wild was that the time for the -examinations to take place was now drawing near, after which she had -resolved to take a trip to Galicia, and to leave Esclavita behind or to -take her with her seemed equally impracticable. Don Gaspar kept her -informed of the news regarding his daughter’s departure, looking more -and more joyful as the time drew nearer. “They are packing the trunks.” -“They have made inquiries concerning the dates of sailing of the -steamers.” “On Thursday, or at furthest on Saturday, they will be on -their way to Cadiz.” At last he came one day with a face looking more -radiant, more Olympic than usual, under the aureole of his beautiful -white curls. “Friend Aurora,” he said, “they are to leave us this -afternoon.” It was agreed that for appearance’s sake a few days should -be allowed to pass before giving warning to the ignorant and slatternly -Estremaduran who waited on Don Gaspar, and informing Esclavita of her -change of situation. “Friend Aurora, do you take charge of that,” said -the octogenarian. But although he thus laid all the responsibility on -the shoulders of Doña Aurora, he could not resist the temptation, as he -was passing the - -[Illustration: “As he was passing the confectionary of La Pajarita.”] - -confectionary of La Pajarita when he was taking his constitutional on -the following day in the Puerta del Sol, to enter the shop and buy half -a pound of caramels and bonbons. He hid his purchase in an inside pocket -of his coat and when, stopping at the house of Señora de Pardiñas, -Esclavita opened the door for him, he glanced around furtively, put his -hand into his pocket, and drawing out the cartridge slipped it into her -palm as if it were a _billet doux_. “Fresh,” was the only word his -pleasing agitation allowed him to utter, as he put the gift into her -hand. - -Very reluctantly, and with much hemming and hawing, Doña Aurora set -about performing her disagreeable task of getting rid of Esclavita. She -would have felt less embarrassed if she had been called upon to break to -her the news of some great misfortune, such as the death of some one -dear to her, or some pecuniary loss, for, after all, in such a case she -would have none of the responsibility nor would she be in any way to -blame, while in merely announcing to her the impending change of abode -and of employers, she felt, with her natural sense of right, to which -nothing but her maternal affection could blind her, that there was -something of harshness and cruelty in her conduct, although this was -dictated by motives such as no prudent mother could disregard. “It is -even a matter of conscience with me,” she said to herself, to fortify -her courage. “I was thoughtless in bringing temptation within Rogelio’s -reach. Felisa Febrero has shown more knowledge of the world than I, for, -old as her father is, she would not put him in danger’s way. The boy has -more sense than could have been expected, not to have lost his head -completely. No, no, it is better to blush once than to turn pale a -hundred times. To-day I will get rid of her. As soon as Rogelio goes to -college----” - -There are in the tones of the human voice mysterious notes of warning -which in certain situations reveal our inmost thoughts before we have -put them into words. The simple words, “Come here, Esclavita,” words -such as a servant hears innumerable times in the course of a day, echoed -on this occasion with an ominous sound in the soul of the young -Galician. All the blood in her body rushed to her heart, and when she -entered the room where her mistress was awaiting her she already knew by -intuition the purport of what she was about to hear. - -Doña Aurora was seated, not in the dining-room, but in her son’s study, -where she was in the habit of going, in his absence, to write a note, to -make up her accounts, or the like, and perhaps also to satisfy that -instinctive and restless curiosity characteristic of an absorbing -affection when it reaches the height of a passion. She made Esclavita -sit down in a chair beside her and began to speak, without looking at -her, occupying herself in taking the pens, one by one, from a little -pen-box and placing them symmetrically, side by side, upon the table--On -account of the trip to Galicia, there was nothing else to be done--To -travel with three people was not the same as to travel with only two, -that required no explanation--A situation in the house of Señor de -Febrero was the best thing a girl like her could possibly desire; it was -a great piece of good fortune. She would be, not a servant, but the -housekeeper. She would be treated with every kind of consideration. The -labor of waiting on one person only would not kill her; by taking a -little trouble to please that excellent gentleman she would be in -heaven--almost as if she were in her own house. Finally, Don Gaspar, -too, was from Galicia. There would be no cause for her to feel lonesome -there, as she had felt in the house of the Señoritas Romera. - -When she had brought forward all these arguments she felt her mind -relieved and, still apparently intent on the symmetrical arrangement of -the rows of pens, gave a side glance at the girl. Esclavita remained -motionless in her seat, her hands folded in her lap, her feet side by -side, her eyes cast down; she, too, was little prone to throw open -those windows of the soul to prying eyes. - -“Well, what do you say?” asked Señora de Pardiñas at last, beginning to -grow impatient, as she always did when she was met by a passive -resistance. - -“What should I say?” asked Esclavita in husky tones, but with apparent -calmness. - -“Say yes or no; say whether you like the situation I propose to you, or -whether you would prefer to look for another, which should be more to -your taste.” - -There was an interval of silence, and then the girl answered in a voice -deprived of all expression by her effort to render it calm: - -“If there is no great hurry, I will give you my answer to-morrow or the -day after.” - -“I understand you,” said Señora de Pardiñas, in her own mind. “You want -to have a talk with the boy first. Very good. I am prepared for whatever -may happen. Here I am on guard and here I mean to remain. The first -thing I shall do is to see that you don’t take him by surprise. I shall -be on the alert, never fear!” - -That afternoon, however, she was obliged to leave the house, contrary to -her habit, to go to the railway station to see Felisa Febrero off, in -compliance with one of those irksome social duties which cannot be -evaded and which always seem to come at the most inopportune moment. -Rogelio, too, had gone out riding, but owing to the necessity of -attending to his studies now that the examinations were close at hand, -he shortened his ride, and it was just as he was entering the house, -flushed with exercise, fanning himself with his gray hat and cracking -his whip, that Esclavita caught him by the sleeve and drew him, almost -by force, into the study, bringing him to a stand-still beside the very -table on which Doña Aurora had that morning drawn up her army of pens. - -“Has anything happened, Suriña?” he asked. “What is the matter with -you?” - -“Didn’t I tell you--that I wasn’t going to Galicia,” she cried, “either -this year or any other year? Your mamma has dismissed me. She is going -to leave me at Señor Febrero’s.” - -“What are you saying? What do you mean? Tell me, tell me all about it.” - -The girl told him all she herself knew. Her eyes were dry, but her mouth -and chin quivered. Her bosom heaved, and in her manner of telling what -had occurred, in that despairing cry for help, like the cry of a -drowning man when he is about to sink beneath the waves, there was a -vehemence and disorder which formed a contrast to her habitual -composure, and which might well have moved one with more years and -experience than Rogelio. While he stammered, “No, it cannot be possible, -you won’t leave us, what nonsense,” he clasped his arms involuntarily -around the girl’s slender form, and the thrill of passion he had felt -four or five months before awoke within him again, more ardent than -ever, inspiring him with courage to rebel, to protest, and to defend -Esclavita as we defend what belongs to us and is a part of our life. -“Some one must have been telling her stories,” he said; “but who and -why? What motive have we given for talk, Suriña? Why, since mamma’s -illness we have scarcely spoken a word together. You never put your foot -here. This is very strange; this must not be. I will arrange the matter. -The idea of your leaving us! No, my pretty one.” - -Cheered and revived by these promises, Esclavita nestled close to -Rogelio’s bosom, as if she sought there a refuge whence no one could -tear her, and Rogelio, with youthful and irresistible transport, covered -her with kisses and tried to lift up her head, seeking her lips. The -bell rang, unheard by either. It rang again, this time energetically and -impatiently, and with an abrupt and simultaneous movement they drew -apart. The girl smoothed her hair, and arranged her neckerchief with -trembling fingers, saying: - -“I am going to open the door; it is the Señora.” - - - - -XXII. - - -When Señora de Pardiñas observed that her son looked pale and -preoccupied that evening at dinner, and even answered her shortly when -she spoke to him, she thought to herself at once, “We are in for it now. -That jewel has given him her news.” She intercepted, too, furtive -glances, frightened and eloquent, between them, but she bore it all in -silence, saying to herself, “According to Don Nicanor one must pretend -to be a fool for a quarter of an hour every day in this world. But more -than that falls to my share, for I must pretend to be a fool for months -to come.” She pretended to be a fool then, acting as if she did not -notice anything unusual in her son’s manner, asking him with a great -show of interest about the pony, the stable, his companions in his -rides. When the table-cloth was removed she introduced another subject -of conversation, very timely, and of immediate and vital importance, -namely, the examinations. “I think your turn will come about Wednesday -or Thursday, child,” she began, “so that this week I shall have my hands -full. For the fact is, that with those gentlemen one never knows what -course to take. If they were all like Contreras! He knows how to be -reasonable. Only Contreras won’t be your professor this year. With the -others one doesn’t know what course to pursue; if one were to listen to -this one and that one, it would be enough to make one crazy. Lastra -wants people to bow down before him, to pay him the compliment of -begging him, to be indebted to him. Ruiz del Monte seems to be just the -opposite; if he is spoken to in behalf of a boy, he takes a dislike to -him and torments the life out of him. You know whether that is so or -not; it was your friend Diaz, the one who writes verses, who told me so. -Of Albirán they tell a different story--that he does not disregard -intercession, but in rule and measure; according to whom it comes from. -The safest thing would be for you to study, child.” - -“I do study, mamma,” answered the student laconically. - -During the whole of the evening it was impossible to draw another word -from him. He turned over the illustrated papers, he took them up and -laid them down, he changed his seat, passing from the chair to the sofa -and from the sofa to the chair; he sighed profoundly, and, in short, -gave every possible sign of distress, making no effort to conceal this -distress, but, on the contrary, seeming to desire that his mamma should -notice it. At last, when the latter said to him, “Are you not going for -a while to the theater to-night?” he answered, in a hard and resolute -tone: - -[Illustration: “He sighed profoundly and, in short, gave every possible -sign of distress.”] - -“No, I am going to bed. My head aches a little.” - -And he left the room and walked noisily through the hall to his study, -which he entered, slamming the door behind him. - -“It is as I said; we are in for it now,” she said to herself. “I have -made a great mistake. I should have waited to settle this affair until -the examinations were over, a few days before our departure. It was a -piece of stupidity on my part. Well, you see, I wanted to get out of the -mess quickly; but I was wrong. There are things that it is better to go -slowly about. I must only see if I can remedy matters now by putting off -the girl’s departure; otherwise the boy will be all upset when he most -needs to keep a cool head. We must wait a while. I must see if I can -persuade Don Gaspar to wait. I shouldn’t wonder if it would be harder to -make the old man listen to reason than the boy. What complications! That -perfidious Rita Pardo was right. One ought to consider well whom one -receives into one’s house.” - -There then took place in the little domestic drama that was now drawing -near to its _dénouement_ one of those byplays, like momentary truces, -during which the actors, while appearing to be occupied with other -interests, or while thus occupied in reality, do not yet lose sight of -the main subject of the drama, continuing still to play a part, so to -speak, and maintaining silence regarding the matter which chiefly -occupies their minds, without deceiving anybody by this silence. Señora -de Pardiñas put off the girl’s departure from day to day, calming the -puerile impatience of Don Gaspar Febrero at the delay, with the excuse -of the nearness of the examinations and the impossibility of remaining -at such a time without a servant. Esclavita waited, hiding in the depths -of her heart a tenacious hope, based on the words and the promises of -Rogelio; and Rogelio, preoccupied and agitated, waited in vain for an -opportunity to say something--something very serious and decided--to his -mother. To speak the truth, however, if his mother had given him this -opportunity he would not have known how to avail himself of it. As time -passed, the courage which he had felt at first evaporated by degrees, -like the essence in a vial which is left uncorked. It requires more -resolution than appears at first sight for a good son to place himself -in direct opposition to a good mother, and take a step, which to a -certain extent emancipates him from maternal authority, but which at the -same time wrings the inmost fibers of his heart. So blended together are -natural duty, habit, and even that excusable selfishness which counsels -us to place ourselves without reserve in the hands of one who loves us -better than ourselves, that the breaking of this bond is an act of -supreme courage, one of those efforts from which the will shrinks, -unless it be of finely-tempered metal. Against a severe father there is -always energy; his very severity serves as a tonic to the will; but a -mother like Rogelio’s, whose first thought had always been her son, who -had made him the object of so much solicitude, sparing him even the -trouble of considering and the effort of desiring; a widowed mother, -delicate in health, who had made it a practice to anticipate the wishes -of her son, in this way preventing the will of her son from ever -acquiring the robustness which struggles and privations give, was an -adversary against whom Rogelio had not the strength to measure himself. -“If she herself would introduce the subject,” he thought. But the truth -is that if she had introduced it, the result would have been the same. -All he ventured to do was to enter a mute protest, to show himself -melancholy at times, and at times ill-tempered and sullen. “Mamma, in -order not to see me looking unhappy, is capable of anything,” he -reasoned, with the logic of a spoiled child. Only that his mamma knew -how to discriminate between toys. - -The examinations, too, had their effect in weakening his resolution -still more. What with his studies, his fears of failure, and the coming -and going of the friends who brought him an account of the rise and -fall, so to say, of the marks, Rogelio found himself outside the magic -circle by which an absorbing passion surrounds us, and if it were not -that occasionally a pair of greenish eyes looked steadily into his, he -would even have forgotten the danger which, by a curious illusion, -seemed to him every day less imminent, being in reality more so, for the -departure for Galicia was inevitably to take place immediately after the -examinations. - -And the examinations came, and Rogelio found that he had passed in two -branches, but in one--the most difficult and uncongenial to him--there -came upon him, like a dash of cold waiter, a _conditioned_. “I know who -is to blame for this!” thought his mother, looking through the -half-closed door at Esclava, who was dusting the pictures in the parlor. -“This is what comes of flirtation; but what is to be done? every age has -its tastes. He will gain in September what he loses now; he is young -enough, provided he keeps well. And let us be just; the pony, too, made -him lose his head in this last term. It is true that that was all the -better. About the time lost in that way I don’t complain. The pony has -behaved well. It deserves a lump of sugar.” - - - - -XXIII. - - -[Illustration: “A great many friends came to bid them good-by.”] - -On the last evening spent in Madrid by Doña Aurora and her son, before -setting out for their native place, a great many friends came to bid -them good-by, and there was a pleasant informal reception at the house. -It was now the end of June, and the most enjoyable hour for a social -gathering was really between ten and eleven at night, when a fresh and -healthy breeze blows even through the heated streets of old Madrid, the -Madrid which is not shaded by trees and which enjoys little of the -benefit of the municipal watering. The neighbors on the second floor, -nieces of a brigadier, came down, and they were also joined by the -Marchioness de Andrade, a compatriot of Doña Aurora, a handsome and -elegant woman who moved in aristocratic circles, and was consequently -accustomed to keep late hours. Señora de Pardiñas, finding herself -surrounded by visitors, gave herself up to the task of entertaining them -to the best of her ability, without seeking to guide the conversation, -which soon drifted to subjects connected with the country to which she -was about to return after an absence of so many years. The Marchioness, -who was of a vain and lively disposition, said that she thought of going -to Vigo soon, displaying at the same time a new bracelet of sapphires -and diamonds, with an air of mystery. “She is evidently thinking of -marrying again,” thought Doña Aurora. “Who may her intended be? God -grant she may choose well.” - -Rogelio had quietly slipped away without saying a word to any one. His -retreat did not pass unnoticed by his mother, but, besides there being -no remedy for it, she discovered other reasons for resignation. “Bad -luck is not always going to follow us, and, at the worst, we are going -away to-morrow,” she thought. (Esclavita still foreboded danger and -trouble, but far in the distance.) “To-morrow at this hour we shall be -near Avila. When shall I hear the whistle of the train?” - -Rogelio retired to his study, impelled by a vague hope of seeing the -girl, explaining to her his attitude during these days, and the -impossibility of his acting differently, of rebelling and refusing to go -with his mother. He foresaw that Esclavita, availing herself of the -occasion, would soon join him, and to attract her attention he lighted a -lamp, striking a great many matches in the operation, and walking about -the room noisily; he opened the drawers and made the door creak two or -three times. He did not venture to call her, through fear of his -mother’s keen ear, for, according to his paradoxical and hyperbolical -expression, she could hear better than the deaf Candás. - -He was not obliged to wait long. After ten minutes or so he heard a -knock at the door, and before he had time to say, “Come in,” Esclavita -entered. The light of the lamp standing on the table of the study which -communicated with the bedroom and dressing-room of the student, fell -full on the girl’s face, and Rogelio suddenly realized how thin and pale -her face had grown during the last fortnight, presenting now a spiritual -and refined type of beauty that might have served as a model for one of -those waxen images which are used to inclose the bones of unknown -martyrs. - -Rogelio went up to Esclavita and took her hand in his--it was burning -with fever. - -Without exchanging a word, they involuntarily looked around for a seat -where they could sit down side by side. There was none in the study, -which was furnished with a high stool and half a dozen chairs, and -without reflecting they went into the inner room, where Rogelio, putting -his arm around the girl’s neck drew her toward the couch and made her -sit down beside him. They remained silent for a space of five minutes or -so, Rogelio pressing and stroking the girl’s hand, hardened somewhat by -labor, the fingers marked by the pricking of the needle, as if to -communicate to it the coolness of his palms and draw from it its fever. -But he could think of nothing to say except the commonplaces usual on -parting, and at last, unwilling to remain silent any longer, he resolved -to avail himself of that poor resource. - -[Illustration: “Rogelio, putting his arm around the girl’s neck.”] - -“Suriña, silly girl, don’t be like that,” he began. “See, I have been -thinking a great deal; this has troubled me more than you. Nothing would -be gained by opposing mamma now. We should afflict her greatly. She -might even become ill on account of it, but she would not change her -resolution. Have patience. Within three months, or even less, we shall -be back here again, and we shall see each other, for you will enjoy a -great deal more liberty at Señor Febrero’s than here. You know already -that I shall always love you, foolish girl. Don’t desert me for the -tender Nuño Rasura. There, silly girl, there, my dove, don’t look like -that. If you do, you will make me very unhappy.” - -Esclavita only answered by shaking her head with persistent melancholy. -After a while she responded in a tolerably firm voice; - -“Gay I cannot be; but I am not sad, either. Don’t be troubled on my -account. Only my head is--as if there was something wrong going on -inside.” - -“Suriña! child!” - -“It is as I say. I am here, eh? I am listening to you? I answer you? -Well, it is as if I were listening to some person--far away, from the -other world, talking to me.” - -“Good heavens!” exclaimed the student shuddering. “I would rather see -you cry. If you cried you would not have such wild notions, Sura. Cry -and give way to your grief; but don’t say those dreadful things.” - -“I cry inwardly, not with my eyes. I cannot shed a tear. I was the same -way once before, when my father died,” responded the girl quietly, -without either of them taking notice of the word _father_, which, -perhaps, for the first time in her life, Esclavita uttered without -mystery or circumlocution. - -“Child, you seem to me to be ill. Ah! you have fever. Promise me that -you will go to-morrow to see Sanchez del Abrojo.” - -“No, it isn’t sickness. I was never better in my life. It is a -_warning_.” - -“Sura, be silent, for Heaven’s sake! You are talking wildly----” - -He bent toward the girl and kissed her cold cheek; she made no -resistance. She seemed to be more resigned, and it was in a tone that -was natural and almost confidential that she uttered the following -extravagances: - -“Rogelio, there are certain things that the dead warn the living about; -don’t doubt it. Three days before my father’s death I saw a large black -bird at the foot of my bed. Yesterday I saw the same bird again. He flew -so fast that I couldn’t see where he disappeared to, but I saw him as -surely as that we are here now. I shall never go home again, never. Time -will show, and then you will see that what I tell you is true and you -will say, ‘Esclavita was right.’ If I was as sure of having a million -ounces I should be considering now where to hide them so that they -should not be stolen from me. Last night----” - -She lowered her voice and whispered to Rogelio: - -“A dog in the next house howled till morning, and that means that some -one is going to die.” - -“Heavens! Suriña,” for the second time exclaimed Rogelio, now -superstitiously affected by this strange conversation, “you are crazy! -Don’t you know, Suriña, that scores of people die or are at the point of -death every night in Madrid? Just imagine; if the dogs have to announce -all those deaths they have enough to do. There would be announcements -enough to fill an extra sheet of _La Correspondencia_. The fact is, -Sura, that you feel badly because we are going away and you remain -behind. I, too, have been troubled for some time past about the trip. I -have had some frightful moments. Afterward I reflected--and--I think it -is better to be resigned to things as they are, for if we rebel it will -only make matters worse. In three months, Suriña--in ninety days (and -perhaps even less) you will have me here again. My first visit shall be -to Doña Sura. Come, don’t look like that. I love you dearly, believe it. -We shall be able in time to win mamma over. You haven’t yet told me -to-day that you care for me. Come!” - -With the gesture of a child asking for a caress he approached his cheek -to Esclavita’s lips, and the latter, without protest, as if she were -performing an accustomed act, pressed her lips to it. Like her palms, -they were hot and dry, and it seemed to Rogelio as if they burned his -flesh, causing him a sensation that was painful rather than pleasant. -Only, caresses were a resource to render this last painful interview a -little less intolerable, and the student, in default of arguments by -which to console the poor deserted girl, had recourse to caresses, -without being influenced by a motive less pure or noble.... - -“Suriña, Suriña, I think I hear the marchioness saying good-by in the -hall. If she is going, it is because every one else has gone. Mamma will -be here directly, I am certain. Try to slip away without being seen. -Good-by; go quietly so that no one may hear you.” - -The girl obeyed with the same passiveness she had shown throughout, in -her utter submissiveness, not even claiming the last embrace. Rogelio -lighted the lamp again, carefully straightening the wick. He then closed -the bedroom window, and standing before his bureau glass, brushed his -hair and parted it with a little comb. Then putting his hands into his -trousers pockets he stood for a while studying carefully, with eager -curiosity, his own countenance, questioning his own eyes in the mirror, -as if to convince himself that, after this vertigo had passed away, he -still preserved his individuality, and that there did not remain in him -a something belonging to another individuality, a something which could -not be effaced and which would betray him. Then the thought of his -mother came again to oppress his heart. But this feeling, suddenly gave -way to a burst of joy, and running to the window he threw it open, -allowing the pure night air to blow in upon him and, grasping the window -bars, drew a long, deep breath. - - - - -EPILOGUE. - - -Punctual as the sun, Don Gaspar made his appearance at four in the -afternoon with a little carriage, to take his future housekeeper back -with him to his house. Being told that Esclavita was on her way there, -he again got into his shabby landau and told the coachman to drive -quickly home. His impatience would not permit him to walk with his lame -foot. - -At the last moment Doña Aurora had called Esclavita and put into her -hands, in addition to her wages, a handsome present of money and a pair -of torquoise earrings. “I don’t want her to go away dissatisfied,” she -said to herself. “And, indeed, the poor girl looked greatly altered. I -really believe she had a liking for the boy, which makes my resolution -all the more prudent. I pity her, and I know that it is folly for me to -do so. Where could she find a home like the one I have provided for her? -I am doing her a very great service; that is what sets my mind at rest. -She has a sinecure.” - -With all this, Señora de Pardiñas could not repress a certain feeling of -disquietude, of secret pain, of overwhelming pity, which she afterward -interpreted as a presentiment of coming evil. “The idea of my pitying -her,” she said to herself, “when I am certain that I have found her the -best situation a girl of her class could possibly desire.” And Señora de -Pardiñas was firmly convinced of the truth of what she said. Like many -good-hearted people, incapable of hating or injuring any one, who like -to think that they are acting in the interests of others when they are -really prompted by self-interest, she wished to persuade herself that -she had at heart Esclava’s good, and not, primarily, her son’s welfare, -just as this motive might seem to her, and as it really was. - -She was somewhat reassured when she heard Fausta joking Esclavita in the -kitchen, humming, “And now I serve a doting old man, and I am the -mistress of the house.” - -“Fausta is right,” she thought. “She will be mistress in Señor de -Febrero’s house. If she doesn’t make herself too much so----” - -The train for Galicia started at thirty-five minutes past seven, and at -that pleasant twilight hour the platform of the Northern Depot was -filled with a hurried and animated crowd of travelers and their friends -who had come to see them off, the latter envying those who were going to -see beautiful scenery, to breathe the sea air, to enjoy a cool -temperature, and to spend a few months pleasantly in a healthy and - -[Illustration: “And now I serve a doting old man, and I am the mistress -of the house.”] - -temperate climate. Here were no sad parting scenes. It was not the -good-by of the sailor, the leave-taking of the soldier departing for the -war, the homesick farewell of the emigrant. Those who were going were -joyous and excited; those who remained behind, outwardly gay. Only, at -one end of the train, at the door of a first-class carriage, could be -seen a group of four or five persons, exchanging long and lingering -embraces. It was composed of two men, one of them young, the other -already in the decline of life, with bowed heads but erect forms, and -three ladies, two young, the third a white-haired old lady, who -frequently applied their handkerchiefs to their reddened eyes. Inside -the car was a nurse, holding an infant in her arms. Lain Calvo -approached Doña Aurora and said to her, pointing to the group: - -“Do you see the Rojases there? Fanatics to the end, to death. They have -transferred the son again to Marineda on account of that affair with the -Minister, and even if he knew he was going to die of want, he would -travel first-class, through respect for his office. If they transfer him -a third time, he says he will send in his resignation. And they have -paid off Rojas himself already. Haven’t you heard of it? He was put on -the retired list a week ago.” - -“What do you tell me?” exclaimed Señora de Pardiñas, with genuine -sorrow. “Heaven help us! Unhappy people! Where will that poor Matilde -Rojas find a man who will be willing to marry her without a penny? I -declare I shall have that family in my thoughts during the whole of the -journey. What a world this is, Don Nicanor!” - -Doña Aurora tried to make her way toward the group to shake hands with -the ladies of the Rojas family, but it was not possible, the warning -bell sounded, the engine snorted, and wheelbarrows, laden with baggage -checked for the train, were passing on all sides. Rogelio, who was on -the train, reached out his hand to assist his mother, who ascended the -steps slowly, smiling because a flounce of her dress had caught on one -of them, and the noise made by the starting of the train drowned the -voice of Lain Calvo as he cried: - -“Beware of the girls of Vigo, Rogelio! they are tempting morsels, my -boy!” - -The train, swaying gently, hurried on its way. Evening closed in with -serene splendor, and Rogelio as he looked out of the window fancied he -could already descry the fresh Galician valleys, the leafy chestnut -trees, the blue waters girdling the most beautiful country in the world. - -But he did not perceive Esclavita, who, from the other side of the -platform, followed the train with her eyes until it passed, swift and -majestic, from her sight. When the last black smoke-wreath had -disappeared in the distance, trembling as if with cold, she turned her -steps slowly toward the city, resolved that the sun, which was just -sinking below the horizon, should never again rise for her. Let us leave -the unhappy girl, for, however hard we might try we could never dissuade -her from her purpose. Don Gabriel Pardo, who is fond of generalizing in -a dogmatic way, and who, in support of a favorite theory, will make use -of the most illogical arguments, would tell us, if we asked him to -account for this tragedy, that the mental aberration which leads to -suicide is a natural outcome of the melancholy temperament of the Celtic -race, that great martyr of history; just as if the newspapers did not -every day record similar cases of suicide in every province of Spain. - -[Illustration] - - - THE END. - - * * * * * - - - CASSELL’S BLUE LIBRARY. - - -Cassell’s “Blue Library” is the name given to a new series of novels -issued by the Cassell Publishing Company. The “Blue Library” will be -edited with the greatest care by an editor especially engaged for that -purpose. Well-known American, English and Continental authors will be -represented, and none but books of high literary merit and of permanent -value will be admitted to this series. - -The volumes are of 12mo size, and are bound in _Blue Cloth_, simply but -artistically decorated with a design in silver and gold. - - - PRICE, $1.00 PER VOLUME. - - - _NOW READY._ - - - A CHRISTIAN WOMAN. - - By EMILIA PARDO BAZÁN. Translated by Mary Springer. With an - introduction by Mr. ROLLO OGDEN. A portrait of the author as - frontispiece. - - “This strong story of the realistic school is a fit opening volume - to this new and dainty series.”--_Current Literature._ - - “The bright production of a brilliant and warm-hearted - woman.”--_Boston Saturday Evening Gazette._ - - “Will be a delightful surprise to readers whose knowledge of - realism in fiction is derived from the Zolaesque school.”--_Boston - Globe._ - - “The reader will find that even Spain can produce women whose - mental caliber is on a par with that of our own valued and honored - writers and speakers.”--_Portland Transcript._ - - “A story of great interest.”--_Philadelphia Weekly Item._ - - - “THERE IS NO DEVIL.” - - By MAURUS JÓKAI. Translated from the Hungarian, under the author’s - supervision, by Mme. F. Steinitz. A portrait of the author as - frontispiece. - - “No one can dispute Jókai’s power as a novelist, and ‘There is no - Devil’ is certainly one of the boldest and strongest of his - works.... As he is by far the greatest Hungarian of his time, it is - quite worth while to make his acquaintance.”--_Boston Herald._ - - - THE STORY OF TWO LIVES. - - By STUART STERNE. - - This is the first appearance of the gifted poet, Stuart Sterne, as - a novelist, and is therefore a matter of great interest to the - literary world. - - - OTHER VOLUMES TO FOLLOW. - - - CASSELL PUBLISHING COMPANY, - 104 & 106 FOURTH AVENUE, NEW YORK. - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's Morriña (Homesickness), by Emilia Pardo Bazán - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MORRIÑA (HOMESICKNESS) *** - -***** This file should be named 54742-0.txt or 54742-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/4/7/4/54742/ - -Produced by Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: Morriña (Homesickness) - -Author: Emilia Pardo Bazán - -Translator: Mary Serrano - -Release Date: May 18, 2017 [EBook #54742] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MORRIÑA (HOMESICKNESS) *** - - - - -Produced by Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - - - - - -</pre> - -<hr class="full" /> - -<p class="cb">M O R R I Ñ A<br /> -(<i>HOMESICKNESS</i>) -</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/cover.jpg" alt="Image unavailable: Book's cover" /> -</div> - -<h1> -M O R R I Ñ A<br /> -<small><small>(<i>HOMESICKNESS</i>)</small></small></h1> - -<div class="poetryy"><div class="poem"> -BY EMILIA PARDO<br /> -BAZÁN, TRANSLATED<br /> -BY MARY J. SERRANO<br /> -</div></div> - -<p class="c"> -<img src="images/colophon.jpg" width="245" alt="[Image -of colophon unavailable.]" /> -<br /> -<br /> -<b>CASSELL PUBLISHING COMPANY<br /> -NEW YORK</b><br /> -<br /><br /> -<small><span class="smcap">Copyright, 1891, by</span><br /> -CASSELL PUBLISHING COMPANY.<br /><br /> -<i>All rights reserved.</i><br /> -THE MERSHON COMPANY PRESS,<br /> -RAHWAY, N. J.</small> -</p> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary="" -style="border:2px solid gray;padding:.5em; -margin:1em auto auto auto;max-width:20em;text-align:center;"> - -<tr><td><a href="#I">Chapter I., </a> -<a href="#II">II., </a> -<a href="#III">III., </a> -<a href="#IV">IV., </a> -<a href="#V">V., </a> -<a href="#VI">VI., </a> -<a href="#VII">VII., </a> -<a href="#VIII">VIII., </a> -<a href="#IX">IX., </a> -<a href="#X">X., </a> -<a href="#XI">XI., </a> -<a href="#XII">XII., </a> -<a href="#XIII">XIII., </a> -<a href="#XIV">XIV., </a> -<a href="#XV">XV., </a> -<a href="#XVI">XVI., </a> -<a href="#XVII">XVII., </a> -<a href="#XVIII">XVIII., </a> -<a href="#XIX">XIX., </a> -<a href="#XX">XX., </a> -<a href="#XXI">XXI., </a> -<a href="#XXII">XXII., </a> -<a href="#XXIII">XXIII., </a> -<a href="#EPILOGUE">EPILOGUE. </a></td></tr> -</table> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_001" id="page_001"></a>{1}</span></p> - -<h1><a name="MORRINA" id="MORRINA"></a>MORRIÑA<br /> -<small><small>(<i>HOMESICKNESS</i>).</small></small></h1> - -<h2><a name="I" id="I"></a>I.</h2> - -<p><span class="smcap">If</span> the apartment which Doña Nogueira de Pardiñas and her only son -Rogelio occupied in Madrid was neither the sunniest nor the most -spacious to be found in the city, it possessed, on the other hand, the -inestimable advantage of being situated in the Calle Ancha de San -Bernardo, so close to the Central University that to live in it was, as -one might say, the same as living in the university itself.</p> - -<p>Seated in her leather-covered easy-chair by the window, widening and -narrowing the stocking she was<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_002" id="page_002"></a>{2}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/ill_pg2.jpg" width="356" height="302" alt="Image unavailable: “Seated in her leather-covered easy-chair by the -window.”" /> -<br /> -<span class="caption">“Seated in her leather-covered easy-chair by the -window.”</span> -</div> - -<p class="nind">knitting without once looking at it, Señora de Pardiñas would follow her -adored boy with her gaze, which, traversing space and passing through -the solid substance of the walls, accompanied him to the very -lecture-room of the university. She saw him when he went in and when he -came out—she noticed whether he stopped to chat<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_003" id="page_003"></a>{3}</span> with any one, whom he -talked to, whether he laughed; she knew who his companions were, whom he -liked and whom he disliked; who were the industrious students and whom -the idle ones; who were regular and who were irregular in their -attendance. She was familiar, too, with the faces of the professors, and -made a study of their expression and their manner of returning the -salutations of the pupils, drawing from external signs important -psychological deductions bearing on the problem of the examinations: -“Ah, there comes old Contreras already, the Professor of Procedure. How -amiable he looks! what a saint-like face he has. How slowly he walks, -poor man. ’Tis easy to see that he suffers from rheumatism as I do. The -more’s the pity! I like him on that account, and not on that account -alone, but because I know that he is indulgent and that he will give -Rogelio a good mark in his examination.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_004" id="page_004"></a>{4}</span> Now comes Ruiz del Monte, so -stiff and so conceited. He looks as if he were made all in one piece. -Poor us! Neither favor nor influence nor anything else is of any use -with him. He would have the boys know the studies as well as he does -himself. If he wants that let him give them his place in the -college—and the pay as well. Ah, here we have Señor de Lastra. He -stoops a little. What comical caricatures the boys make of him in the -class! And he is familiar to a fault. There he is now clapping Benito -Diaz, Rogelio’s great friend, on the back. He looks to me like a good -easy-going man. My blessing upon him! I don’t know what there is to be -gained by torturing poor boys and distressing their parents.”</p> - -<p>Pausing in her soliloquy, the good lady ran her knitting needle through -the coil of her hair, now turning gray, and scratched her head lightly -with it.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_005" id="page_005"></a>{5}</span> Suddenly her withered cheek flushed brightly as if a breath of -youth had blown across it.</p> - -<p>“Ah, there is Rogelio,” she cried.</p> - -<p>The student emerged from the building, wrapped in his crimson plush -cloak, his low, broad-brimmed hat slightly tipped to one side, his -glance fixed, from the first moment, on the window at which his mother -was sitting. Generally he would give her a smile, but sometimes, -assuming a serious air, he would raise his hand to his hat, and, with -the stiff movement of a marionette, mimic the salutation of the dandies -of the Retiro. The mother would return his salutation, shaking her hand -threateningly at him, convulsed with laughter, as if this were not a -jest of almost daily repetition. Then the boy would stop to chat for a -few minutes with some of his fellow-students; he would exchange a word -in passing with the match-vender, the ticket-vender, the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_006" id="page_006"></a>{6}</span> orange-girl at -the corner, and the clerks of the neighboring shops, winding up with -some half-jesting compliment to the servants who stood chatting at the -doors; and finally he would ascend the steps of his own house, where -Doña Aurora was already waiting for him in the hall. His first words -were generally in the following strain:</p> - -<p>“<i>Mater amabilis</i>, set quickly before your offspring corporeal -sustenance. I have an appetite that I don’t know where I got it. Ah-h-h! -If the beefsteak does not soon make its appearance, dreadful scenes of -cannibalism will be enacted.”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” his mother would answer, smiling, “and it will all amount to your -eating a couple of olives and a morsel of meat. Go away with you, you -humbug! You have the appetite of a bird.”</p> - -<p>The room in which they liked best to sit was neither the parlor—which -was almost always solitary and deserted,—<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_007" id="page_007"></a>{7}</span>nor Rogelio’s study, nor his -mother’s room; it was the dining-room, which adjoined the -reception-room. Here was the clock which informed Rogelio, negligent -about winding his watch, when it was time to go to college; here the -little table on which stood the work-basket with the unfinished stocking -buried under a pile of numbers of <i>Madrid Comico</i>, <i>Los Madriles</i>, and -all the <i>Ilustraciones</i> that had ever been published; here the low, -broad, comfortable sofa and the capacious easy-chairs; here, on the -sideboard, refreshments for the inner man—a bottle of sherry and some -biscuits, or, in summer, fruits, which the boy ate with enjoyment; here, -in a glass, the branch of fresh lilacs, or the pinks which he wore in -his button-hole; here the earthen water jar exuding moisture from its -sides, and the bottle of syrup of iron, and the Japanese fan, and the -unfinished novel, with the marker between<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_008" id="page_008"></a>{8}</span> the leaves, and the -text-book, worn more by the ill-humor and displeasure with which it was -handled than by use; and finally, the little fireplace that had so good -a draught, which made up for the icy class-rooms, and the dilapidated -courts and passages of the temple of Minerva. With what enjoyment did -Rogelio go to warm himself by the fire before taking off his cloak when -he came in from college, stretching out his hands, cold as icicles, to -the blaze. The genial heat thawed his stiffened muscles, quickened his -impoverished blood, and gave him strength to ask, with a comical -pretense at scolding and coaxing entreaties mingled, for his breakfast, -almost regretting the promptness with which it was served, since it left -him a subject the less for his humorous jests. Before it had crossed the -threshold of the door, Doña Aurora was already crying out:<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_009" id="page_009"></a>{9}</span></p> - -<p>“Fausta! Pepa! Here is the señorito; bring the breakfast. Quick! Hurry! -Child, your syrup of iron. Shall I count your bitter drops for you!”</p> - -<p>“What more bitterness do I want than the pangs of starvation! Here, you -who preside over the culinary department, may I be permitted to know -with what delicacies you intend to assuage to-day the pangs of hunger -that are gnawing my vitals? Have you prepared for me celestial ambrosia, -nectar from the calyxes of the flowers, or tripe and snails from the -Petit Fornos? Relieve me from this cruel uncertainty?</p> - -<p>(Suppressed laughter in the kitchen.)</p> - -<p>“Bring this crazy boy his breakfast, so that he may hold his tongue!”</p> - -<p>Mother and son being seated at the table, the drops counted out and -drank, the steaming soup was set before them, followed by the couple of<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_010" id="page_010"></a>{10}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/ill_pg10.jpg" width="348" height="236" alt="Image unavailable: “Suppressed laughter in the kitchen.”" /> -<br /> -<span class="caption">“Suppressed laughter in the kitchen.”</span> -</div> - -<p class="nind">fried eggs, round and crisp-edged, and the beefsteak, invariably sent in -from the neighboring <i>café</i>. Only on this condition would Rogelio eat -it. No matter what pains Fausta, the Biscayan, might take, she could -never succeed in supplanting the cook of the <i>café</i>. The succulent piece -of underdone steak would come between two plates, with its accompaniment -of fried potatoes, tender, juicy, and appetizing. While Rogelio cut and -ate the meat,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_011" id="page_011"></a>{11}</span> his mother watched him eagerly and anxiously, as if she -had never before seen this delicate youth, so different from the ideal -of a Galician mother. Twenty summers run to seed, a pale, dull -complexion, eyes black and sparkling, but with the eyelids drooping, and -surrounded by purple rings, a sarcastic mouth, the lips delicately -curved and somewhat pale, shaded by a light mustache, hair smooth and -silky, a head narrow at the temples, a slender throat, the back of the -neck slightly hollowed in, flat wrists and a graceful shape made up a -figure still immature, interrupted in its development by the <i>chlorosis</i> -which is the result of a hothouse existence in which the plant that -requires the pure, free air, dwindles and wilts. So that Doña Aurora did -not enjoy a moment’s peace of mind because of this son who, if not -exactly sickly, was of a nervous and delicate constitution, as was -evidenced by<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_012" id="page_012"></a>{12}</span> his moods of childlike gayety followed by periods of -causeless gloom. Therefore it was that she watched him at his meals as -eagerly as if every mouthful he swallowed were entering her own stomach -after a two days’ fast. In thought she said to the succulent meat: Go, -strengthen the child. Give him muscle, give him blood, give him bone. -Make him robust, manly, independent. Make him grow to be like a young -bull—although he should have all the savageness of one. No matter, all -the better, I only wish it might be so! Consider that all there is left -me in the world now to love, is that puny boy. And she would say aloud -to Rogelio:</p> - -<p>“Eat, child, eat; flesh makes flesh.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_013" id="page_013"></a>{13}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="II" id="II"></a>II.</h2> - -<p><span class="smcap">Doña Aurora</span> had her daily reception—and in the afternoon; nothing less, -indeed, than a five o’clock tea, as a society reporter would say—only, -without the tea or the wish for it, for if she had offered anything to -her guests, the Señora de Pardiñas, who was very old-fashioned in her -ideas, would undoubtedly have selected some good slices of ham or the -like substantial nourishment. As her friends knew that she was -accustomed to go out only in the morning wrapped in her mantle and her -fur cape to make a few unceremonious calls or to do some shopping, and -that she spent her afternoons at her dining-room window knitting, they -attended these receptions punctually, attracted to<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_014" id="page_014"></a>{14}</span> them by the cheerful -fire, by the easy-chairs, by friendship, and by habit.</p> - -<p>The larger part of the circle of Doña Aurora’s friends was composed of -the companions of her deceased husband, magistrates, or, as she called -them in professional parlance, “Señores.” Some few of these, who had -already retired from active official life, were the most constant in -their attendance. Certain seats in the dining-room were regarded as -belonging of right to certain persons—the broad-backed easy-chair was -set apart for Don Nicanor Candás, the Crown Solicitor, who loved his -ease; the leather-covered arm-chair with the soft seat was for Don -Prudencio Rojas; the arm-chair covered with flowered cretonne by the -chimney corner—let no one attempt to dispute its possession with the -patriarch Don Gaspar Febrero. This venerable personage was the soul of -the company, the most active, the most imposing in appearance, and the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_015" id="page_015"></a>{15}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/ill_pg15.jpg" width="324" height="288" alt="Image unavailable: “The broad-backed easy-chair was set apart for Don -Nicanor Candás.”" /> -<br /> -<span class="caption">“The broad-backed easy-chair was set apart for Don -Nicanor Candás.”</span> -</div> - -<p class="nind">gayest of the assemblage, notwithstanding his eighty odd years and his -lame leg, broken by jumping from a horse-car. The first quarter of an -hour’s conversation was generally devoted to a discussion of the weather -and the health of the company; there was not one of these worthy people -who was not afflicted with some ailment or other.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_016" id="page_016"></a>{16}</span> Some of them, indeed, -were full of ailments, so that neither their complaints nor the remedies -they discussed were of merely abstract interest. There an account was -kept of the fluctuations in the chronic catarrhs, the rheumatic pains, -the flatulent attacks, and the heartburns of each one of the assemblage, -and they discussed as solemnly as they had formerly discussed a judgment -the virtues of salycilic acid or of pectoral lozenges.</p> - -<p>The sanitary question being exhausted—for everything exhausts -itself—they passed on, almost always following the lead of Señor -Febrero, to treat of less agreeable matters. The amiable old man could -not bear to hear all this talk of drugs, prescriptions, and potions. -“Any one would suppose one had one foot in the grave,” he would say, -smiling and showing his brilliant artificial teeth. The subject of the -conversation was changed, but it<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_017" id="page_017"></a>{17}</span> scarcely ever turned on questions of -the day. Like a gavotte played by a grandmother on an antiquated -harpsichord, the ritornello of souvenirs and reminiscences of the past -resounded here. The conversation usually began somewhat as follows:</p> - -<p>“Do you remember when I received my appointment to the Canary Islands -during the ministry of Narvaez?”</p> - -<p>Or:</p> - -<p>“What times those were! At least ten years before the celebrated -Fontanellas case. My eldest son was not yet born.”</p> - -<p>Señor de Febrero interposed to restrain them in these sorrowful -reminiscences of bygone days also, exclaiming with youthful vivacity:</p> - -<p>“Why, that took place only yesterday, as one might say. In the life of a -nation what is a paltry twenty-five or thirty years?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, but in a man’s life—<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_018" id="page_018"></a>{18}</span>—”</p> - -<p>“Or in a man’s life either, if it comes to that. Forty or fifty I call -the prime of life.”</p> - -<p>“Speak for yourself. You have discovered the elixir of youth. You are as -fresh as a lettuce. But the rest of us look like parchment; we are only -fit to be wheeled out in the sun.”</p> - -<p>With his crutch between his knees Don Gaspar laughed, and as he shook -his head the silvery curls of his wig shone in the light. I regret to be -obliged to pay tribute to descriptive truth by stating that Señor de -Febrero wore a wig and false teeth; but it must be added that their -falseness was so true that they were superior to the genuine articles -and would deceive the sharpest eye. With exquisite taste and consummate -art, the old man had had his wig made of hair as white as snow, and the -coronet of light white curls that encircled his ivory brow was like a -majestic aureole, very different<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_019" id="page_019"></a>{19}</span> from the thick forest of hair with -which would-be young old men persist in striving to repair the -irreparable ravages of time. In the same way the teeth, skillfully -imitating his own, somewhat uneven and worn, with a gap on the left -side, would have deceived anybody. With his beautiful hair, his -smooth-shaven face, his regular and still very expressive features, with -his pulchritude and dignity of mien, Don Gaspar reminded one of the -heads of the eighteenth century as they have come down to us in -miniatures. It seemed a pity that he should not wear an embroidered -satin coat; the cloth coat did not suit him. Even the ebony crutch, with -its blue velvet cushion, served to enhance and complete the commanding -dignity of his presence. With the gallantry of a bygone age, Don Gaspar, -the moment a woman appeared in sight, was all ardor, and honied speeches -flowed from his lips.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_020" id="page_020"></a>{20}</span> Even to Señora Pardiñas, who was altogether out -of the lists, he did not neglect to pay attentions that were lover-like -and gallant, rather than merely polite.</p> - -<p>It gratified the vanity of this old man, who wore his old age so -serenely and so gracefully, to hear his companions, all infirm, all -asthmatic, all with their chronic colds and coughs, all visibly bald, -say of him enviously:</p> - -<p>“This Don Gaspar is wonderful. He will live to bury us all.”</p> - -<p>It was also a gratification to his vanity to prove to them the strength -and clearness of his memory, and it was one which he often enjoyed, for -at the reception of the Señora de Pardiñas the thread of memory was -constantly spun, and intermingled with it was a strand of gold, but of -tarnished gold like that of an antique chasuble. Don Gaspar’s memory was -a sort of wardrobe in which were stored away among<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_021" id="page_021"></a>{21}</span> perfumes, duly -labeled and classified, events, names, dates, and even words. “This -Señor de Febrero is an old record-book,” Doña Aurora would say. When -there was a difference of opinion regarding the date of some past event, -Don Gaspar was appealed to as umpire.</p> - -<p>“Isn’t it true, Señor de Febrero, that the Zaldivar case, at Seville, -was decided in the winter of ’56.”</p> - -<p>“No, Señor, the winter of ’57. I remember it was on the 15th of -December—I mean the 16th, the birthday of our friend Don Nicanor -Candás.”</p> - -<p>“But, good Heavens!” exclaimed Don Nicanor, when this was related to -him. “It is not right that any one should be endowed with a memory like -that. If that infernal Galician does not remember even the date of my -birth, a thing that I can never remember myself! As nobody is going to -steal any of my years away from<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_022" id="page_022"></a>{22}</span> me, I don’t see the use of keeping so -exact an account of them.”</p> - -<p>Don Nicanor Candás, a retired Asturian, from Oviedo, suspicious and -conceited like all his townspeople, as biting as pepper and as sharp as -a thorn, afforded much amusement to the assemblage through his disputes -with Señor de Febrero, whom he opposed systematically, without -consideration for his patriarchal privileges or respect for his -honorable seniority. The better to confound his adversary Candás adopted -a singular method, which was not without humor. He pretended to be as -deaf as a post, and he always carried in the pocket of his coat a little -silver trumpet, which he put to his ear whenever he was able to answer -and refute his opponent’s arguments, but which he would say he had -forgotten to bring with him when, not being able to do this, he wished -to change the subject of conversation. Such a stratagem<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_023" id="page_023"></a>{23}</span> could not fail -to succeed, and by the help of it he was always enabled to avoid being -worsted in a dispute. In his language Señor de Candás was as rude and -ill-bred as Don Gaspar was choice, polite and mellifluous, and for this -reason he was out of harmony with the other <i>habitués</i> of the house. Nor -was he so for this reason alone, but also because he was the only one of -them who preferred the news of the day to reminiscences of the past, the -only one who brought to this musty senate a breath of out-door air, of -real life.</p> - -<p>The portentous memory of the octogenarian grew confused and uncertain -when recent events were concerned, and Candás, profiting by this defect -in the admirable faculties of the patriarch, was always trying to trip -him up. “Let us see,” he would say, “how our Don Gaspar would set about -proving an alibi. He is impregnable in all that<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_024" id="page_024"></a>{24}</span> relates to the -Calomarde ministry or the regency of Espartero, yet he does not remember -what he was doing this morning.” And imitating Don Gaspar’s voice, he -would add, “What did I do yesterday? Let me see. Did I go to see Rojas? -I think so. What am I saying? No, no. I was walking in Recoletos. Yet I -would not swear to that, either.”</p> - -<p>This humorous criticism of the patriarch, might, to a certain extent, be -applied with equal justice to all the other “Señores.” It would seem as -if the present did not exist for them, as if the past only had life and -color. They discussed the news of the reporter, Don Nicanor, for a few -minutes with the pessimism that is characteristic of old age; then they -resumed their progress up the stream of time, plunging with supreme -satisfaction into the fogs of vanished years. Perhaps, along with old -age, they were influenced in this to<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_025" id="page_025"></a>{25}</span> some extent by the character -acquired in the practice of the law, a profession based on scientific -notions already stratified, a science purely historical, in which the -spirit of innovation is a heresy, and in which the judicial problems of -to-day are solved according to the standard of the Roman law or the -jurisdiction of the Visigoths. Thus it was that the reunions in the -house of the Señora de Pardiñas might be likened to a rock standing -motionless amid the ceaseless surge of the sea of life. The worthy -“Señores” did not see that among dusty and worm-eaten parchments, too, -living germs palpitate and the spirit of progress lives. Clinging to -vain formulas, they fancied they were the custodians of a sacred liquor, -when only the empty vase remained in their hands, and, treating of -innovations, they placed in the same category of heterodoxy the use of -the beard, inferior courts, trial by jury, and the revision of the -Codes.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_026" id="page_026"></a>{26}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="III" id="III"></a>III.</h2> - -<p><span class="smcap">This</span> assembly of sleep-walkers awakened to life and became animated at -the entrance Rogelio, who, before taking his afternoon drive or walk, -was in the habit of showing himself for a moment at the meeting, -laughing at what took place there, but good-naturedly, with the -mischievousness of a spoiled child. He had nicknamed it, “The Idle -Club.” Candás, on account of his bald yellow skull, he called “Lain -Calvo,” and the smooth-shaven and gallant Señor de Febrero, Nuño Rasura. -The servants called them by these names among themselves. Even the -Señora de Pardiñas laughed in secret, although she pretended to be vexed -and would say to the boy:</p> - -<p>“It is very wrong for you to turn<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_027" id="page_027"></a>{27}</span> them into ridicule, in that -way—those poor gentlemen who are all so fond of you!”</p> - -<p>And they were indeed fond of him. The moment Rogelio appeared it was as -if a ray of warm, golden sunlight had entered a closed and darkened room -where furniture, hangings, paper, and pictures have all acquired the -faded hue imparted by the dust and the damp. All the old men loved the -boy; one of them remembered him when he was a child in arms, another had -been present at his first communion; this one had brought him toys when -he had the scarlet-fever; that other, a professional colleague and the -intimate friend of his father, became a child again when he thought of -the baptismal sweetmeats. If they had acted according to their feelings, -notwithstanding the black fringe that adorned Rogelio’s upper lip, they -would have showered kisses on him, and brought him caramels and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_028" id="page_028"></a>{28}</span> -peanuts. For them he was always the little one, the boy. It was true -that by a curious illusion the worthy guests of Señora de Pardiñas were -disposed to regard the young as children and those of mature years as -young. They would say, for instance; “So Valdivieso is dead! Why, he was -in the prime of life, he was only a boy!” And it was necessary for the -malicious Asturian, putting his ear-trumpet, or his hand as a -substitute, to his ear, to interpose, “A boy indeed! a pretty sort of -children you are dreaming of, truly. Valdivieso was past fifty.” “He was -not so old as that, not so old as that!” “What do you mean? And the time -he was in his nurse’s arms and learning to walk, does that count for -nothing?”</p> - -<p>Where Rogelio was concerned, they carried to an extreme this whim of -forgetting the passage of time, and turning a deaf ear to the striking -of the clock. Every additional year he spent<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_029" id="page_029"></a>{29}</span> in the study of the law, -was for them a fresh wonder; they could not fancy him a lawyer: they -would have had him still at school learning to read. Once, on his return -from a summer excursion to San Sebastián, Señor de Rojas had said to him -with the utmost good faith:</p> - -<p>“What a fine time you must have had, eh? Running about and playing on -the beach all day, I suppose?”</p> - -<p>And the boy answered without betraying any annoyance, but with a grimace -of mischievous drollery:</p> - -<p>“Yes, indeed, splendid! I made holes in the sand, and built little -houses with it. I never enjoyed myself so much.”</p> - -<p>In reality the good heart of the young man had grown attached to the -assemblage of worthy old oddities who frequented the house. This very -Señor de Rojas, for example, inspired him with a feeling of affectionate -respect,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_030" id="page_030"></a>{30}</span> on account of the justness of his views, and his unquestioned -probity. If Themis should descend to this lower sphere, she might take -up her abode in the house of Señor Rojas and she would find there an -altar erected to her and her image (of wood, according to Candás). A -jealous interpreter of the law in its literal signification, Rojas -walked along the narrow path that lay before him, without turning to the -right hand or to the left, with head erect, and with a tranquil -conscience. Convinced of the exalted dignity of his position, he -complied with the requirements of social decorum at the expense of -incredible privations in his house, sympathized with and seconded in -this heroic conduct by his wife. In the exercise of his functions he was -influenced neither by considerations of politics nor of friendship. -Interests involving millions had been intrusted to him, without -awakening in him the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_031" id="page_031"></a>{31}</span> faintest touch of cupidity, which is only the -instinct of conservation expressing itself in the guise of -acquisitiveness. For this reason the honorable name of Prudencio Rojas -was pronounced, sometimes with veneration, sometimes with the disguised -and caustic irony which vice employs to discredit virtue. The sarcastic -Don Nicanor called Rojas a “puppet of the law.” He said that everything -about him, mind and character alike, was wooden, neither seeing nor -wishing to see that this kind of men, if laws were perfect as far as it -is possible for human laws to be, might, by their firmness and integrity -in applying them, bring back the golden age.</p> - -<p>Often, of an afternoon, especially if it was very cold, or if it snowed -or rained, Rogelio, instead of going out, would settle himself -comfortably in a corner of the broad sofa and listen to the drowsy chat -of the old people. Whenever<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_032" id="page_032"></a>{32}</span> he could he tried to turn the conversation -toward a subject for him full of interest, and one of which he never -tired—his native Galicia, which he had left when he was very young. -Almost all the party were either natives of that province or had spent -long periods of time there, filling positions in the court of Marineda, -and they expatiated on the benignity and salubrity of the climate, the -cheapness and the excellent quality of the food, the easy and cordial -manners of the people and the extraordinary beauty of the scenery.</p> - -<p>“I cannot understand why our amiable friend, Doña Aurora, does not take -the child to see his native place,” Señor de Febrero would say, stroking -the cushion of his crutch.</p> - -<p>“I am always intending to do so,” Señora Pardiñas would answer, “but it -is one of those plans that something always happens to interfere with. -The truth is, as you know, that up to the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_033" id="page_033"></a>{33}</span> present there has always been -some difficulty or other in the way.”</p> - -<p>“Say that you are very fond of your ease, <i>mater amabilis</i>,” her son -would interpose. “If it had depended upon you, you would have been a -tree that you might have taken root where you had happened to be -planted.”</p> - -<p>“Just as I take you to San Sebastián I might have taken you to Galicia, -child, but it has not been possible to do so. Do you think I don’t often -long myself to see my native place again? We who were born there—it is -foolishness—but our dearest wish is to go back to the old spot, and our -love for it never changes.”</p> - -<p>“And we who were not born there love it too,” added Don Nicanor Candás, -armed with his trumpet. “I would give my little finger now to spend a -year in Marineda; I would rather go there than to Oviedo or to Gijón.</p> - -<p>“But with me,” continued Señora<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_034" id="page_034"></a>{34}</span> Pardiñas, “something always occurred to -prevent me from carrying out my plan, as if the witches had interfered -in the matter. Do you long to see your native place again, before you -die? Well, wear yourself out with waiting until you are bent double with -old age. You shall hear the causes of my never going back there”—and -she would count them upon her fingers: “First, the difficulties in the -way of doing so. You leave your family, your home, your possessions, to -wander about the world, with a young child who is always delicate—from -Oviedo to Saragossa, then, on account of the Regency, to Barcelona, then -to the Supreme Court here. I was always saying to Pardiñas, ‘Resign your -position, man, resign your position, and let us return to the old land -and not leave our bones in a foreign soil. With what we have, we have -more than enough to live, and our family is not so large as to be a -burden to<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_035" id="page_035"></a>{35}</span> us.’ But you know what my poor husband was, there is no need -for me to tell you.”</p> - -<p>(A murmur of sympathy in the audience.)</p> - -<p>“He believed it was his duty to continue at his post to the end. And -whenever duty was in question—at any rate, that was his idea, and it -was necessary to respect it. And afterward, his health became so -wretched——”</p> - -<p>Here Señora Pardiñas’ voice grew slightly husky. She put her hand into -her pocket, and taking out her handkerchief blew her nose and then wiped -her eyes.</p> - -<p>“So that,” she repeated, with a sigh and a shrug of the shoulders, “when -the time came—And afterward you know how I was with my sisters-in-law, -the law-suits and the difficulties I was involved in. I thought I should -never be able to extricate myself from them. From home my old friends -wrote to<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_036" id="page_036"></a>{36}</span> me, ‘Come back, come back; in a day you will accomplish more -here than you could in a year there. What would you have?’ I was afraid -of the undertaking. With my rheumatism, to think of shutting myself up -in one of those coaches that you couldn’t open a window in if it was to -save your life! And when, well or ill, things were at last settled and -the tangle of the will was straightened out, lo and behold, they put a -railroad direct to Marineda. But by that time I had lost the wish to go, -for to return home to find myself at variance with all my -connections——”</p> - -<p>“Not with all of them, mamma; according to your own account there are -several who have taken our part.”</p> - -<p>“Bah, how can I tell? In our place, child, it is hard to know who is for -and who is against you. On that point I have had terrible -disappointments. When you least expect it, your friends betray you and -drive the knife into<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_037" id="page_037"></a>{37}</span> you up to the handle. To speak the truth, there we -are not frank and loyal, so to say, like the old Castillians.”</p> - -<p>“You talk like a book,” assented Señor de Candás, who never let slip an -opportunity of showing his claws. “The Galicians may have all the good -qualities you please, but so far as being tricky and slippery and -deceitful is concerned, there is no one who can beat them. Don’t trust -to the word of a Galician, for they have no faith; or, if they have, it -is Punic faith. What must the Galicians be when the gypsies don’t -venture to pass through their country lest they should be cheated by -them?”</p> - -<p>“Take care how you insult the old land,” said Rogelio.</p> - -<p>“Why, that is a well-known fact. No gypsy will go to Galicia. They are -trickier and more crafty than all the gypsies put together. And as for -going to law—Good Lord! They are born litigants. And they will be sure<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_038" id="page_038"></a>{38}</span> -to get the best of you; the most ignorant peasant there could wind you -around his finger.”</p> - -<p>“That is a proof,” responded Señor de Febrero, “that we are an -intelligent race; you will not deny that?”</p> - -<p>Señor de Candás, removing the silver tube from his ear so as not to find -himself in the necessity of replying to this observation, and, in order -to finish his argument to his own satisfaction, continued:</p> - -<p>“And there are simpletons, who call the Galicians clever! I call them -crafty. If they were clever, they would not be always sunk in poverty, -eaten up with envy, without ever making an effort to be anything better -than beggars and grumblers. They are more given to complaining than any -people I know. They are always crying and groaning about something.”</p> - -<p>The ivory skin of Señor de Febrero flushed a little, for he found it -impossible<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_039" id="page_039"></a>{39}</span> to accustom himself to the malignant rudeness of Lain Calvo.</p> - -<p>“You are a little severe, Señor Don Nicanor,” he said, “remember that we -Galicians are in the majority here. How would you like it if I were to -repeat to you now the vulgar saying, ‘Asturian, vain, bad Christian, -insane’?”</p> - -<p>“There are plenty of fools,” continued the imperturbable Crown -Solicitor, “who make a great show of surprise when they hear these -things, but every one knows them so well that no one thinks it necessary -to repeat them. The Galician, it is true, possesses some shrewdness, -especially when the question is how to cheat his neighbor, but for all -that he can neither cultivate any industry nor better his miserable -condition. There he is, contented with his crust of corn bread, a poor -creature, without clothes to his back, who never eats meat and who does -not drink a<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_040" id="page_040"></a>{40}</span> glass of wine even once in the year. With all his -reputation for smartness, he sometimes seems more stupid than the -Aragonese themselves. He is stingy and he would save an <i>ochavitu</i> even -if he had to scrape it from his skin with a file; but you need not fear -that he will ever think of investing this <i>ochavo</i>, or that he will have -the energy to work in earnest in the hope of saving a dollar. Nothing of -the kind. All he asks is to be let go on undisturbed in his lazy ways. -See, for instance, the network of railroads they have, and what use do -they make of them? They would not move a finger to attract summer -visitors. None of that desire to please, that neatness of the people of -our country.”</p> - -<p>“One must either choke this Don Nicanor or take no notice of what he -says,” exclaimed Nuño Rasura, furious, “for he won’t listen to argument. -Where is that network of railroads he<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_041" id="page_041"></a>{41}</span> talks about? A pretty network! -Full of holes. He wants everything to be done in a day; no one but God -can work miracles! Everything needs time and patience. Let Don Nicanor -take note of the growing importance of beautiful Vigo. Its cool climate, -its coasts and rivers are the admiration of the newspapers. And the -women—always excepting those present, but then my good friend is from -there, too. And the fish, the like of which is to be found nowhere else, -what do you say of that? My dear Doña Aurora, I have eaten neither -sardines nor soles since I left there. Just before the downfall of -O’Donnell, I remember we were taking baths in Marin, and they brought a -turbot to the door that——”</p> - -<p>Here the old man went on spinning the thread of memory, and Rogelio, -leaning with his elbow on the sofa, his cheek in the palm of his hand, -listened absorbed. It seemed to him as if he<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_042" id="page_042"></a>{42}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/ill_pg42.jpg" width="226" height="250" alt="Image unavailable: “Rogelio ... his cheek in the palm of his hand, listened -absorbed.”" /> -<br /> -<span class="caption">“Rogelio ... his cheek in the palm of his hand, listened -absorbed.”</span> -</div> - -<p class="nind">were listening to some family tradition. The apartment, and the people -in it assumed an air of friendly intimacy; the atmosphere, moral and -material, was genial; the world was as comfortable and easy for him as -the cushion against which he leaned. Each of the company was for him, if -not a father, at the least an uncle. Around him reigned sweet security; -and as in certain<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_043" id="page_043"></a>{43}</span> luxurious abodes embarrassment and privation betray -themselves, so in this modest dining-room was plainly visible domestic -comfort, the most perfect golden mediocrity that poet could dream or -philosopher desire. Harmony and moderation are always beautiful, and -Rogelio, without being able to define this beauty that surrounded him, -felt it and sheltered himself in it as the bird shelters itself among -the feathers of its nest. And while the blazing logs crackled in the -fireplace, and the sounds of the mortar came softened from the kitchen, -and the old men chatted and his mother knitted her stocking, the boy, -plunged in vague reverie, tried to picture to himself what that -beautiful country, that green Galicia, abounding in rivers, in flowers, -and in lovely girls was like.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_044" id="page_044"></a>{44}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="IV" id="IV"></a>IV.</h2> - -<p><span class="smcap">The</span> whole street—shopkeepers, peddlers, servants, and inhabitants—all -knew Rogelio; as the saying is, every one had some account to settle -with him. He was familiar with all the establishments, or rather, the -modest little shops for the sale of crockery, imported provisions, -novelties, cordage and periodicals, interspersed among the ancient and -imposing ancestral houses of the Calle Ancha, which was animated by the -presence of the students and by the passing up and down of the street -cars.</p> - -<p>But those with whom Rogelio was most intimate were the drivers of the -hackney coaches, of which there was a stand in the little square of -Santo Domingo. Doña Aurora seldom went out<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_045" id="page_045"></a>{45}</span> that a twinge of her -rheumatism or the cold or the heat did not decide her to send for one of -those vehicles, so shabby in appearance but so comfortable and -convenient. She called them, emphatically, her “equipages,” and declared -laughingly that her coach stood always waiting at the door with so -punctual a driver that he had never once kept her waiting. Rogelio, as -the only son of wealthy parents, indulged in a more luxurious mode of -conveyance; his mother allowed him to keep a dashing brougham and a pair -of spirited horses at the livery stable of Augustin Cuero, so that on -feast days he might drive in the Retiro, or wherever he might like. She -would not consent to his keeping a saddle horse, through fear of an -accident. But nothing in the world would have induced Señora Pardiñas -herself to make use of that toy equipage. She was perfectly satisfied -with her quiet hacks. Except on some special occasion<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_046" id="page_046"></a>{46}</span>—to make visits -of ceremony or the like—she cared not a jot whether her carriage had a -little extra varnish or her coachman wore gloves or a goat-skin cape. -Owing to the frequency with which she employed them and to judicious -tips all the drivers of the square were devoted to Doña Aurora, as well -as greatly attached to the Señorito, though he loved to torment them, -especially his compatriots, the Galicians, whom he was never tired of -teasing. He ridiculed their native land, he sang the <i>Muñeira</i> for them, -he spoke to them in the Galician dialect, like the servants in Ayála’s -comedies, and if by a miracle they were vexed, he would say:</p> - -<p>“I too, swift charioteer, am a Galician, a Galician of the Galicians.”</p> - -<p>To which they would answer:</p> - -<p>“What a droll señorito!”</p> - -<p>Whenever he went to engage a carriage for his mother the moment they -caught sight of him, if he was a league<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_047" id="page_047"></a>{47}</span> away, they would laugh and -lower the sign. And he would appear upon the scene addressing them -something in this fashion:</p> - -<p>“Winged Automedon, touch your fiery courser with the whip that he may -fly to my enchanted palace. Already the generous steed, impatient, -champs the golden bit. Behold him flecked with snowy foam. <i>Buloniu</i>, of -what were you thinking, that you did not perceive my approach?”</p> - -<p>“I was reading <i>La Correspondencia</i>, Señorito.”</p> - -<p>“<i>La Correspondencia!</i> What name have thy sacrilegious lips pronounced? -<i>La Correspondencia!</i> By the tail of Satan! A revolutionary, an -anarchical, a nihilistic sheet. Quick! Cast away that venom before thou -comest near the honorable dwelling of peaceful citizens. Hasten, run, -fly, coachman! Hurrah, Cossack of the desert! On, drunkard, demagogue!”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_048" id="page_048"></a>{48}</span></p> - -<p>The more extravagant the absurdities he strung together the more -delighted were the drivers.</p> - -<p>One morning Rogelio left the house wrapped up to the eyes in his cloak, -for these closing days of October were bitterly cold, although the -bright Madrid sun was shining in all its splendor. As usual, his errand -was to go in search of a carriage for Doña Aurora. On reaching the -corner of the square he caught sight of one of his favorite equipages—a -landau whose lining of Abellano shagreen was less soiled and worn than -that of the generality of those vehicles. The driver, a stout man, fair -and ruddy, answering to the name of Martin, was a Galician. Rogelio made -signs to him as he approached, crying:</p> - -<p>“Martin, Martin of the cape! Ho, with the imperial chariot!”</p> - -<p>The driver was conversing with a <span class="pagenum"><a name="page_049" id="page_049"></a>{49}</span>woman whose face was hidden from the -student, but at the sound of Rogelio’s voice she turned around and he -saw that she was young and not ill-looking, of humble appearance and -dressed in mourning.</p> - -<p>“Señorito, what a coincidence!” exclaimed Martin, as he recognized -Rogelio. “This young girl is looking for the señorito’s house and she -was just asking me the way there. She is a country-woman of ours. She -brings a letter——”</p> - -<p>“Will you let me look at the direction?” said the student, changing his -manner and the tone of his voice completely, as he addressed the young -girl.</p> - -<p>The girl handed him the note, for it was only a note.</p> - -<p>“Why, it is for mamma!” he said, as he looked at the superscription. -“Come with me; I will show you where the house is. Do you, driver, -follow in our resplendent wake with<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_050" id="page_050"></a>{50}</span> your imperial chariot, drawn by -that stately swan.”</p> - -<p>“Many thanks, Señorito,” said the girl in a sweet and well modulated -voice, and with the sing-song accent peculiar to the Galicians of the -coast. “There is no need for you to trouble yourself. I can see the door -of the house from here; the driver pointed it out to me.”</p> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 232px;"> -<img src="images/ill_pg50.jpg" width="232" height="480" alt="Image unavailable: “Will you let me look at the direction?”" /> -<br /> -<span class="caption">“Will you let me look at the direction?”</span> -</div> - -<p>“It is no trouble; I am going that way,” replied the young man.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_051" id="page_051"></a>{51}</span></p> - -<p>Without offering any further objection the girl walked with him in the -direction of the house. Rogelio instinctively took her left as he would -have done with a lady. He had not gone a dozen steps, however, before he -repented of his gallantry. In the first place, his companions would -ridicule him unmercifully if they should chance to meet him accompanying -so politely a girl wearing a shawl over her head and dressed in a plain -merino skirt. In the second place, Rogelio was at the age when a boy -brought up under maternal influence in the pure atmosphere of home -cannot avoid a feeling of painful shyness when brought in contact with -persons of the other sex with whom he is unacquainted. It is true that -women of an inferior station did not confuse him so much; young ladies -were like death to him; he always fancied they were making fun of him, -that everything they said to him was only in sport; to draw him<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_052" id="page_052"></a>{52}</span> out, -enjoy his confusion, and ridicule him afterward among themselves with -malicious and pitiless irony. Walking at the side of this girl dressed -in mourning, however, he experienced the same sort of confusion, for, -notwithstanding her humble dress, neither in her manner nor in her -appearance was there a trace of vulgarity. “Shall I speak to her?” he -said to himself. “Will she laugh at me? She will laugh at me more if I -say nothing. No, I must say something to her.” What he said—and with -the utmost seriousness, was:</p> - -<p>“Do you know whom that letter is from that you are taking to mamma?”</p> - -<p>“Why, certainly;” she replied; “it is from the young ladies at General -Romera’s. Don’t you know them?”</p> - -<p>“Of course I do. General Romera was a friend of papa’s. We have not seen -them for a long time.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_053" id="page_053"></a>{53}</span></p> - -<p>“Doña Pascuala, the elder, has been sick. She had something they call -<i>tonsilitis</i>. Ah, she was very ill!”</p> - -<p>“And is she better now?” asked Rogelio, for the sake of saying -something, for anxiety for Doña Pascuala’s tonsils would never have -deprived him of his sleep.</p> - -<p>“She is entirely well now. If she was not well I should not have left -her.”</p> - -<p>“Were you—living there?” (Rogelio did not venture to say <i>at service</i>.)</p> - -<p>“Yes, Señor, ever since I came from the old land.”</p> - -<p>“Ah, you are a Galician, then?”</p> - -<p>“There is no reason why I should be ashamed of it.”</p> - -<p>“Nor I either, <i>caramba</i>!”</p> - -<p>“No, Señor, no indeed. It is a very good country, better than Madrid or -than any other place in the world.”</p> - -<p>Rogelio smiled, pleased with the girl’s patriotism, and beginning to -feel<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_054" id="page_054"></a>{54}</span> at home with her, for she seemed to him incapable of ridiculing -any one. They were now near the house; Martin, who had gone on in -advance, stopped his hack, a task which was easier than to make him -start, and at the door stood Doña Aurora, making signs to her son.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_055" id="page_055"></a>{55}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="V" id="V"></a>V.</h2> - -<p>“<span class="smcap">Mamma</span>, here is some one with a love-letter for you.”</p> - -<p>“Who? This girl?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, Señora—from the Señoritas Romera,” said the young Galician.</p> - -<p>“Come here, let me see. Perhaps it is something that requires immediate -attention.”</p> - -<p>But no sooner had she torn open the envelope than she burst into a -laugh.</p> - -<p>“How crazy I am! Without my glasses—Here, child, read it you.”</p> - -<p>Rogelio unfolded the missive and began in a pompous voice:</p> - -<p>“High and mighty and most tormented lady: if your beauty——”</p> - -<p>“See, child; have sense and read what is set down there; there is a -terrible<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_056" id="page_056"></a>{56}</span> draught and the rheumatism in my joints won’t allow me to -stand here listening to nonsense.”</p> - -<p>In his natural tone of voice Rogelio read as follows:</p> - -<p>“Most respected friend: Esclavita Lamas, the bearer, will inform you of -the favor she desires; all we can say is that during the time she was -with us, she was most exemplary in her conduct and fulfilled her duties -faithfully; so much so that we are very sorry to lose her, as we have no -fault to find with her; quite the contrary.</p> - -<p>“Your old and affectionate friends,</p> - -<p class="r"> -“Pascuala and Mercedes Romera.”<br /> -</p> - -<p>“Is there nothing more, child?”</p> - -<p>“There is a foolish postscript that it is not necessary to read.”</p> - -<p>“A foolish postscript?”</p> - -<p>“Yes; asking why no one ever sees me now and saying that I must be grown -a fine-looking young fellow. The stereotyped, silly compliments—<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_057" id="page_057"></a>{57}</span>—”</p> - -<p>“I am always telling you so, child!” exclaimed his mother, with -vexation. “You never go to spend ten minutes at the house of these poor -ladies, who are so fond of you. They have seen you so petted that they -will think it is all my fault. Well, I speak to you often enough about -them. Pascuala and Mercedes! If you don’t go, I shall.”</p> - -<p>“But, <i>mater terribilis</i>, when I put my foot in that reception room, I -get so sleepy that I can do nothing but yawn!”</p> - -<p>“Well, they are a pair of saints.”</p> - -<p>“Amen; I don’t dispute their sanctity; I am only saying that they are -very tiresome and that they never stop talking. They keep up a duet like -the Germans in <i>La Diva</i>. ‘Rogelio, how is mamma?’ ‘And how are you -getting on with your studies?’<span class="lftspc">”</span> And he imitated the husky voice and -Malagan accent of the old maids.</p> - -<p>“What nonsense you talk,” said Señora de Pardiñas, repressing a smile,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_058" id="page_058"></a>{58}</span> -“I don’t know why Pascuala and Mercedes should make you sleepy.”</p> - -<p>“Unfathomable mysteries of the human heart. Profound arcana. In that -<i>dimora casta e pura</i> a fatal narcotic pervades the atmosphere.”</p> - -<p>“Humbug!”</p> - -<p>During this skirmish between mother and son the girl stood waiting, -motionless, with her eyes fixed upon the ground. Doña Aurora, at last -remembering her presence, turned toward her:</p> - -<p>“Excuse me, child; this letter says that you will tell me what you have -come to see me about. Will you come upstairs?”</p> - -<p>“No, Señora. Don’t put yourself to any trouble on my account. Here will -do just as well.”</p> - -<p>“Well, let me hear. Is it some favor you wish to ask of me?”</p> - -<p>“Favor? No, Señora. I would like to enter into service in your -house—or<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_059" id="page_059"></a>{59}</span> in the house of some other Galician family,” she added, after -a pause.</p> - -<p>Doña Aurora looked fixedly at the petitioner and fancied she reddened -slightly under her gaze.</p> - -<p>“You—were not contented at the Señoritas de Romera’s, then?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, Señora, I was contented enough—and I think they were pleased with -me, too. You can see that from the letter they gave me. As far as the -Señoritas are concerned I would be in glory, for they are as good as -they can be, not belittling others. God grant them every prosperity! -Only that sometimes—there are good people that one doesn’t find one’s -self at home with. Those ladies are from Malaga, in the Andalusian -country, and they have customs and dishes that I don’t understand. Even -their way of talking is strange to me. When they tell me to do a thing -and I don’t understand, I feel as if I had heard my death sentence.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_060" id="page_060"></a>{60}</span> -And, then, Señora, the truth before all—not to be among people of one’s -own country, never to hear it mentioned, even, makes one’s heart very -sad. For the half of the wages and with double the work I would rather -serve a person from my own place.”</p> - -<p>All this she said with an air of so much sincerity that Doña Aurora’s -good-will toward her increased, prepossessed in her favor as she already -was by the respectable and decorous bearing of the girl, so different -from the bold manners of the Madrid Menegildas. Only there was something -in the girl’s story that was not altogether clear to her. There must be -some mystery in all this. Before the door the driver was smoking his -cigarette, while the hack, with drooping head and projecting lower lip, -was dreaming of abundant fodder and delightful meadows.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_061" id="page_061"></a>{61}</span></p> - -<p>“Child,” said Señora Pardiñas. “I am going to sit down in the carriage. -As I am not as young as you are I feel tired standing, and my legs are -bending under me. If you don’t want to go upstairs, come over to the -carriage with me.”</p> - -<p>The little Galician helped Doña Aurora to settle herself in the vehicle, -and the latter when she was seated said:</p> - -<p>“Tell me, if you were so greatly attached to your country how was it -that you came here?”</p> - -<p>Ah, this time there was not the slightest doubt of it; it was a blush, -and a vivid blush, that dyed the girl’s cheeks. And when she answered -one must be deaf, and very deaf, not to perceive that she stammered, -especially at the first words.</p> - -<p>“Sometimes—one has—to do what one’s heart least prompts one to do, -Señora. We are children of fate. I<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_062" id="page_062"></a>{62}</span> was brought up by my uncle, the -parish priest of Vimieiro. It was the will of God to take him to himself -and I was left without a protector. To get one’s bread one must work. I -was a queen in my own house; now I am a servant. God be praised, and may -we never lose the power of our hands or our health.”</p> - -<p>“Why did you not go out to service there?” persisted Señora Pardiñas, -who had a keener scent than a bloodhound where a secret was concerned. -And that the secret was there she could not doubt on seeing that it was -not now a blush but a hot flame that passed over Esclavita’s face.</p> - -<p>“I—I couldn’t find a place,” she answered, in choking accents. “And -then, as everybody there knows me, I was ashamed.”</p> - -<p>Doña Aurora Pardiñas reflected for some two minutes, and speaking gently -to soften the harshness of the words:<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_063" id="page_063"></a>{63}</span></p> - -<p>“Let us see,” she said. “You can refer only to the Señoritas de Romera -who—knew nothing about you before you went to their house. Isn’t it so? -It would be well, then,—you will see that yourself,—if you could find -some one here who knew you at home who would recommend you.”</p> - -<p>The girl hesitated for an instant, and then said:</p> - -<p>“The Señorito Gabriel Pardo de la Lage and his sister know who I am.”</p> - -<p>“Rita Pardo? The wife of the engineer? I am very well acquainted with -her. And you say that she knows you?”</p> - -<p>The girl answered by raising her hand and shrugging her shoulders as -much as to say, “Why, ever since I was born!”</p> - -<p>“Well, child,” rejoined Señora Pardiñas, frankly, “I am sorry that you -should leave the Romeras. You could<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_064" id="page_064"></a>{64}</span> not find a better house or better -ladies.”</p> - -<p>“I do not deny that,” replied Esclavita with greater emphasis than -before, if possible; “only that I have told you the truth, Señora, as if -I were talking to my dead mother or to the confessor. I was seized with -homesickness, and if I hadn’t left them I think I should have lost my -reason or have gone straight to my grave. I couldn’t eat. I would go off -by myself to a corner to think. I grew paler and paler every day, and so -thin that my clothes hung loose on me. At night I had fits of choking, -as if some one was tightening a rope about my neck. But in spite of all -that I was loth to say anything to the Señoritas. They saw it -themselves, though, and they were the first to advise me, if I did not -go back home, to look for a place with some family from there! ‘Child, -you are so altered that you<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_065" id="page_065"></a>{65}</span> don’t look like the same person,’ were the -very words they used.”</p> - -<p>As she said this, Esclavita’s chin trembled like a child’s when it is -making an effort to keep from bursting into sobs. Her eyes could not be -seen, as she had cast them down, according to her wont.</p> - -<p>“Calm yourself,” Señora Pardiñas said kindly. She was beginning to -conceive an irresistible sympathy for this girl, whose bearing was so -modest and whose heart was apparently so tender. How different she was -from the impudent servants of Madrid, the gadabouts of the suburbs, -shameless termagants who could not stay in any decent house. It was not -two hours ago that Pepa, the house-maid, for a mere nothing had thrown -aside all decency and scolded like a fishwoman. This little Galician -might have had—well, some slip—for the reasons she gave for leaving -her native place did<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_066" id="page_066"></a>{66}</span> not seem all clear; but her whole appearance was -so—well, so like that of an honest woman—God alone knew how the poor -thing had been tempted.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/ill_pg66.jpg" width="294" height="340" alt="Image unavailable: “‘See,’ she said, putting her head out of the carriage -door.”" /> -<br /> -<span class="caption">“‘See,’ she said, putting her head out of the carriage -door.”</span> -</div> - -<p>“See,” she said, putting her head out of the carriage door, “for the -present I cannot give you a decided answer as to whether I will take you -or<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_067" id="page_067"></a>{67}</span> not. Come to the house to see me to-morrow morning about this time. -I should be glad to—but I must think the matter over. If I should not -be able to take you myself, I will look for a place for you with some -other Galician family. Tell me your conditions, in case any one else -should want to know.”</p> - -<p>Esclavita, meantime, stood rolling an end of her black silk handerchief -between her thumb and forefinger.</p> - -<p>“May God reward you!” she answered. “As for the wages, a dollar more or -a dollar less makes no difference to me. Work does not frighten me. I -would not engage as a cook, for I don’t know how to make those fine -dishes that are the fashion now. I understand simple dishes like those -of my native place. In everything else I think I could give -satisfaction—in the cleaning, the mending, and the ironing. All I ask -is that in the family you look<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_068" id="page_068"></a>{68}</span> for there should not be—well, men, -who——”</p> - -<p>“I understand, I understand,” interrupted Doña Aurora. And she added -jestingly, “But in that case, tell me why you want to come to my house. -Haven’t you seen that there is a man in it?”</p> - -<p>And she pointed to Rogelio who, relieved from his embarrassment by his -mother’s presence, stood leaning against the carriage door, looking at -the girl. Esclavita followed the direction of Señora Pardiñas’ hand; for -the first time her eyes, green, changeful, sincere, rested on the -student. After a pause she said with a smile:</p> - -<p>“Is that young gentleman your son? May God spare him to you for many -years. That isn’t the kind of man I mean, he is only a boy.”</p> - -<p>Rogelio changed countenance as if he had received the most outrageous -insult. He tried to disguise his annoyance<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_069" id="page_069"></a>{69}</span> by a laugh, but the laugh -died away in his throat. It must be confessed that he even felt his eyes -fill with tears of vexation. It was one of those moments of insensate -and profound rage which must come at one time or another to the man -whose childhood has been unduly prolonged; moments in which he desires, -as if it were the highest good, to possess the bitter treasure of -experience—sorrows, disappointments, trials, struggles, sickness, gray -hairs, wrinkles, calamities, betrayal of friendship and of love—all, -all, so that he may hear the supreme word, so that he may taste the -fruit of good and evil, the immortal apple, golden on the one side, -blood-red on the other. All, so that he may fulfill the destiny of -humanity, all, so that he may pass through the cycle of life.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_070" id="page_070"></a>{70}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="VI" id="VI"></a>VI.</h2> - -<p><span class="smcap">When</span> the driver whipped up his horse, Señora Pardiñas called out to her -son, who was on the box:</p> - -<p>“Give him Rita Pardo’s direction.”</p> - -<p>Rogelio obeyed; but when they reached the house in the dingy Calle del -Pez, in which the engineer’s wife lived, he jumped down and opening the -carnage door, said to his mother:</p> - -<p>“I won’t go in. To make your inquiries you have no need of me.”</p> - -<p>“And where are you going now?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, to take a turn,” responded the student, indifferently, with a -farewell gesture of the hand which betrayed the impatience of the boy -growing into manhood to assert his manly independence, something like -the nervous fluttering of the wings of the bird<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_071" id="page_071"></a>{71}</span> when his cage door is -opened to him. Without further explanation he drew his cloak more -closely about him and disappeared around the nearest corner. His mother -followed him with her eyes as long as he remained in sight, then she -sighed to herself and half smiled. “It must come some day,” she thought. -“He is at an age when the reins cannot be held too tightly. Of course, -the poor boy does not impose upon me, that is only to show his -independence; he will look in at a few shop-windows, buy half-a-dozen -periodicals, and take a turn or two with any friend he chances to meet, -and then go to the apothecary’s. If I could only see him strong, robust, -burly—there are boys at his age that are perfect giants that have a -beard like a forest. He is so delicate, and so puny! Our Lady of Succor, -bring me safely through!”</p> - -<p>These maternal anxieties had calmed down by the time Señora Pardiñas,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_072" id="page_072"></a>{72}</span> -releasing her grasp on the banister of the stairs, had rung the bell of -Rita Pardo’s apartment—a third floor with the pretensions of a first. -The door was opened by a girl of eleven or twelve, pale, black-eyed, -with her hair in disorder, her dress in still greater disorder, who as -soon as she saw the visitor ran away, crying:</p> - -<p>“Mamma! Mamma! Señora de Pardiñas!”</p> - -<p>“Show her into the parlor; I will come directly,” answered a woman’s -voice from the inner regions of kitchen or pantry. Doña Aurora, without -waiting for the permission, was already entering the parlor, a perfect -type of middle-class vulgarity, full of showy objects, and without a -single solid or artistic piece of furniture. There were three or four -chairs covered with plush of various colors, an <i>étagère</i> on which were -some cast-metal statuettes; several trumpery ornaments<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_073" id="page_073"></a>{73}</span> and silver -articles which were there only because they were silver; two -oil-paintings in oval frames, portraits of the master and the mistress -of the house, dressed in their Sunday finery; on the floor was a -moquette carpet, badly swept. It was evident that the parlor was seldom -cleaned or aired, and the carpet gave unmistakable indications of the -presence of children in the house.</p> - -<p>At the end of ten minutes, Rita Pardo, the engineer’s wife, made her -appearance. She came in fastening the last button of a morning gown, too -fine for the occasion, of pale blue satin trimmed with cream-colored -lace, which she had put on without changing her undergarments soiled in -her household tasks. She had powdered her face, and put on her -bracelets. Although she was no longer young and her figure had lost its -trimness, neither maternity nor time had been able to<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_074" id="page_074"></a>{74}</span> dim her piquant -beauty, but the coquette whom we remember laying her snares for her -cousin, the Marquis of Ulloa, had been transformed into a circumspect -matron, with that veneering of decorum under which only the keen eye of -the student of human nature could discover the real woman, such as she -was, and would ever remain; for the real man and the real woman, however -they may disguise themselves, do not change. She greeted Señora de -Pardiñas cordially, with her usual, “What a pleasure to see you, Aurora! -Heavens! in this life of Madrid months may pass without seeing one’s -friends or knowing whether they are living or dead. You have caught me -like a fright. The mornings are terrible—they slip away in listening to -idle chatter and sending and receiving messages. How sorry Eugenio will -be——”</p> - -<p>No sooner had Doña Aurora<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_075" id="page_075"></a>{75}</span> broached the subject of her visit than Rita -Pardo suspended the flow of her talk and waited to hear further, with -evident curiosity depicted in her voluptuous black eyes, and on her -hard, fresh mouth. A series of ambiguous gestures and malicious little -laughs was the prelude to the following commentary:</p> - -<p>“What do you tell me? What do you tell me? Esclavita Lamas. The rector -of Vimieiro’s Esclavita Lamas! Ta, ta, ta, ta, ta! And how has Esclavita -Lamas happened to come across you?—Isn’t she a girl with auburn hair?”</p> - -<p>“I don’t know whether her hair is auburn or not. She wears a shawl over -her head. She is in deep mourning and looks very neat. Her appearance is -greatly in her favor.”</p> - -<p>“Well, well, well! Esclavita Lamas! Who would have thought it! Yes, she -is, as we say in our part of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_076" id="page_076"></a>{76}</span> country, very demure, very mannerly; -she talks so soft and low that at times you can scarcely hear her. She -smells a hundred leagues off of the sacristy and of incense. A little -saint!”</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/ill_pg76.jpg" width="340" height="238" alt="Image unavailable: “Who would have thought it!”" /> -<br /> -<span class="caption">“Who would have thought it!”</span> -</div> - -<p>Doña Aurora was more discouraged than was reasonable by this preamble; -she resolved, however, to disguise her feelings and to find out the -truth, the whole truth, even though it should grieve her to the heart to -hear any ill<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_077" id="page_077"></a>{77}</span> of the girl, in whom she was deeply interested.</p> - -<p>“So that you know her very well?” she said.</p> - -<p>“Heavens! As well as I know my own fingers. Indeed I know her! Lamas -Tarrío was a great friend of the family even while he was in the other -parish in the mountains before papa presented him for Vimieiro. He -always lived in our house, and he was very fond of making presents. What -lard, what cheese, what eggs at Easter and what capons at Christmas he -used to give us! Papa thought a great deal of him, for in the mountains -he took charge of the collecting of the rents. In short, he was devoted -to us. He was indebted to papa, too, for a great many favors, important -favors, Doña Aurora.”</p> - -<p>“Well, what I want to know is what relates to the girl. If her -antecedents are good, and I can admit her into my<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_078" id="page_078"></a>{78}</span> house, I shall be -glad of it. I am not satisfied with Pepa, and I have taken a liking to -this girl.”</p> - -<p>Rita Pardo smiled maliciously, as she smoothed out the lace of her left -sleeve, a little crumpled with use. She arched her eyebrows, and made a -grimace difficult of interpretation.</p> - -<p>“Um! Good antecedents may mean much or little, as you know. What is good -for one is only middling for another. In that matter, some people are -more particular than others. If the girl pleases you so much——”</p> - -<p>“No, not so fast!” exclaimed Señora de Pardiñas, alarmed. “For me good -antecedents are good antecedents, neither more nor less. Be frank and -tell me all you know, for that is what I have come for; and now with the -thorn of suspicion you have planted in my mind, I would not take the -girl, not if she were crowned with glory, unless you explain to me—<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_079" id="page_079"></a>{79}</span>—”</p> - -<p>Rita smoothed out her lace again, and gave a little sigh of -embarrassment as she answered:</p> - -<p>“Aurora, there are certain things that, no matter how public they may -be, one cannot have it on one’s conscience to reveal them. You know -nothing about the matter, eh? Then it would be very ugly on my part to -enlighten you. So much the better if it has not reached your ears; it is -an advantage for Esclavita. And you can take her without any hesitation; -I am certain she will turn out an excellent servant.”</p> - -<p>“You are jesting, Rita,” said Señora de Pardiñas, letting her growing -irritation get the better of her, “You envelop the affair in mystery, -you make a mountain out of it, and then you tell me that I may take -Esclavita. No, child; in my house people are not received in that way, -without knowing<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_080" id="page_080"></a>{80}</span> anything about them. Explain what you mean——”</p> - -<p>When the interview had reached this point Rita assumed a manner that was -almost discourteous; she threw herself back, her nostrils dilated, her -bosom swelled, and she began to excuse herself from answering with an -air of offended dignity and wounded modesty.</p> - -<p>When, after exhausting all her arguments, Doña Aurora obtained for her -sole response, “I am very sorry, but it is impossible,” she rose, -without troubling herself to conceal the annoyance this impertinent -affectation of modesty had given her. She was just saying angrily, -“Excuse my having come to trouble you,” when after a loud ring at the -bell, followed by exclamations in a childish voice in the hall, the -eldest girl—the twelve-year-old madcap, rushed joyfully into the -parlor, crying:<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_081" id="page_081"></a>{81}</span></p> - -<p>“Mamma! mamma! Uncle Gabriel!”</p> - -<p>Then, the widow Pardiñas, with sudden inspiration, planted her feet -firmly on the floor, saying to herself:</p> - -<p>“Now I shall have my revenge. Now you shall see, hypocritical cat, -impostor, humbug!”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_082" id="page_082"></a>{82}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="VII" id="VII"></a>VII.</h2> - -<p><span class="smcap">The</span> commandant, dressed in the costume of a peasant, unceremoniously -entered the room with his niece, who was the apple of his eye, his arm -encircling her waist as if he was going to dance a waltz with her. In -the salutation he exchanged with his sister, however, Doña Aurora could -detect a shade of coldness, not far removed from dislike, a feeling -which can sometimes be dissimulated where strangers are concerned, but -never where its object is a member of one’s family. After the customary -salutations and compliments, Señora de Pardiñas, who did not belie her -race so far as wiliness and obstinacy were concerned, said tentatively:</p> - -<p>“Well, I will leave you now. After all, I did not find out what I had -<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_083" id="page_083"></a>{83}</span>come to learn, and consequently—— Your sister is very reserved, Señor -de Pardo.”</p> - -<p>“Upon my faith, I have never thought so,” answered the artilleryman -bluntly, almost rudely.</p> - -<p>“Well, every one speaks of the fair according to the bargain he has -made. With me she has shown herself extraordinarily reticent.” And -without heeding the gesture or the glance of Rita, she continued -undaunted: “For the last quarter of an hour I have been asking -information from her in vain about a young countrywoman of ours, -Esclavita Lamas, the niece of the rector of Vimieiro.”</p> - -<p>Pardo listened like one in whose memory some vague recollection has been -awakened.</p> - -<p>“Stay—let me think—Vimieiro—Lamas—Lamas Tarrío. He was an intimate -friend of papa’s. Rita knows all about him; she has the whole story at<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_084" id="page_084"></a>{84}</span> -her fingers’ ends.—What objection have you to tell it to Doña Aurora?”</p> - -<p>A caricaturist desiring to represent <i>bourgeois</i> dignity in its most -exaggerated form might have copied with exactness the features and -expression of Rita as, arching her brows and pointing to her eldest -daughter leaning against the commandant’s knees, she exclaimed -impressively:</p> - -<p>“The child!”</p> - -<p>“Well, what of the child?” responded Don Gabriel, imitating his sister’s -tragic tone. “Is it one of those shocking things that innocent ears must -not hear—that the cat has had kittens, for instance?”</p> - -<p>“Gabriel, you are dreadful,” groaned Rita, casting up her beautiful -southern eyes. “When one is killing one’s self, trying to make your -nieces what they ought to be in society, you must do your best to—there -is no use in trying to struggle against people’s dispositions.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_085" id="page_085"></a>{85}</span></p> - -<p>“Well,” insisted the obstinate Doña Aurora, “I come back to my -complaint. Rita, don’t say that it was for the child’s sake that you -refused to give me the information I asked. The child was not present, -and even if she had been, by sending her out of the room——”</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/ill_pg85.jpg" width="330" height="254" alt="Image unavailable: “Well, what of the child?”" /> -<br /> -<span class="caption">“Well, what of the child?”</span> -</div> - -<p>“Which is what I am going to do now. Eugenita, child, go practice your -Concone.”</p> - -<p>The girl left the room, much against<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_086" id="page_086"></a>{86}</span> her will, casting on her uncle, as -she went, a couple of affectionate farewell glances; but no scale or -study was heard to tell that she had shut herself in the musical -torture-chamber in which our young ladies, worthy of a better fate, are -condemned to dislocate their fingers daily.</p> - -<p>“You shall hear,” said Doña Aurora, emphatically, “now that we can speak -freely. The question is that that girl, Esclavita Lamas, wants to enter -my service; and that I, for my part, am greatly pleased with what I have -seen of her. But I know nothing about her past, nor why she left her -native place. There seems something odd in the whole affair. Your sister -knows the story, and neither for God’s sake nor the saints’ will she -tell it to me. There you have the cause of our dispute. It was beginning -to grow serious when you came in.”</p> - -<p>“The story,” said Gabriel, nervously<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_087" id="page_087"></a>{87}</span> wiping his gold-rimmed spectacles, -and putting them on again carefully. “Wait a moment, Señora; for if my -treacherous memory does not deceive me—Rita, is not that the Father -Lamas who took a poor girl off the street into his house for charity? -Tell the truth, or I shall write this very day to Galicia to inquire.”</p> - -<p>“Heavens! What notions you have! You are growing more unbearable every -day—Was I not going to tell you the truth? Yes, that was the Lamas, and -since you insist upon opening his grave, and dragging him out to public -shame, do it you, for I don’t want to have such a thing on my -conscience.”</p> - -<p>“It should weigh more heavily upon your conscience,” replied Gabriel, -with vehemence, “to try to prevent the girl getting her place on account -of the sins of others. Now I can tell you the whole story, Doña Aurora, -by an end I have unwound the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_088" id="page_088"></a>{88}</span> skein; it is the same with stories as with -an old tune—if one remembers the first bar, one can sing the whole of -it through without a mistake. And I can tell you that it is a novel, a -real novel.”</p> - -<p>“It may seem so to you,” said Rita, venomously, pulling the lace of her -sleeves again. “As for me—there are certain things—— Well, I wash my -hands of it.”</p> - -<p>Doña Aurora concealed the satisfaction her victory gave her, but, a -woman after all, she said to herself, casting a side glance at Rita:</p> - -<p>“I’ve got the best of you, hypocrite!”</p> - -<p>“You shall hear,” began the commandant. “This Father Lamas was a -simple-minded man, illiterate as all the rural clergy were at that -time,—now they are much more enlightened,—and not over-intelligent; -but he performed all his parochial duties faithfully, and if<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_089" id="page_089"></a>{89}</span> he -committed faults he succeeded in hiding them. If you cannot be chaste, -be cautious, as the saying is. Well, one night there came to the door of -the rectory a girl, about tea years old, an orphan, who lived upon -charity; in one house they gave her a piece of corn bread, in another a -bundle of corn leaves to sleep upon, here a ragged shawl, there a pair -of old shoes. In this way the wretched girl managed to live. The rector -took pity upon her and said to her: ‘Stay here; you can learn housework; -you will have clothes to wear, a bed to sleep in, and good hot soup to -nourish you.’ And so it was decided—the girl stayed.”</p> - -<p>“The girl was Esclavita?”</p> - -<p>“No, Señora, no Señora. Wait a while. The girl turned out bright and -capable; she put away from her her melancholy, as they say in our -country, and she even grew rosy and handsome. And—” here the voice of -the commandant<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_090" id="page_090"></a>{90}</span> took a sarcastic tone—“when the flower of maidenhood -bloomed—”</p> - -<p>“Oh, Gabriel,” remonstrated Rita, “certain things should be spoken of in -a different way. There is no need of entering into details that——”</p> - -<p>“Bah!” said Doña Aurora. “We are all of us married and I am an old -woman. We know all about it and are not to be so easily shocked as that -comes to, my dear. Go on. What came afterward?”</p> - -<p>“Afterward came Esclavita.”</p> - -<p>Although Señora Pardiñas had affirmed that she <i>knew all about it</i>, this -piece of information, given thus suddenly, almost made her jump in her -chair.</p> - -<p>“Ah!” she exclaimed, and then looked very thoughtful. “That is why the -poor girl—well, and afterward?”</p> - -<p>“Afterward,” cried Rita impetuously, unable to keep silent any longer, -“papa<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_091" id="page_091"></a>{91}</span> had the greatest difficulty to pacify Señor Cuesta, the Cardinal -Archbishop. As the Archbishop himself was so virtuous he maintained -strict discipline and permitted no misconduct. If it were not for all -papa’s efforts with his eminence, to-day one entreaty and to-morrow -another, Lamas Tarrío would have been deprived of his license and would -have been left to rot in the ecclesiastical prison. For it is one thing -for a priest to commit a fault that no one knows anything about, and -another to scandalize his parishioners, bringing up the child in his own -house, outraging public opinion, petting and indulging her——”</p> - -<p>“My father,” said Gabriel, interrupting his sister, “with one hand -smoothed down the Archbishop and with the other hammered away at the -sinner. By dint of exhortations he succeeded in having the siren sent -away from the rectory; but Lamas<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_092" id="page_092"></a>{92}</span> continued to see her. At last papa -took a firm stand and prevailed on him to allow the mother to be sent to -Montevideo, on condition that he was permitted to keep the child.”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” again interposed Rita, “a fine remedy that was, worse than the -disease. The man became wilder and more reckless than he had been -before. He spent night after night without closing an eye, crying and -screaming. He had a rush of blood to the head—he was in our house at -the time—so that they were obliged to apply more than forty leeches to -him at once, and the blood that came was as black as pitch. We thought -he would go mad; he would go about the corridors tearing his hair, -calling on the woman’s name with maudlin expressions of endearment.”</p> - -<p>As Rita said this her brother observed that the curtains of the -adjoining room moved as if they had been stirred by a breath of -hoydenish curiosity, and the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_093" id="page_093"></a>{93}</span> outlines of an inquisitive little nose -were vaguely defined against them.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/ill_pg93.jpg" width="272" height="328" alt="Image unavailable: “The outlines of an inquisitive little nose were vaguely -defined against them.”" /> -<br /> -<span class="caption">“The outlines of an inquisitive little nose were vaguely -defined against them.”</span> -</div> - -<p>“See,” he said, “now it is you who are getting beyond your depth. All -that has nothing whatever to do with the case. Let us end the story at -once, and let me tell it in my own way. Poor<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_094" id="page_094"></a>{94}</span> Lamas became so ill that -the Archbishop himself was sorry for him, and sent for him to cheer him -and inspire him with thoughts of penitence. And in effect, in process of -time he grew calmer and even behaved himself very well afterward. The -only fault to be found with him was that he brought up the child with -extraordinary indulgence; but as the feelings of a father, even when -they contravene both human and divine laws, have something sacred, -people shut their eyes to this. He introduced the girl as his niece. As -such children do not inherit, the priest saved up money, ounce upon -ounce, which he put into Esclavita’s own hand; but the girl, who had -turned out very discreet and very devout, and, in addition to that, very -unselfish, when Lamas died, gave all this money, in gold as she had -received it, for masses and prayers for the soul of the sinner. This act -alone will give you an idea of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_095" id="page_095"></a>{95}</span> girl’s character. There are not many -girls who would do so much even if they had been born in a better -station and in a more orthodox manner.”</p> - -<p>“As my brother is of a romantic turn he sees things in that way,” -interposed Rita.</p> - -<p>“Señora de Pardiñas, I give you my word as a gentleman that I neither -add nor diminish. That girl, in my opinion, would be capable of going -bare-footed on a pilgrimage to any part of the world in order to get the -soul of the rector of Vimieiro out of purgatory.”</p> - -<p>“And well he would need it,” said Rita, “and her mother too, who, by all -accounts, does not lead the life of a saint over there in America.”</p> - -<p>“Good Heavens! How merciless you women can be, who have never had to -suffer for the want of consideration or of bread,” exclaimed Pardo, now -really angry. “I do not err on the side of philanthropy, but there are -certain<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_096" id="page_096"></a>{96}</span> things that I cannot understand in people who make a boast of -being good Christians and who go to mass and say their prayers. Fine -prayers those are! Is that what you understand by charity? Well, my -dear, I declare that Esclavita is worth more than——”</p> - -<p>Fortunately he restrained himself in time and ended:</p> - -<p>“Than some other people. How is she to blame for her parents’ faults? -Tell me that! And she is expiating them as if she had committed them. -She even left her native place, it seems, so as not to be where people -know and remember and discuss——”</p> - -<p>“I would swear the same thing,” asserted Doña Aurora warmly. “Now I know -why it was that she became so confused when she was asked certain -questions. I am of the same opinion as you, Pardo, that she is good, -that she has noble sentiments, and that those traits do her honor.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_097" id="page_097"></a>{97}</span></p> - -<p>“Yes, be guided by my brother, admit her into your house,” exclaimed -Rita, with a spiteful and insolent laugh. “For giving advice, Gabriel -has a special gift. I tremble when he and my husband get together. If -Eugenio were to be led by him we should be living on charity. Take that -girl on your hands, and you will see how it will end. Then you will say, -‘Rita Pardo was right after all.’<span class="lftspc">”</span></p> - -<p>Señora Pardiñas thought within herself:</p> - -<p>“I will take her if only to spite you, hypocrite, impostor. I have taken -your measure, now.”</p> - -<p>When Gabriel was going out, he found his eldest niece waiting for him in -the reception room. He caught her by the waist, and lifting her up to a -level with his mouth, whispered in her ear:</p> - -<p>“Good little girls, if they want Uncle Gabriel to love them, must not<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_098" id="page_098"></a>{98}</span> -go peeping and spying and hiding themselves behind portières. They must -obey mamma because she is mamma, and she will not tell them to do -anything wrong. Take care and don’t bite, little lizard. Good little -girls—are good. Ah-h-h! my cravat!”</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/ill_pg98.jpg" width="160" height="266" alt="Image unavailable: “He caught her up by the waist.”" /> -<br /> -<span class="caption">“He caught her up by the waist.”</span> -</div> - -<p>“Uncle Gabriel, will you take me with you?” coaxed the little madcap. -“With you, yes; with you, no; with<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_099" id="page_099"></a>{99}</span> you, yes, I will go. Come, take me -with you!”</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/ill_pg99.jpg" width="252" height="198" alt="Image unavailable: “The commandant threw a kiss to the girl, which she -promptly returned.”" /> -<br /> -<span class="caption">“The commandant threw a kiss to the girl, which she -promptly returned.”</span> -</div> - -<p>“To Leganes it is that I will take you. Be good now! Study your French -lesson! Comb that mane of yours! Run into the kitchen to see what the -girl is about there! Papa likes his roast beef well done! See to papa’s -roast beef!”</p> - -<p>As he crossed the threshold the commandant threw a kiss to the girl, -which she promptly returned.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_100" id="page_100"></a>{100}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="VIII" id="VIII"></a>VIII.</h2> - -<p><span class="smcap">Doña Aurora</span> was in the habit of taking her son his chocolate every -morning before he was out of bed, for, old-fashioned in many other -respects, the household was old-fashioned also in the matter of early -rising. Those were delightful moments for the doting mother.</p> - -<p>The boy, as she called him, felt on awakening that causeless joy -peculiar to the springtime of life, that season when each new day seems -to come fresh from the hands of time, golden and beautiful, and -embellished with delights, before painful memories have begun to weigh -down the fluttering wings of hope. Rogelio, who in the afternoon -suffered from occasional fits of nervous depression, in the morning<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_101" id="page_101"></a>{101}</span> was -as gay and sprightly as a bird. Even his chatter resembled the chirping -of birds or the cooing of infants when they open their eyes in the -morning. His mother, after removing the articles of clothing and the -books lying about, would seat herself at his bed-side and hold the tray, -so that the chocolate might not spill as the boy dipped the golden -biscuits into it, while a glass of pure fresh milk stood beside it -waiting its turn.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/ill_pg101.jpg" width="328" height="214" alt="Image unavailable: “His mother ... would seat herself at his bed-side and -hold the tray.”{102}" /> -<br /> -<span class="caption">“His mother ... would seat herself at his bed-side and -hold the tray.”{102}</span> -</div> - -<p>And what anxiety and trouble this glass of milk cost Doña Aurora! She -knew more on the subject than the entire municipal board of chemists; -without analysis or instruments or other nonsense of the kind, she could -distinguish, simply by looking at it, by its color and its odor, every -grade and quality of milk that is consumed in Madrid. For her hopes of -seeing Rogelio grow robust were all centered in that glass of milk drank -before going to college, and in the beefsteak eaten after returning from -it.</p> - -<p>While he was taking his chocolate, it was that all the events of the -preceding day were discussed, the amusing skirmishes between Nuño Rasura -and Lain Calvo, the college jokes, the latest crime, last night’s fire, -together with all the trifling incidents of that home so truly peaceful -like many another in the capital, notwithstanding the provincial -superstition that Madrid<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_103" id="page_103"></a>{103}</span> is a perpetual whirlpool or vortex, Rogelio’s -first words on the morning following the day of the Galician’s -application were to ask his mother with ill-disguised interest:</p> - -<p>“Well, what did they tell you about the fair maid—of all work?”</p> - -<p>There was nothing strange or out of the way in his asking this question, -and yet Doña Aurora was somewhat embarrassed by it, and hesitated -whether she should tell him what she had heard or keep it to herself. -No, it would be more prudent to say nothing about it. It was a serious -matter, and if Rogelio should be wanting in discretion—it was necessary -to proceed with caution.</p> - -<p>“See, little mouse, in the first place I must tell you that I have -dismissed Pepa.”</p> - -<p>“Hello! Is a change of ministry to take place here without my being -consulted in the matter?”</p> - -<p>“You shall hear! She was getting<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_104" id="page_104"></a>{104}</span> to be very conceited, very fond of -answering back. So I handed her her wages. I will bear anything from -them but answering back. I suppose there was a lover in the business or -she would not——. To tell the truth I am tired of these Madrid -servants, they are so upsetting and unbearable with their airs and -assurance. I prefer a modest, docile girl. With a civil word you can -conquer me, I can’t help it. If you were to see that Pepa, as stubborn -as a mule and as wild as a mountain rabbit. Ah, I can’t believe that she -is gone!”</p> - -<p>“<i>Mater</i>, enough of <i>prolegomena</i>,” exclaimed the boy, dipping the end -of his biscuit into the milk. “All this means that you are going to take -the black-robed Unknown. She found her way straight into your heart -through your eyes. We all have our weaknesses.”</p> - -<p>“Don’t be foolish. What I want<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_105" id="page_105"></a>{105}</span> is that things should run smoothly in -the house. That is a deserving girl. When I say so——”</p> - -<p>Ah! those resolutions to be reticent, those determinations to be -discreet, shun them as you would fire, for they open wide the door to -unrestrained confidences. Señora de Pardiñas meant to be silent, but who -is silent after letting out the first hint. Nor would Rogelio have given -her any peace. Besides, Doña Aurora in her heart was eager to recount -her triumph and tell how she had got the best of that hypocritical -humbug, Rita Pardo. This sweet satisfaction was the reward of her -victory. There is a pleasure whose origin cannot be defined but whose -attraction we almost all feel, in relating these tragic episodes of -human life which by their reaction on society affect us all, which -interest us, because they appeal to our sentiments of compassion and -justice, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_106" id="page_106"></a>{106}</span> at the same time present to us grave problems, not for our -solution, but only for our consideration, as we consider the argument of -a tragedy which we see represented on the stage and which arouses our -horror and pity. Rogelio, leaning with his elbow on his pillow and with -wide open eyes, waited eagerly for his mother’s romantic story.</p> - -<p>“You see,” said the latter, when she had finished her story, “that we -must treat the poor girl with some consideration. In the circumstances -she could not have behaved better than she has done. She has shown -herself to be remarkably unselfish, and along with that, religious and -discreet. As far as I understand she believes herself to be under a ban, -and that she must bear the sins of her parents, and it makes her ashamed -that in her native place they should see her and remember what has -happened. We must be<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_107" id="page_107"></a>{107}</span> very careful how we speak to her. Her father we -must not even mention; still less her mother—for the wretched woman is -still living and wandering about the world, leading Heaven knows what -sort of a life.”</p> - -<p>“Well,” responded Rogelio, recovering his good humor, “it seems then -that we are to regard the girl as if she were a mushroom. If the -question ever turns on fathers or mothers I will say to her—“Of course -I know you never had any. Will that do?”</p> - -<p>“Child, don’t be absurd. Eat that other biscuit. What I mean is that you -must not tease her. People who have suffered great misfortunes are very -sensitive; the least thing is apt to upset them. I should like her to be -contented. In this Madrid, where there are so few good servants, to find -a virtuous girl of so attractive an appearance is a great piece of good -luck, I can tell you. They are<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_108" id="page_108"></a>{108}</span> either like sergeant-majors or like -rushes.”</p> - -<p>“Shall I buy a bunch of flowers to present to her gallantly when she -enters our mansion?” asked the student. His mother gave him an -affectionate little tap, saying:</p> - -<p>“What I am going to buy is a washstand and a few other necessary -articles, for that untidy Pepa has left the room like a den of lions; -otherwise this girl, who is so neat, will not find a place to wash her -hands. A washstand, some soap, a little table, and new mat so that she -may not have to step on the tiles, that are as cold as ice, when she -gets out of bed in the morning. Or better than a mat would be a piece of -moquette carpet, and it can be had so cheap. I am going to buy her some -warm cloth, too, to make a little jacket. I don’t believe she has a -wrap; she came without any yesterday. I don’t know how she may be off -for<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_109" id="page_109"></a>{109}</span> clothing. I am sorry now for the three beautiful garments I gave to -Pepa less than a fortnight ago.”</p> - -<p>“Bah! All you have to do is to order a trousseau from Paris, like that -of the Señora de Cánovas, for instance. Ten dozen elegant wrappers and -four thousand pairs of silk stockings. Would that be enough?”</p> - -<p>Doña Aurora went out early and returned home before twelve with her new -acquisitions. It was a pleasure to her to see the room swept and the -washstand and the piece of carpet in their places. She put out clean -towels and had a white quilt put on the bed to make the iron bedstead -look more attractive. She left the room for a moment, and on returning -she could not help bursting out laughing. In a blue glass was a cheap -bunch of flowers and Rogelio was hidden behind the door, watching.</p> - -<p>“What do you think of that idea, eh?<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_110" id="page_110"></a>{110}</span> Now we have a bouquet. <i>Caray</i>, -<i>carapuche</i>, as Lain Calvo says. They are gardenias; ten dollars they -cost me. Shall I go get a begonia? It would look very well beside the -washstand. We will write a description of it afterward: ‘The alcove was -transformed at the touch of a fairy’s wand into a leafy winter garden.’<span class="lftspc">”</span></p> - -<p>Esclavita was engaged when she presented herself at about one o’clock. -But she wished to go to say good-by to the Señoritas de Romera. She did -not install herself in her new home until the afternoon, when she -brought a boy with her to carry her trunk—one of those Galician trunks -covered with leather, with tin clamps. It was so light that at the foot -of the staircase the girl took it on her shoulders and carried it -upstairs herself. In this trunk, which was almost empty, she carried all -the wealth she had inherited from the rector of Vimieiro.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_111" id="page_111"></a>{111}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="IX" id="IX"></a>IX.</h2> - -<p><span class="smcap">During</span> the first few days she was like a hen in a strange yard. In -truth, whether it were owing to sad recollections, or to the strange -malady of homesickness from which she had suffered ever since her -arrival in Madrid, the girl began to decline visibly in looks and she -fell into a state of dejection which, though it did not prevent her from -working with diligence and even with ardor, deprived her of the -elasticity which lightens toil. It was plain to be seen that she had -grown thinner, and although from the slenderness of her form and from -the expression of her face it was evident she was younger, from her -serious turn of mind, and the gravity of her demeanor, she might be -thought twenty-eight or thirty.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_112" id="page_112"></a>{112}</span></p> - -<p>It is to be adverted that this species of melancholy or dejection did -not interfere with the strict performance of her duties. On the contrary -Esclavita was a model servant. She rose very early, almost with the sun, -indeed, and before the cook had thought of lighting the fire she was -already arranging everything for the breakfast of the mistress and the -young master. From the very first day she took charge of the preparation -of the chocolate, a duty which she performed with scrupulous care. The -secret, which is fast becoming lost, of making chocolate—of the number -of times necessary for it to boil up, and of the amount of beating -required in order that a solution of cocoa should be aromatic, smooth, -and nutritious—Esclavita knew so well that Doña Aurora declared she had -never in her life tasted chocolate like hers. In the sweeping, too, she -was no less skillful. With her handkerchief knotted at the back of<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_113" id="page_113"></a>{113}</span> her -head and her skirt turned up around her and fastened behind, she would -sweep quietly, not making a great disturbance and upsetting everything -in the room, yet doing the work thoroughly. That she did not brush and -beat too vigorously, annoying everybody in the house, under pretense of -cleaning, was an additional merit in the eyes of Doña Aurora, who could -not bear rough or noisy people. But what the new maid excelled most in -was the mending. It was evident that she was less accustomed to cooking, -ironing, or housework than to sedentary tasks. Seated in a low chair by -the window, in a couple of hours she would empty the basket of linen, -and her invisible darns, her skillful patches, her firmly sewed strings -and her well-fastened buttons were Doña Aurora’s admiration. She would -say to her friends:</p> - -<p>“I am not afraid now of wearing my best linen every day. This Esclavita<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_114" id="page_114"></a>{114}</span> -does not leave a bit of torn lace or embroidery unmended. It is a -pleasure to see her with the needle in her hand.”</p> - -<p>But at the same time Doña Aurora’s expansive disposition was little in -accord with the reserved melancholy of the girl. The more pleased she -was with her service the more she desired to see her go about with that -lightheartedness that shows a cheerful conformity with one’s lot in life -and the occupation in which one is engaged. All the consideration she -had for that blessed girl, and yet she looked always dissatisfied and -gloomy! In the kindness of the Señora de Pardiñas there was an element -of selfishness, the natural outgrowth of that kindness; if she conferred -a benefit on any one, she wished to enjoy in return the spectacle of -that person’s felicity; and so strong was this feeling that in order to -live tranquil and happy she needed to be persuaded that everybody around -her<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_115" id="page_115"></a>{115}</span> was tranquil and happy too. In deciding to take Esclavita she had -been influenced by two motives; the first was to spite “that hateful -Rita Pardo”; the second to make a girl of so engaging an appearance as -Esclavita happy, playing in a certain sense the rôle of Providence, and -reconciling her with destiny, for her fatal and implacable from the very -hour of her birth. And in the latter generous desire she could not -succeed because the girl would not respond to her efforts and allow -herself to be cheerful.</p> - -<p>One day Doña Aurora noticed that Esclavita ate scarcely anything, -persisting at the same time in going on with her work, saying in answer -to her mistress’s questions that there was nothing the matter with her. -Señora de Pardiñas was of a frank, impetuous, and straightforward -character, such as is rarely to be met with among the Galicians; the -moment a thought came into<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_116" id="page_116"></a>{116}</span> her mind she gave expression to it, and when -anything prevented her doing this she felt as if she had something -sticking in her throat. Without further delay, then, she brought the -girl close to a window where the shade of her black silk handkerchief -would not conceal the expression of her eyes or the working of her -features.</p> - -<p>“What is the matter with you, child?” she asked her without preface, -with motherly solicitude. “Is there anything troubling you? Do you want -for anything?”</p> - -<p>The girl turned red, as was habitual with her when she was affected by -any emotion, and answered in a low voice:</p> - -<p>“No, Señora. How could I want for anything? May God reward you for your -kindness.”</p> - -<p>“But what is the matter, then? Are you not happy here, either? Do we -treat you badly? Does the other girl<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_117" id="page_117"></a>{117}</span> not behave as she ought? Do you -want more covering?”</p> - -<p>As the girl remained silent, answering these questions in the negative -by a shake of the head, Señora de Pardiñas went on:</p> - -<p>“You will do very wrong, I warn you, if you lock up your trouble in your -own heart. It is worse for yourself if you are foolish. When you might -be happy, I don’t understand the reason of this reserve and this -nonsense. For my part I like to see pleasant faces around me. A gloomy -countenance, especially when there is no cause for it, disgusts me.”</p> - -<p>The last words she pronounced in a tone of annoyance, seeing that -Esclavita persisted in her obstinate silence. At the same time she said -in her own mind, “The girl has the good qualities of our country, but -she has its defects as well. She is modest, respectful, and quiet, but -she is a little foxy, too, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_118" id="page_118"></a>{118}</span> there is no way of knowing what she is -thinking about, or what are her feelings. The jades here are barefaced -and impudent, but at least they are not deceitful; they call bread bread -and wine wine; it is either yes or no. For a disposition like mine——”</p> - -<p>While these thoughts were passing through her mind, the bell rang, and -the voice of Rogelio, who had just returned from college, was heard in -the hall. Esclavita’s cheeks grew redder than they were before, and she -made an involuntary movement as if to run away and hide herself. “Ta, -ta!” said Señora Pardiñas to herself, a sudden thought flashing across -her mind, “I noticed that the lad seemed to have something against this -girl. He speaks to her so coldly, which is unusual with him. That must -be it. The poor girl is dejected because she sees that she has not -fallen into the boy’s good graces. I must set this<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_119" id="page_119"></a>{119}</span> matter right. It is -plain that Esclavita is too sensitive and when she fancies that she is -not liked——” She resumed aloud, “Well, child, if you are -dissatisfied——”</p> - -<p>“I am not dissatisfied; no, Señora,” answered Esclavita, respectfully -and not without firmness, “unless others are dissatisfied with me. I am -perfectly contented; it would be a pity if I was not. But others——”</p> - -<p>“What has put that idea into your head?” said her mistress, looking at -her fixedly. “Have I ever found fault with you since you came into the -house?”</p> - -<p>“No, Señora, you are very kind. I am not complaining of anybody,” -responded the girl. “I am only afraid—well, that I may not give -satisfaction. If I did not give satisfaction I would rather not stay. -Unless people were satisfied with me I would rather be in purgatory—or -worse.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_120" id="page_120"></a>{120}</span></p> - -<p>“Hold your tongue, silly girl, hold your tongue,” said her mistress -reprovingly. “Of course you give satisfaction. Go to your mending. If I -hear any more of this nonsense, you shall see.”</p> - -<p>As soon as a favorable opportunity presented itself Doña Aurora took her -son to task. “I am convinced,” she said, “that the secret cause of all -Esclavita’s dejection is your manner toward her. You speak to Fausta in -a different way; you may not be aware of it, but with Fausta you are -always jesting or disputing, and with the other one you are always -serious and formal; she fancies you do not like her, that she does not -give satisfaction, as she says. I assure you that the poor girl is -greatly distressed and that she is capable of worrying herself into a -sickness about it. These nervous girls are ticklish creatures to deal -with. And apart from that, on account of<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_121" id="page_121"></a>{121}</span> her—the rector, eh?—the girl -gets more and more sensitive every day. On my word I pity her. If I were -you I would speak to her—well—with more kindness.”</p> - -<p>The student listened to his mother’s words with his face turned toward a -picture, that seemed to possess a great attraction for him. When he was -at last obliged to answer, he did so jestingly. “Don’t say another word. -I shall get a mandolin and give the young lady a serenade this very -night. I will bring her another bouquet and see if I can’t write her -some sentimental verses, like those of my friend Anastasio Cardona. You -shall see! you shall see! We will sign a treaty of peace, the -illustrious kitchen-maid and I.”</p> - -<p>In reality, Rogelio was extraordinarily flattered and pleased by -Esclavita’s complaint. If his coldness and indifference touched her so -profoundly,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_122" id="page_122"></a>{122}</span> it was because the girl did not regard him as a child, or, -as she said, a boy. Is any one vexed or troubled by what a child does or -says? There was not a doubt but that she looked on him as a man, and a -man on whose conduct her peace of mind depended; she took it so much to -heart that her spirits and even her health were affected by it. Rogelio -allowed his mind to dwell with pleasure on this thought. During -breakfast, however, notwithstanding his mother’s repeated signals, he -made no change in his manner toward the girl. Without knowing why, he -felt ashamed of making this alteration in Doña Aurora’s presence. -However, he glanced furtively from time to time at Esclavita, who—no -doubt from the excited state of his imagination—seemed to him thin and -pale and drooping like a willow. As this idea took possession of him his -noble youthful heart overflowed with compassion, but his vanity, -youthful<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_123" id="page_123"></a>{123}</span> also, thrilled with sweet satisfaction. “And it is on my -account that she suffers thus,” he thought. “To judge by the respectful -attention with which she serves me one might almost think her afraid of -me.”</p> - -<p>Rogelio was washing his hands in his room when he heard a light tap at -the door, and in answer to his summons, “Come in,” Esclavita entered -carrying a shallow willow basket containing half a dozen ironed shirts. -Holding her burden in her uplifted hands, the girl’s fine figure and her -graceful and rhythmic gait were displayed to advantage. She was going to -lay the shirts upon the bed and leave the room again without speaking, -when Rogelio, going up to her and shaking his hand threateningly at her, -cried:</p> - -<p>“Let us see how these cuffs are ironed. If I find a single scorch on -them, woe be to you!”</p> - -<p>On hearing the young man’s voice,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_124" id="page_124"></a>{124}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/ill_pg124.jpg" width="284" height="296" alt="Image unavailable: “Holding her burden in her uplifted hands.”" /> -<br /> -<span class="caption">“Holding her burden in her uplifted hands.”</span> -</div> - -<p>Esclavita started, imagining at first that he was scolding her in -earnest; but when she raised her eyes and noticed the expression on his -countenance, she saw that he was jesting. Her glance revealed such -sincere joy, she was so visibly relieved, so delighted, in a word, that -the young man’s kind heart was once more pleasurably<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_125" id="page_125"></a>{125}</span> thrilled, and in -order to conceal his emotion he went on with the jest.</p> - -<p>“Is it right that I should go about like a half-pay government official -with my shirts looking like the face of the worthy Señor Don Prudencio -Rojas? Let me see; lift up that snowy gauze and show me those inner -garments. If my <i>togæ pretextæ</i> display the wrinkles of old age, fly, I -warn you, beyond the reach of my avenging wrath.”</p> - -<p>Esclavita’s face, that had been gradually clearing up, brightened as she -lifted up the cloth with a look of affectionate mischievousness.</p> - -<p>“Let us see, Señorito,” she said, “let us see what fault you have to -find with these bosoms. Not even the king himself wears finer ones.”</p> - -<p>“What the king wears is bibs; let us not get things mixed up. Let me see -those prodigies.”</p> - -<p>And indeed they were beautifully ironed, so smooth and lustrous that it<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_126" id="page_126"></a>{126}</span> -would have been an unreasonable exaction to require them to be better -done.</p> - -<p>“Well, for this time I grant you your life. But woe to you if you should -ever grow negligent in the performance of so sacred a duty.”</p> - -<p>“No, Señor; no, Señor. They shall be whiter and whiter every day. As -white as doves.”</p> - -<p>“Deign to tell me that in Galician; I intend to begin the study of that -language, as I am so perfect now in Greek and in Sanscrit that I cast -the professors in the shade. What is dove in Galician?”</p> - -<p>“And you are from there and you don’t know that. Well, what a being! It -is called <i>pomba</i>, and also <i>suriña</i>.”</p> - -<p>“Ah! <i>suriña</i>, how sweet that sounds! I shall begin to-morrow to study -the classic tongues; you shall be my teacher. ‘Mademoiselle Suriña; -professor of languages; lessons given<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_127" id="page_127"></a>{127}</span> at the house.’ We will put a card -on the window and an advertisement in <i>El Imparcial</i>. Suriña, take those -shirts off the bed; they are in the way there. Put them in the wardrobe. -So!”</p> - -<p>“Oh, Señorito, how upset your wardrobe is!” exclaimed the girl when she -opened it.</p> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 224px;"> -<img src="images/ill_pg127.jpg" width="224" height="402" alt="Image unavailable: Esclavita." /> -<br /> -<span class="caption">Esclavita.</span> -</div> - -<p>“Put it in order, then, Suriña. The putting in order of wardrobes is a -part of the lesson in Galician.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_128" id="page_128"></a>{128}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="X" id="X"></a>X.</h2> - -<p><span class="smcap">Whether</span> it were owing to this circumstance or not, it is not to be -denied that, after signing the truce with Rogelio, Esclavita’s manner -and appearance underwent a complete change. Her eyes brightened, her -cheeks grew rosy, her voice lost its melancholy accent, she was less -silent; and while her occupations continued the same, her manner of -performing them was so different, that if she had looked before like a -resigned victim to duty and had seemed to cast a shadow of gloom over -the house as she went about her work, her brisk and active movements now -filled it with cheerfulness.</p> - -<p>Doña Aurora did not cease to congratulate herself on this change. -“Praised be God,” she would say. “That is the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_129" id="page_129"></a>{129}</span> way I like to see people -around me look. I can’t endure those people who go about with -long-drawn, gloomy faces, without knowing why or wherefore. You see, -child. It was all on your account, neither more nor less. Now that you -treat her with a little friendliness see how she is a different person.”</p> - -<p>And different indeed she was. Even her physique had undergone a -favorable change. Whether in sign of happiness or for some other reason -unknown to us, she had removed the black kerchief from her head, -allowing her hair to fall negligently down her neck, whose extraordinary -whiteness was set off by the black silk of her neck-kerchief. Her -complexion now was the complexion of the young maidens of Galicia, that -bright complexion that seems to preserve the dewy freshness of their -native land, and whose rosy tint puts to shame the sickly pallor<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_130" id="page_130"></a>{130}</span> of the -daughters of Madrid. Her expressive eyes, green, with yellowish lights, -emphasized the vernal and delicate character of Esclavita’s beauty, -reminding one of a valley watered by two crystalline rivulets. But the -girl’s chief beauty was her hair, auburn changing to gold where it -caught the light, that, parted in the middle, flowed in luxuriant -natural waves on either side of the head, crowning the low forehead and -the delicate temples. She wore it hanging down her back in two thick -braids, or gathered up in a heavy coil at the back of the head, and if -in the morning it looked smooth and even lustrous while damp with the -water which was the only cosmetic Esclavita used, as the day wore on, -and she went about her work, it curled up, and, rough and silky at the -same time, framed her face in an aureole like that of a saint in some -old painting. And indeed Esclavita, with her simple rustic<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_131" id="page_131"></a>{131}</span> manner of -wearing her hair, reminded one of some old Flemish painting on wood, or -one of the creations of early Italian art, the resemblance being -heightened by her modest air, her downcast look, that odor of incense -and the sacristy, which Rita Pardo had observed in her. Looking at her -full face when she smiled, the type of the rustic could be descried -through the angular outlines of the virgin.</p> - -<p>All these perfections and graces, with many more that I refrain from -mentioning, were perceived through his spectacles, appreciated, talked -about, and lauded to the skies by the discreet octogenarian whom Rogelio -called Nuño Rasura, and whom we with more respect call Don Gaspar. Nor -did he wait to pronounce his panegyric until the transformation we have -spoken of took place, but from the very first day on which she had -opened the door for him the gallant old man began to extol<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_132" id="page_132"></a>{132}</span> her merits, -wearying the rest of the company with his exaggerated praises, his -rhapsodies, his silly effusions, and, in the words of the Crown -Solicitor, his archfooleries.</p> - -<p>“Just see,” Señor de Febrero would say, throwing back his handsome -Orleanic head and gently smoothing the curls of his wig or stroking the -velvet cushion of his crutch, “what judgment our excellent friend Doña -Aurora has shown in choosing this girl, who is unique in her class. In -the first place, she is so handy, so careful, so industrious, and then -she has such a modest and truthful air, a great merit in my eyes, now -that good manners are out of date and that viragos and strapping jades -swarm around us. In former times—do you remember, friend Candás—women -were all like this girl, there was none of that effrontery that we see -nowadays.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, yes, very demure, on the outside,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_133" id="page_133"></a>{133}</span>” the incorrigible Don Nicanor -would respond, putting his ear-trumpet into requisition—“little saints, -all sweetness and softness. But within they made up for it. You may say -so indeed! But I have cut my wisdom teeth and I am not to be imposed -upon by those Madonna faces.”</p> - -<p>“See how far our friend Candás carries his evil-mindedness! That may be -the case in Asturia, in your part of the country, but it is not so in -ours; am I not right, Doña Aurora? And there is no denying that as -boldness and want of decorum in a woman repel, so neatness and modesty -are an additional attraction.”</p> - -<p>Here Señora de Pardiñas was obliged to use all her efforts to keep from -bursting out laughing, for Rogelio, who had followed the conversation -from his corner on the sofa, made a comical grimace and winked at her -roguishly to give point to the old man’s remarks.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_134" id="page_134"></a>{134}</span></p> - -<p>But before many days were over the benevolent admiration of Señor de -Febrero was converted into a keen interest, an irrepressible curiosity -to know all that related to “our little country-woman.”</p> - -<p>“Tell me how you came to get her?” he asked Señora de Pardiñas, speaking -rather with his half-closed and expressive eyes that sparkled behind his -glasses than with his voice.</p> - -<p>“She was recommended to me by the daughters of Romera, whom you must -know.”</p> - -<p>“Ah-h-h-h yes, yes! Romera, Romera. Of course.” And he settled his -glasses on his well-shaped nose. “But our little friends, the Romeras,” -he continued, with the persistence of a judge who is conducting a -cross-examination and the obstinacy of an old man who is bent on gaining -the information he desires, “they did not bring her from Galicia, did -they? I did not<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_135" id="page_135"></a>{135}</span> know they had ever been there. Is not the girl a -Galician?”</p> - -<p>“A Galician, yes,” said Doña Aurora, without volunteering any further -information.</p> - -<p>“She belongs to a decent family, eh?” continued the undaunted Nuño -Rasura. “So I should judge, at least—and I have a keen scent,” he -added, laying his finger on his classical nose. “As for her language, -she speaks well, with the exception of an occasional solecism. Her -appearance is refined and lady-like. So she belongs to a decent family, -eh?”</p> - -<p>“Decent, yes,” Señora Pardiñas was obliged to answer, making a mental -reservation.</p> - -<p>“But what are they? Artisans? Householders? Employees?”</p> - -<p>“No, she is the niece” (Doña Aurora’s voice grew slightly husky) “of a -village priest.”</p> - -<p>“So, so, so!” exclaimed the dean<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_136" id="page_136"></a>{136}</span> emphatically. “Did I not say so? The -niece of a clergyman! <i>Boccato di cardinale!</i> Those girls are always -very pious, admirably brought up, and above temptation. So, so!”</p> - -<p>Señora de Pardiñas tried to turn the conversation, but if there is -anything in the world more persistent than a child’s caprice, it is an -old man’s whim. Don Gaspar played with his crutch, turning it round and -round, and then, unable to restrain himself longer, said:</p> - -<p>“Do you know, friend Aurora, if I may say so, that I have not yet taken -a good look at the face of that girl? And I am curious to know if she -really resembles a certain Señorita de Vivero—a lovely girl she was, by -the way—that we boys used to call the little Magdelen—somewhere about -the year ’24 or ’25. Could you not call her with the excuse of bringing -a glass of water, or the like?”</p> - -<p>The meaning look that passed between<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_137" id="page_137"></a>{137}</span> mother and son was observed by -Lain Calvo, who exclaimed with simulated terror, and forgetting for the -moment his pretended deafness:</p> - -<p>“<i>Caray</i>, my dear Doña Aurora, don’t call that nymph, I beg of you; if -you do, you will be responsible for the ruin of our friend Señor de -Febrero. At Don Gaspar’s age, the passions make sad havoc. Prudence, Don -Gasparin, remember that there is a heaven above us.”</p> - -<p>When Esclavita, whom Doña Aurora called under some pretext, entered the -room, no one could help smiling. This embarrassed the girl, who, not -knowing the cause of their merriment, blushed furiously, and as a -consequence, looked lovelier than ever, with that charm peculiar to her, -that chaste and modest air, through which could be divined a firmness of -character bordering on obstinacy. Señor de Febrero devoured her with his -eyes. The old man’s head was<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_138" id="page_138"></a>{138}</span> turned. When Esclavita had left the room -Lain Calvo whispered to Señora de Pardiñas:</p> - -<p>“Well, the girl may be a treasure, but as for me”—and he touched his -throat significantly—“I can’t swallow her. I steer clear of those girls -that grow confused the moment one looks at them. Keep an eye upon her, -Doña Aurora. Take care!”</p> - -<p>“I don’t know why you should say that, Señor Candás,” said Señora de -Pardiñas with displeasure, wounded in the affection she felt for the -girl.</p> - -<p>“Girls like that, that look as quiet as mice, are very limbs of Satan,” -declared the malicious Asturian. “They pretend to be modest, and all -they want is to be coaxed; they pretend to be innocent, and they are -more full of wiles than the devil himself. They are the kind of women -who say, ‘Don’t ask me for a kiss, that would be shocking!<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_139" id="page_139"></a>{139}</span> But if you -steal one, why, it can’t be helped.’<span class="lftspc">”</span></p> - -<p>“Señor Candás, there are certain insinuations that can only be qualified -as venomous,” Nuño Rasura exclaimed angrily, striking the floor with his -crutch. “When the honor of the fair sex is in question, one cannot be -too careful; one should consider well what one says and not speak -lightly of any one.”</p> - -<p>“So, so!” replied the Crown Solicitor, taking refuge in his deafness. “I -see this class of women give you, too, something to think about. It is -not for nothing that we have lived all these years, and have lost our -teeth and our hair. But tell me, Doña Aurora, how this wandering -princess happened to come here. Was she forsaken by some Galician Æneas? -There seems to be some mystery in the affair.”</p> - -<p>“Not at all, Señor,” exclaimed Señora<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_140" id="page_140"></a>{140}</span> de Pardiñas sharply. “Don’t fancy -that by thinking evil in this case you will think right. On account of -the death of—of her uncle, she was obliged to go out to service.”</p> - -<p>“And how long has she been at service?”</p> - -<p>“Well, for a year and a half, more or less.”</p> - -<p>“And she has been in two situations already. Bad! bad!”</p> - -<p>“What do you mean by bad? Nothing of the kind! You are altogether -mistaken, Don Nicanor. The poor girl was affected with a sort of -homesickness, the homesickness that we Galicians feel when we leave our -country for the first time, and she wanted at least to be with some -family from there. As you Asturians are a more mixed race, you can’t -understand that. Ask the Romeras if they have any complaint to make of -the girl; for it was from there she came to this<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_141" id="page_141"></a>{141}</span> house—which is very -much at your service.”</p> - -<p>“Ah! ah! homesickness, eh? Romantic notions and affectations, -<i>carapuche</i>! Now, indeed, I can safely predict that you will be obliged -to take that princess lime-leaf tea for her nerves, every morning. She -has more airs than Lucifer! When she has good food and is well treated, -I don’t see what the deuce it matters to her what may be the nationality -of the people she is with.”</p> - -<p>“You are mistaken,” said Señor de Febrero angrily. “This malady called -homesickness is a serious affection with our country people, Señor de -Candás, and I have even known persons to die of it. Don’t laugh; every -one there, even to the cats, knows that, and if you don’t know it, learn -it now. Sometimes it is cured by evoking in the mind of the patient a -recollection of home. Have you<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_142" id="page_142"></a>{142}</span> never heard of the conscript who was -dying of homesickness in the hospital at Havana? Well, how do you think -he was cured, and that like magic? By hearing the <i>muñeira</i> played on -the bagpipes of his native place. Exactly as I say, by hearing the -<i>muñeira</i>.”</p> - -<p>“Don’t be a fool, man, for Heaven’s sake. That conscript must have been -as drunk as a fiddler. Pure drunkenness. I would soon cure him with a -good flogging.”</p> - -<p>“There is no use in talking to you, Don Nicanor. You refuse to believe -what we all know to be true. It would be better to pretend to be deaf, -as you do. If our little countrywoman does not suit you, Doña Aurora, -for such a servant I——”</p> - -<p>“Well, I protest! If this man doesn’t want to carry off the fair Helen -that you have discovered! It is a crime against public morality.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_143" id="page_143"></a>{143}</span> Say -no, Doña Aurora; this is something serious!”</p> - -<p>“Of course I shall say no, for my own sake. I am too well pleased with -Esclavita to wish to part with her.”</p> - -<p>Rogelio had been listening in silence to the dispute between Nuña Rasura -and Lain Calvo. He was inclined to share the indulgent views of his -mother and the ex-president of the court. With all this, however, he was -at times tempted to believe that the spiteful Asturian knew more about -life and was a better judge of human nature than they. By an illusion -common to the inexperienced, cynicism and pessimism seemed to him the -highest expression of human knowledge. His own inclination to think well -of everybody must be the result, he thought, of his youth and -inexperience. “Any one can throw dust in my eyes,” he said to himself. -“I am a child, but I am determined not to remain one forever.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_144" id="page_144"></a>{144}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="XI" id="XI"></a>XI.</h2> - -<p><span class="smcap">Esclavita</span> was crossing the hall when she heard her young master’s voice -calling her:</p> - -<p>“Esclavita!”</p> - -<p>“I am coming.”</p> - -<p>“Come quickly! Your presence is required to relieve me from an appalling -situation.”</p> - -<p>The girl entered the student’s room and found him standing in his shirt -sleeves in the middle of the floor, his waist-coat in one hand while the -other was tightly clasped, as if it held some precious object.</p> - -<p>“A moment ago,” he cried tragically, opening his hand, in which was a -small mother-of-pearl button, “this precious button flew with -lightning-like swiftness from my collar. Can you secure<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_145" id="page_145"></a>{145}</span> it in its place -again without inflicting with the murderous steel a mortal wound upon my -throat?”</p> - -<p>Esclavita smiled, and, putting her hand into her pocket, took out her -needle-case, spool, and thimble. This latter was open at both ends, like -the thimbles used by the peasantry. She put it on quickly, with equal -quickness threaded her needle, knotted the thread, and took between her -thumb and forefinger the little pearl button. She pulled out the threads -where the button had come off, set the button in its place, and inserted -the needle. Here began the difficulties of the undertaking. It was -impossible to draw the needle straight through without pricking the -young man’s chin, smooth and clean as a woman’s. He pretended to be -making desperate efforts to assist in the operation, accompanying them -by comical grimaces and cries of, “Help! She is severing my carotid -artery! she<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_146" id="page_146"></a>{146}</span> is piercing my jugular vein! she is performing the -dangerous operation of tracheotomy upon me without my having the croup!” -And the girl, smiling, but undisturbed, would say, “Hold your head up a -little—take care, now—there, that will do; I will soon be through.” At -last, with a triumphant gesture, she twisted the thread around the -button to form the stem, fastened it by a stitch or two, and then broke -it off.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/ill_pg146.jpg" width="214" height="258" alt="Image unavailable: “Hold your head up a little—take care, now—there, that -will do.”{147}" /> -<br /> -<span class="caption">“Hold your head up a little—take care, now—there, that -will do.”{147}</span> -</div> - -<p>“Hurrah! Victory! Now button it for me.”</p> - -<p>The slender fingers, marked with the pricking of the needle, passed over -the throat of the student, who broke into fresh cries:</p> - -<p>“Oh! Oh! Oh! she is p-i-i-i-nching me.”</p> - -<p>As soon as the collar was buttoned, however, he said softly, as if he -were begging her to render him some important and difficult service:</p> - -<p>“Esclavita, deign to encircle my neck with this halter.”</p> - -<p>Esclavita took the silk necktie, and as she put it around the young -man’s neck their glances met. During the previous operations this had -not happened, for Rogelio’s head had been turned aside, as far as his -fits of laughing would permit; but now it could not be avoided, for -Esclavita’s face was raised, and Rogelio, taller than she, looked, of -necessity, into her eyes,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_148" id="page_148"></a>{148}</span> green, shot with golden lights; and the -parting of the hair, straight and even, like a furrow cut through a -field of ripe grain; and her rounded forehead, smooth and fine, and the -little blue veins in her temples and eyelids. He inhaled her sweet -breath, that intoxicated him for a moment, as if he had opened a jar of -oxygen.</p> - -<p>It was but for a moment, but it was a moment which seemed to Rogelio a -year. Childhood, with its butterfly lightness, its blue and silvery -skies, was left behind forever. Esclavita, having finished tying the -cravat, drew back to a little distance, the better to observe the effect -of the bow.</p> - -<p>It was as if the communication between the wire and the battery had been -interrupted. Rogelio came to his senses. “How disgraceful!” he thought. -“What a vexation for my mother!”</p> - -<p>The precepts of morality, which<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_149" id="page_149"></a>{149}</span> others learn as a rational necessity -and a compulsory duty, or as a part of their religion, Rogelio, who as -an only son, had been petted and spoiled, had learned through the medium -of his feelings. All his ideas of decorum, of goodness, of rectitude, -had come to him by this indirect but pleasant path. “Ah! what a grief it -would be to me, child, if you were to do such or such a thing!” his -mother used to say. “Heavens! what a mortification for me if you should -commit this or that fault!” Thus it was that, without being conscious of -it, what Rogelio first considered in all his actions was the effect they -would be apt to produce on his mother’s feelings; and this was now his -first thought when the vertigo passed away that had obscured his reason, -while the girl was close beside him. When Esclavita had left the room -his very want of confidence in himself made him take an honorable -resolve,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_150" id="page_150"></a>{150}</span> that of avoiding fresh temptations and still greater dangers. -These resolutions are difficult to keep when the temptation is close at -hand. Rogelio felt his first desire return to him continually, and the -same fumes mount into his brain, like puffs of hot air. At table; when -she came to his room, bringing the light, or some message, or his linen, -he could not help devouring her with his eyes, following the perfect -lines of her slender form, noting the grace and lightness of her -movements. The stronger and more passionate his desire, the more -embarrassed did he feel himself in the girl’s presence. When with her it -seemed to him impossible that he should ever venture to pay her a -serious compliment; while in the solitude of his own room at night, -unable to sleep, and tossing about restlessly in his narrow bed, he felt -himself equal to any undertaking, no absurdity seemed to him -unreasonable, and he<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_151" id="page_151"></a>{151}</span> even thought—strange effect of passion—that it -was his bounden duty to do what in the light of day he regarded as a -crime and an act of madness. “And then,” he said to himself, “no one can -call me a child any longer, and I shall be fully convinced myself that I -am not one.” This absurd idea vanished in the morning, when his mother, -according to her old affectionate habit, brought him his chocolate. When -he saw Doña Aurora, dressed in her plaid morning gown, come into his -room with the tray in her hands, when he tasted the fresh biscuit, the -spoiled child felt all the power of the moral law imposing itself upon -him with apodictic force; and precepts, unknown or denied a few moments -before, now presented themselves to him clearly, significantly, plainly. -“To give mamma cause for grief—it makes me shudder even to think of it; -it would be unpardonable. Even though she should not<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_152" id="page_152"></a>{152}</span> discover it I -should fancy she was reading it in my eyes, in my very breathing. And -she would discover it,—she would discover it, there is not a doubt of -it. Mamma is very shrewd, easy-going and good-natured as she appears. No -one can throw dust in her eyes. She knows me so well that before the -words were out of my mouth she can tell what I am going to say. As she -cares for no one and thinks of nothing but me. God grant I may never -give her cause for grief.”</p> - -<p>Thus this criminal in thought studied Doña Aurora’s countenance -attentively, fearful lest some glance he might chance to cast at -Esclavita should betray him. At times he exposed himself to the risk of -attracting attention by going to the opposite extreme, affecting not to -look at the girl, and avoiding even the contact of her dress when she -waited on him at table. It is true that this simple contact affected<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_153" id="page_153"></a>{153}</span> -him so powerfully as to cause him pain from the intensity of the -emotion. His was the passionate desire of youth that has not learned -either how to control itself or how to attain its object. After avoiding -Esclavita for two or three days, he would devise some excuse to go and -surprise her in the little room where she ironed and where the basket -containing the mending was kept, and when he was there, the only thing -that occurred to him to do was to sit down in a chair and cheat his -passionate longing by contemplating the girl who, rosy and perspiring, -her right arm curved out firmly, leaned with all her weight on the iron -as she smoothed the bosoms and the cuffs of his shirts. When the impulse -to embrace her became too violent, Rogelio would rise and take refuge in -his little study. There, on the polished desk were the hateful -text-books, printed on brown paper with worn and blurred type,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_154" id="page_154"></a>{154}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/ill_pg154.jpg" width="340" height="282" alt="Image unavailable: “Contemplating the girl who ... leaned with all her -weight on the iron.”" /> -<br /> -<span class="caption">“Contemplating the girl who ... leaned with all her -weight on the iron.”</span> -</div> - -<p class="nind">exhaling aridity and tedium from their musty leaves and gray covers. -Rogelio had never had any liking for these books, but now, whenever he -opened one of them to go over a lesson, a thick fog seemed to envelop -his faculties, and a sort of moral dissolution to take place in his -spirit, where a rebellious voice would whisper softly such<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_155" id="page_155"></a>{155}</span> heresies as -these: “Go, child, give up those futilities, renounce that dry, -worthless, empty, sapless science of the schools. Real life and humanity -are something altogether different from this. This pretended nourishment -for the mind is a collection of antiquities, the rind of a lemon which -the hand of history has been squeezing dry for nineteen centuries. All -that you are studying is out of date. They wish to store your mind with -mummified remains, dusty rags, and old cobwebs. They wish to fill your -head with antiquated juridical rubbish, and they desire that at a bound -you should be as old as your mother’s guests, Lain Calvo, Nuño Rasura, -and the honorable Puppet. They would have you be of wood, like him. No, -you are of flesh and blood, you are a man; life calls to you, and life, -at your age, in default of a pursuit which would unfold your faculties -harmoniously is—Esclavita.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_156" id="page_156"></a>{156}</span></p> - -<p>To these vague promptings, translated here into plain and vulgar speech, -the student responded by yawning, rising nervously from his chair, and -taking down from the book-shelf a novel or the latest number of <i>Madrid -Comico</i>, which, throwing himself on the bed, he would eagerly devour, -seeking thus to forget his feverish longings.</p> - -<p>He had not the resource of a cigar, for he belonged to the younger -generation who do not smoke; and who, unless God take pity upon them, -will come in time to faint like an Englishwoman at the smell of a -Havana. He was deprived of this sweet soother of impatience, this great -counselor in trouble, this powerful sedative, this most spiritual of -material distractions. One day he thought about it a great deal. “What -would happen to me if I should smoke?” he said to himself. “The first -thing would be that I should grow dizzy, perhaps sick at my<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_157" id="page_157"></a>{157}</span> -stomach—yes, there is not the least doubt of it. And then mamma would -know that I had been smoking, from the smell. No, the remedy is worse -than the disease.”</p> - -<p>The idea of smoking, which pleased him, because there was something -manly and rakish about it, suggested another expedient, more effective, -besides being easy and pleasant to put in practice. How was it that it -had never occurred to him before when it was so simple, so extremely -simple, and even so natural and right, and especially when it would be -so efficacious as a consolation in his present suffering. “Why, the only -thing to be wondered at is, that I should not have a sweetheart -already,” he said to himself. “Every one I know has one. And they are -quite right. If I had one, I should get rid of these crazy notions. I -shall take a sweetheart, yes, indeed. There is nothing wrong in having -a<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_158" id="page_158"></a>{158}</span> sweetheart, and even if mamma should find it out, she will not be -vexed on account of it. One nail drives out another. That will be my -chief distraction.”</p> - -<p>The post being created, it now only remained to find some one to fill -it. Rogelio passed in mental review all the young ladies with whom he -was acquainted. Some of them were ugly; others were already engaged; -this one was too old; that one was never to be met outside her house; -one would turn him into ridicule; another would require him to prove his -affection for her by performing some difficult task. He remembered at -last that in a little street opening on to the Calle Ancha de San -Bernardo, just in front of his house, there lived three or four young -girls, daughters of an employee in the Colonial Department. They were -not bad-looking, especially the youngest, a pale blonde, whose -complexion, eyes,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_159" id="page_159"></a>{159}</span> and hair were all the same color, which was becoming -to her, giving her a certain resemblance to the Infanta Eulalia. Rogelio -looked at her occasionally, receiving prompt payment of every one of his -glances. “The little blonde will suit me,” he thought. “It will not be -necessary for me even to move from the dining-room.” Accordingly, the -very day on which the thought occurred to him he took up his post before -breakfast by the window, and, opening it slightly, looked toward the -windows of the third floor opposite. At one of them was the blonde, -dressed in a soiled and crumpled morning-gown of dotted percale. On the -railing of the window hung various undergarments, more than half worn, -drying, and on a bureau he could see some bottles covered with dust, the -empty cage of a lark, some old rags, and an old shoe. As he contemplated -this interior, in no wise resembling a Dutch<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_160" id="page_160"></a>{160}</span> interior, Rogelio -abandoned his purpose of looking there for a sweetheart. He remained for -the space of ten minutes or so, perplexed. Then he said to himself: “I -shall look somewhere else, that’s all. As for remaining without a -sweetheart, I cannot make up my mind to that; it would be absurd.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_161" id="page_161"></a>{161}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="XII" id="XII"></a>XII.</h2> - -<p><span class="smcap">One</span> Sunday morning Señora de Pardiñas awoke her son with the following -intimation: “To-day we must make some visits; there is no help for it; -we owe visits to everybody. I sent to Augustin’s livery stable for the -landau; he says it will be at the door punctually at two o’clock. Ah, -and what do you think? I shall go dressed so that if I look at myself in -the glass I won’t know myself. The dressmaker brought me my black velvet -gown, trimmed with jet and lace, yesterday; the hat to match is ready, -too. I shall put on all my finery. You must stop in at the barber’s -after breakfast; your hair needs cutting.”</p> - -<p>Rogelio grumbled not a little; he declared that he had two or three -indispensable<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_162" id="page_162"></a>{162}</span> tasks to perform that day, but all in jest, for he saw -very well that Señora Pardiñas was resolved not to go to bed that night -without having laid a grand sacrifice on the altar of social duty. At a -quarter before two Rogelio had finished fastening the first row of -buttons of his English frock-coat, before his bureau glass. Fortunately -it was Sunday, when the neighborhood of the University is of all places -the one where a student is least likely to be met with. For a pretty -teasing he would have to stand if any of his college companions should -chance to meet him in his present guise, dressed like a <i>gentleman</i>, -with gloves and a silk hat. Accustomed to the cloak and the low, -broad-brimmed hat, he felt at first as if to wear a frock-coat were like -going disguised. There lay the silk hat, shining and resplendent, on the -table of the study, and beside it the gloves, the cane, the Russian -leather<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_163" id="page_163"></a>{163}</span> card-case and the handkerchief with its handsome embroidered -initial. He took note of all these articles, placed his hat a little to -one side, over his carefully smoothed hair, and was proceeding to draw -on his gloves with the ill humor that was habitual to him when -performing this operation, when his mother entered.</p> - -<p>“Heavens! <i>mater admirabilis!</i>” he exclaimed. “How magnificent you look! -Ho! for our handsome women, our stately and aristocratic dames.”</p> - -<p>What Doña Aurora really looked was very uncomfortable, with all this -finery, which only on state occasions could she bring herself to wear. -She never wanted anything better than her comfortable mantle, her merino -gown, and her large fur cape. All this frippery was enough to put one -out of temper. The weight of the hat, with its high bows, obliged her to -bend her head; the steels of the skirt impeded<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_164" id="page_164"></a>{164}</span> her movements. But there -was nothing for it but to submit to this tyranny of fashion at least -twice a year. She, like Rogelio, carried a card-case, and a list of the -houses where she owed visits. Peeping out from her mink muff was a -handsome lace handkerchief, perfumed with some delicate extract, and in -her ears were two fine solitaires—the modest elegance of a lady who -aspires only to dress in a style suited to her station. And yet such is -the power of the arts of the toilet and of dress that Doña Aurora seemed -to have left ten of her fifty odd years inside the door of her -dressing-room; her face glowed with pleasurable animation, and in her -bearing there was an unaccustomed dignity.</p> - -<p>Esclavita stood behind with her wrap, which she was to take in the -carriage lest the afternoon should turn cold, busying herself—with that -admiring<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_165" id="page_165"></a>{165}</span> interest which attached servants display when they see their -masters or mistresses in gala dress—in giving a touch here and there to -her gown, smoothing out its folds and brushing off some almost -imperceptible speck of dust from the bottom of the flounce. Suddenly the -girl raised her eyes and exclaimed, casting a glance of frank admiration -at Rogelio:</p> - -<p>“Our Lady of the Hermitage! how fine the Señorito is!”</p> - -<p>“He looks like a fashion-plate, does he not? Turn round, Rogelio, turn -round—so. The coat looks as if it grew upon you.”</p> - -<p>“Mamma!” protested Rogelio. But he was obliged to allow himself to be -examined and re-examined by Esclavita, and even to consent to her giving -the collar of his coat a touch with the brush. The girl’s eyes told him -with innocent speech that he looked <i>well</i>.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_166" id="page_166"></a>{166}</span> She arranged his cuffs and -when they were going downstairs, she even called after him:</p> - -<p>“There! There is a bit of the wool of the carpet on the right leg of -your trousers.”</p> - -<p>The first visit was to the house of Don Gaspar Febrero, to see the -daughter of the worthy dean, who was on the eve of her departure for the -Philippine Islands with her husband, a staff-officer, who had been -ordered to Manilla. They talked about the voyage, the climate, the -hurricanes, the clearness of living there, and of the old gentleman, who -was to be left behind alone. Fortunately, he had never been in better -health, never more animated nor more gay. Only a moment before, taking -advantage of the pleasant weather, he had gone out, leaning on his -crutch, for a little walk in the sun. Gratified by this satisfactory -account, they left the abode of Nuño Rasura,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_167" id="page_167"></a>{167}</span> and proceeded to make -other visits more or less of the same ceremonious nature. At some of the -houses they merely left cards, and these were the most pleasing visits -for Rogelio, who, as he approached each door, repeated under his breath -the customary aspiration: “I pray the saints they be not in!”</p> - -<p>But his desperation reached its height when his mother announced to him -that they were now going for a moment to the house of the Señoritas -Pascuala and Mercedes de Romera.</p> - -<p>“Mother mine, if it be possible, spare me this sacrifice!” he cried. -“<i>Carapuche</i>, as our friend of the ear-trumpet says, don’t you know that -I shall be obliged to pinch myself to keep from falling asleep at that -house?”</p> - -<p>“So nice as you look and you don’t want to make a good impression<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_168" id="page_168"></a>{168}</span> on -the pretty girls? Come, come, give the direction—Calle del Barquillo.”</p> - -<p>The house of the old maids had a surprise in store for the student, in -the person of the sprightly girl who came out to receive the visitors -and show them into the parlor, saying that her aunts would come -immediately. In saying this she practiced a thousand witcheries with her -features and her eyes, which were black, small, sparkling, and very -expressive. The niece of the de Romeras wore a rather short dress, a -token that she had not yet reached the dignity of the mantilla, and an -apron with a bib, with a bright-colored embroidered border. A blue -ribbon, tied in a bow, fastened the end of her short braid, and her -shoes, worn at the toes, gave evidence of the restlessness of the small -feet with their arched insteps within. Pascuala, the elder of the old -maids, soon came into the parlor, sniffling and coughing, declaring that -her<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_169" id="page_169"></a>{169}</span> sister was unable to leave her room, as she was suffering from a -cold still worse than her own, which made it necessary for her to avoid -a change of temperature. “And to keep my sister in-doors is like giving -her a stab,” she added. Presently she presented her niece as she might -have presented a frisky little dog who disturbed the drowsy quietude of -that peaceful abode. “This is my god-daughter, Inocencia, the second -eldest girl of my brother Sebastian, who resides in Loja. He has left -the poor thing with us because she requires to have her teeth attended -to; she has a tooth growing over another, and it will have to be -extracted. She is very lively and can’t remain still for a moment; there -is no kind of shoe that is strong enough for her; that is why you see -her so badly shod.” These explanations being made, it was in order to -speak of Esclavita; and in view of the fact that the matter could not be -discussed<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_170" id="page_170"></a>{170}</span> before a child, and as Mercedes, besides, wished to enjoy the -society of Doña Aurora, the two ladies went into the dressing-room, -leaving Rogelio and Inocencia alone. “Go show him the albums and the -views of Granada, child,” was the order the girl received from her aunt -as the latter left the parlor.</p> - -<p>Inocencia obeyed—playing off all her coquettish arts as she walked over -to the table—and cried precipitately and with an affected lisp:</p> - -<p>“Come here, come here, and look at the pictures Aunt Pascua told me to -show you! They are lovely!”</p> - -<p>Although the idea of looking at pictures was little to the taste of the -<i>gentleman</i> with frock-coat and silk hat, ashamed to refuse, he went and -seated himself beside the girl who, as she opened the album, darted at -him, with all the boldness of fourteen, an incendiary glance—a glance -impossible to be<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_171" id="page_171"></a>{171}</span> misunderstood. When he found himself alone with the -girl, it occurred to the student that there could not be a more -propitious occasion to provide himself with a sweetheart than the -present one. His vanity was a little piqued, it is true, at the thought -that she was so young; a sweetheart of eighteen or twenty would have -done him some credit, while this would look like playing at lovers; but -when he was beside her, and looked at her more closely, with her -well-formed little figure, developed with Southern precocity, and her -full upper lip, slightly raised by the projecting tooth, she seemed to -him a woman in miniature, and he thought to himself:</p> - -<p>“I will declare myself now!”</p> - -<p>He declared himself accordingly, without further preamble or preface, -with high-sounding phrases culled from farces and comedies, magazines -and college jests. The girl, without<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_172" id="page_172"></a>{172}</span> manifesting the slightest -surprise, listened with a serious air, rolling between her thumb and -finger an end of the ribbon tying her braid, which she had brought -forward to show off the beauty of her hair, putting in practice at the -same time all the airs and graces of a finished coquette. The student -raising his voice a little, the girl whispered:</p> - -<p>“Hshh! They are in the dressing-room there!”</p> - -<p>Rogelio lowered his voice and redoubled his entreaties, although he -began to feel a strong inclination to burst out laughing. After making -three or four gestures in the negative, the girl all at once, and -without further preface, said yes.</p> - -<p>“Give me a token of your love!” implored Rogelio; and without waiting -for permission he bent his head and kissed her on the cheek, feeling as -if he were kissing the painted cheek of a doll<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_173" id="page_173"></a>{173}</span>—smooth, rosy, and -insensible. Inocencia betrayed no emotion whatever—neither pleasure nor -coyness—at receiving the kiss; on the contrary, seizing the student by -the lapel of his coat, she declared, with an air of conviction:</p> - -<p>“I think we ought to say <i>thou</i> to each other. All my girl friends and -their sweethearts do.”</p> - -<p>“Very well, I will say <i>thou</i> to <i>thee</i>. See, I am doing so now!”</p> - -<p>She continued, with the same decision and eagerness:</p> - -<p>“We ought to write to each other every day, too; every day, without -missing a single one. My sister Lucia’s sweetheart writes a letter that -long to her every morning; and another, every afternoon, that is longer -still.”</p> - -<p>“Very well; we will write to each other, too. I will make arrangement -with the servant to carry our letters.”</p> - -<p>“And you must give me your likeness.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_174" id="page_174"></a>{174}</span> Have you a photograph? My parents -would not let me have mine taken until I have my tooth drawn, but I can -give you some of my hair for a locket. Shall I cut you some now?” she -added, playing with the curly ends of her braid.</p> - -<p>“No, it will be time enough when I give you my likeness.”</p> - -<p>The girl rose quickly and walked on tiptoe to the door of the room where -the grown people were chatting. She returned with the same caution, a -look of satisfaction on her face.</p> - -<p>“I thought god-mother was coming,” she said. “But I was mistaken; they -are having a great chat.”</p> - -<p>She resumed her seat beside the student, and three or four minutes -passed without either speaking. The girl waited, surprised that her -lover should have nothing to say to her; but the young man, ransack his -brain as he would, could not find a word to say. All<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_175" id="page_175"></a>{175}</span> he felt was a wild -desire to laugh, and to keep from doing so he covered his mouth with his -handkerchief. His <i>sweetheart</i>, looking at the handkerchief, observed -the richly-embroidered initial, and asked quickly:</p> - -<p>“What letter is that?”</p> - -<p>“R. My name is Rogelio.”</p> - -<p>“I was going to ask you what your name was. How shall I address your -letters? Señor Don Rogelio——”</p> - -<p>“Pardiñas.”</p> - -<p>“Pardiñas, Pardiñas, Pardiñas.” The girl repeated the name several times -to herself as if afraid of forgetting it, and then, looking the student -straight in the face, she said to him, in solemn accents:</p> - -<p>“Are we to be married?”</p> - -<p>Here Rogelio could no longer restrain his hysterical inclination to -laugh. He laughed with his mouth, with his eyes, with his whole body, -holding his sides, that ached with the violence of<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_176" id="page_176"></a>{176}</span> his laughter; and -throwing himself back in his chair, he sighed:</p> - -<p>“Ah, I shall die! I shall die!”</p> - -<p>“What are you laughing at?” asked the girl, a little offended. “You act -like a fool. Tell me whether we are to be married or not.”</p> - -<p>“Of course we are to be married. Only I can’t help laughing. Let me -laugh or I shall become ill.”</p> - -<p>As soon as his laughter had exhausted itself, Inocencia whispered in his -ear:</p> - -<p>“Will you pass by the house to-morrow at nine? I will be at the window. -At that time I always stand at the window to see the mounted artillery -pass. It is a very pretty sight. What are you going to be?”</p> - -<p>“A lawyer.”</p> - -<p>“That’s a pity; then you won’t wear a uniform.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_177" id="page_177"></a>{177}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="XIII" id="XIII"></a>XIII.</h2> - -<p><span class="smcap">Rogelio</span> was still laughing at himself at the idea of his engagement when -they were nearing the bottom of the stairs, for which reason he -neglected to offer Doña Aurora his arm, as was his custom. A sudden cry -and the sound of a fall froze the blood in his veins as he saw his -mother slip and fall headlong down the stairs on the tiled floor of the -hall. It is only on supreme occasions that the real depth of our -sentiment is revealed to us. Rogelio did not know that there were chords -in his larynx or tones in his voice capable of the heart-rending pathos -with which he uttered the words:</p> - -<p>“Mother! my darling mother!”</p> - -<p>He cleared at a bound the steps down which his mother had fallen, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_178" id="page_178"></a>{178}</span> -in an instant had her on her feet and was holding her in his arms and -pressing her to his heart, examining her wildly to assure himself that -she was not dead and that she had no bones broken. Suddenly he uttered a -terrified cry.</p> - -<p>“Blood, mamma! you are bleeding. Where are you bleeding? Here. Good -heavens, blood!”</p> - -<p>Her head had struck against the edge of one of the steps, and the wound -was bleeding slightly. Half stunned as Señora de Pardiñas was by the -force of the blow, the agonized voice of her son recalled her to -herself, and she answered faintly:</p> - -<p>“Don’t be frightened, child; it is nothing; you may believe me, it is -nothing. I am a little better now.”</p> - -<p>“There is no one in the porter’s room. I am going upstairs to get some -vinegar—some water——”</p> - -<p>“No, child, no, for Heaven’s sake.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_179" id="page_179"></a>{179}</span> Don’t call any one; make no -disturbance. Help me gently to the carriage. For illness or the like, -the best place is home.”</p> - -<p>Trembling, and covered with a cold sweat, Rogelio assisted his mother to -the carriage, into which he lifted her bodily, and then made her lean -back in a corner while he fanned her with his handkerchief, thinking, -with terror, “Can there have been any injury to the brain?”</p> - -<p>“Home—drive slowly,” he said to the coachman, who had turned round -curious to know what had happened. And unable to control himself, he -threw his arms around his mother, putting the question usual in such -cases:</p> - -<p>“But mamma, how did you fall?”</p> - -<p>“I don’t know, child. My foot slipped; it must have been the heels of -the new shoes; or my foot may have caught in the flounce of my dress.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_180" id="page_180"></a>{180}</span></p> - -<p>“It was my fault not to have given you my arm. I am a brute. Where does -it pain you? How do you feel now, mamma?”</p> - -<p>“I don’t know; I think I am going to faint,” answered his mother, in a -weak voice.</p> - -<p>And indeed she looked as if she were going to faint, to judge from the -cold perspiration and the deathly pallor that overspread her face. -Rogelio, greatly alarmed, was on the point of calling out to the -coachman to drive to an apothecary’s when his mother revived a little -and made signs to him that she was better, and the carriage rolled on -toward the house. When Rogelio, assisted by the footman, was helping his -mother out of the carriage, she uttered a cry.</p> - -<p>“Where do you feel pain?” Rogelio asked her.</p> - -<p>“In this leg. There, don’t be frightened. It is nothing.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_181" id="page_181"></a>{181}</span></p> - -<p>When Esclavita was informed of what had occurred, she hastened to her -mistress without useless outcries, and quickly and skillfully loosened -her clothing, applied vinegar to her temples, and afterward undressed -her and put her comfortably to bed. Doña Aurora complained of a desire -to retch, of heaviness, of oppression, of continued nausea, and an -inclination to vomit—all which made the student say to himself with -terror, “My God! there is concussion of the brain.” He called Esclavita -apart and said to her hurriedly: “Take care of her, I am going to -Sanchez del Abrojo and I will not come back without him.”</p> - -<p>In effect, he returned with him after a delay of two hours, and the -distinguished physician, having made a careful examination of the -patient, and a minute and skillful investigation into the manner of the -fall, was obliged to acknowledge that there had been a little,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_182" id="page_182"></a>{182}</span> a very -little, cerebral congestion. The only treatment he prescribed was rest -in bed, and diet until the disturbance in the stomach should be settled. -The other injuries were of little consequence—the lesion on the -forehead did not go beyond the skin; the contusion on the left leg was -no more than a bruise of little importance. In short, it was nothing. -All she required was rest.</p> - -<p>To carry out the physician’s orders, then took place that revolution in -the habits of the household, and that transformation in the aspect of -the house itself, which sickness always brings with it. The household -concentrated itself within the narrow limits of the bedroom and -dressing-room of the patient. Rogelio and Esclavita took up their -station there—the former receiving the visitors; the latter changing -the cloths wet with arnica, bringing cups of lime-leaf tea, burning -lavender, and undertaking whispered commissions and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_183" id="page_183"></a>{183}</span> receiving keys -slipped into her hand secretly. “Don’t let the boy want for anything. -Remember to warm his bed.” To these recommendations, which Esclavita -listened to with religious attention, followed suppressed groans. “Oh, -how this wretched leg hurts me. My head is splitting with pain!”</p> - -<p>Esclavita performed her duties as sick nurse with that earnest and -silent assiduity which she always displayed when employed in the service -of others. She came and went with noiseless footsteps and without -rustling of garments. She took charge of everything, and if she was -absent for a moment from the bedroom it was because she was in the -kitchen, compounding some potion. She even managed to get time to give -Rogelio his dinner, without neglecting her mistress; but no one knew at -what hour she herself had taken food on that memorable day.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_184" id="page_184"></a>{184}</span></p> - -<p>When the night was advanced and every one had retired, she trimmed a -lamp carefully and set it on the floor so that the light should not -disturb the patient. She then placed a low chair at the head of the bed -and seated herself in it. As Rogelio, who was sitting in an easy-chair -in the dressing-room, made no motion to retire, she went to him and -whispered to him, in tones of entreaty, “Go to bed, Señorito; don’t stay -here.” The patient, who had begun to doze, overheard the words and added -her entreaties to Esclavita’s, saying, “Child, do go to bed. You are not -accustomed to sitting up; it will injure your health. Don’t be foolish; -go to bed. Esclavita is taking the best possible care of me.” But it was -impossible to persuade Rogelio, and they compromised the matter by -deciding that a temporary bed should be made for him on the floor. The -little Galician, displaying extraordinary strength,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_185" id="page_185"></a>{185}</span> brought in two -mattresses, beat the pillows noiselessly, and as noiselessly made up the -bed. Rogelio divested himself of his coat and waistcoat only, and thus, -half dressed, lay down. Then only did he begin to feel the extreme -exhaustion which follows great shocks and profound emotions. At the same -time a comical recollection crossed his mind.</p> - -<p>“And my sweetheart,” he said to himself, “will she be at the window -to-morrow to see me pass by?”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_186" id="page_186"></a>{186}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="XIV" id="XIV"></a>XIV.</h2> - -<p><span class="smcap">Although</span> tired out by the emotions of the day and comparatively tranquil -in his mind in regard to his mother’s condition, Rogelio tossed and -turned about for a long time before he fell into a light doze. He did -not succeed, however, in obtaining a sound and restorative sleep; his -slumbers were interrupted and restless and visited by distressing -dreams, in which he seemed to be always falling down, down, rapidly, -interminably, with the added distress of never being able to reach the -ground and of seeing below him the place on which he was about to be -dashed. In one of those painful and involuntary efforts which we make in -our sleep to shake off a bad dream or to change<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_187" id="page_187"></a>{187}</span> its character, he woke -with a start and looked about him wonderingly, unable to remember at -first how it was that he came to be sleeping here, in his mother’s room.</p> - -<p>Absolute silence reigned around. The room, dimly lighted by the little -lamp, was in a semi-obscurity; his mother, he thought, must be asleep, -for he could hear her breathing deeply, almost snoring; at the head of -the bed he saw Esclavita sitting motionless, with large, wide-open eyes -fixed on himself. An irresistible impulse made him call to her with the -accent of a child who, because of some nocturnal fright, begs not be -left alone.</p> - -<p>“Esclavita! Hist! Esclavita!” he called softly. “Come here!”</p> - -<p>The girl glided toward him, silently as a shadow, and bent over him.</p> - -<p>“Is mamma asleep?” he asked.</p> - -<p>“Sound asleep.”</p> - -<p>“Well, I am wide awake now. Talk<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_188" id="page_188"></a>{188}</span> to me—softly, so that we may not -waken her.”</p> - -<p>“Ah, Señorito, and how if we should disturb her?”</p> - -<p>“There is no fear of that. Come closer, and speak softly.”</p> - -<p>“Wouldn’t it be better for you to go to sleep?”</p> - -<p>“Sleep! If you knew the horrible dreams I have had! No, I would rather -stay awake now. Sit down here.”</p> - -<p>“Where?”</p> - -<p>“Here on the floor beside me. Otherwise we cannot speak in a -whisper—and we might waken mamma.”</p> - -<p>Esclavita acceded to the proposal without demur, and stretched herself -on the floor, almost cheek to cheek with Rogelio, but without losing her -modest and reserved air, showing in this that she was born in the land, -where bucolic naturalness of action is united to modesty of demeanor. -The girl’s pure<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_189" id="page_189"></a>{189}</span> virginal breath mingled for the second time with that -of the student, but the feelings it awakened in him now were of a very -different nature from those he had experienced on the former occasion. -Whether it was that the shock caused by his mother’s fall had -transformed his youthful sensations into sentiment, or that the place in -which he was did not admit of evil thoughts, certain it is that near to -him as Esclavita was, and easy as it would have been to take liberties -with her, it did not even enter into his mind to attempt doing so; all -he was conscious of was a sort of affectionate effusiveness, unusual -with him, a feeling of inexplicable tenderness, which caused his eyes to -fill with tears. Reaching out his hand, he grasped Esclavita’s and, -pressing it with force, said:</p> - -<p>“Esclavita, mamma came near being killed to-day.”</p> - -<p>“Thank God it was nothing serious,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_190" id="page_190"></a>{190}</span> Señorito!” answered the girl, -returning the pressure.</p> - -<p>“And if she had been killed, what should I have done, tell me that?”</p> - -<p>Esclavita did not answer, thereby showing her wisdom, for the question -put to her was one of those which do not admit of being answered in -words. She pressed more forcibly than before the student’s hot, -trembling hand in hers, and her eyes responded in the half shadow with a -long and eloquent glance.</p> - -<p>“If she had died,” continued Rogelio, yielding to his involuntary -emotion, “you see that I should have no one in the world but you, no -one.”</p> - -<p>“I?” stammered the girl, whose hand trembled in the student’s clasp.</p> - -<p>“Yes, you; and no one but you. Relations I have none—that is to say, I -have several aunts at home in Galicia, with whom we are on cat-and-dog -terms. You see what a protection they would<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_191" id="page_191"></a>{191}</span> be, child. As for -friends—well, two or three in the University over there—college -friends, that are of little account. Then the old men who come to see -mamma. Of much use they would be; they are all in their dotage. It is as -I say, Suriña. I should have only you.”</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/ill_pg191.jpg" width="342" height="222" alt="Image unavailable: “Rogelio had raised himself on his elbow.”" /> -<br /> -<span class="caption">“Rogelio had raised himself on his elbow.”</span> -</div> - -<p>Rogelio had raised himself on his elbow as he spoke, in order to make -himself heard by the girl without disturbing his mother, and this -lowering<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_192" id="page_192"></a>{192}</span> of his voice made his words more persuasive, bestowing on them -the passionate and mysterious air of a confession. Persuaded himself, he -persuaded his hearer. He was not in a frame of mind to measure the -importance of his words or to calculate the effect they might produce, -still less did he suspect that sensibility and goodness may, on certain -occasions, be more fatal than anger and hate. There was a large share of -nervousness in his emotion, and the words fell from his lips in the -reaction after the morning’s fright as a groan follows a painful hurt, -involuntarily and almost unconsciously. All there was in him of the -child—and there was much—overflowed in this affectionate unburthening -of his heart, and he neither desired nor could he foresee any further -consequence, granting even that in moments like these it is possible to -calculate effects.</p> - -<p>“You, Suriña,” he repeated, yielding<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_193" id="page_193"></a>{193}</span> his hand to the hands that with -almost convulsive force pressed his. “You care for me, and a great deal, -too, do you not?”</p> - -<p>Unable to respond in words, she nodded her head energetically.</p> - -<p>“I knew it. I had guessed it; and that is the reason why I told you that -no one would be left me but you and that I should cling to you; do you -know that? Even if you had told me that it was not so, I should not have -believed it. You care for me—and for mamma, too.”</p> - -<p>“That I do,” said the girl at last, recovering her speech and -withdrawing a little from the student. “I don’t know what it was that -came over me in this house that made me take a—a kind of affection for -it—a very, very great affection from the first moment I crossed its -threshold. Why, it seemed to me as if I was at home again. As you are -from there—But I think the more one<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_194" id="page_194"></a>{194}</span> tries to explain these things, the -less one is able to do it. What I know is that if I had remained with -those other ladies, it would have soon been all over with me.”</p> - -<p>“And why, then, were you so sad at first here, Esclavita?”</p> - -<p>“You shall hear. I thought you had taken a dislike to me.”</p> - -<p>“I a dislike to you!”</p> - -<p>“Yes, and thinking of that I became very melancholy. The <i>worm</i> got into -my head.”</p> - -<p>“The <i>worm</i>?”</p> - -<p>“That is what we say at home, when one gets a notion one can’t get rid -of into one’s head. I would spend the whole blessed night trying to -untangle the skein—What shall I do to make the Señorito lose his -dislike for me? What means shall I take to please him? And the worst of -it was—you may believe what I say, for it is as true as that God is in -heaven—that heavy as my<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_195" id="page_195"></a>{195}</span> heart was, I did not feel as I did in the -other house. No; from this house I would not have gone, not if I was to -be cut in quarters—unless I was turned out of it.”</p> - -<p>“Because you knew I liked you, Sura?”</p> - -<p>“No, indeed I didn’t know it. I give you my word I thought you hated me. -It made me so wretched that I wanted to die.”</p> - -<p>“And I am ready to die with joy at hearing you, Suriña. You are not -comfortable there, child. Put your head on this pillow. Here, let me -pull it out to make room for you.”</p> - -<p>Esclavita laid her head on the pillow without embarrassment or mistrust, -and both remained silent for a while, absorbed in the happiness of the -moment. The dim light of the lamp threw the girl’s features into relief, -bestowing on the lights a pure pale tint, on the shadows a uniform -grayish rose. Her<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_196" id="page_196"></a>{196}</span> head had the effect of a fine engraving, and Rogelio -expressed his admiration by saying:</p> - -<p>“Suriña, you are lovely.”</p> - -<p>At this moment Doña Aurora sighed profoundly and both started, although -their conversation could in no sense be called guilty. The nurse rose to -go see what was the matter. She returned in a moment, saying:</p> - -<p>“She sleeps like a saint.”</p> - -<p>“Settle yourself comfortably again. I want to ask you something. Give me -your hand. What put it into your head to care so much whether I liked -you or not?”</p> - -<p>“Ah, I don’t know. From the first day I said to myself, If they don’t -want you here, Esclavita, it is because there is no room for you in the -world. You came into it against the will of Our Lord. God has always -looked on you with disfavor. Didn’t you know it, Señorito?”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_197" id="page_197"></a>{197}</span></p> - -<p>“Yes, I knew it, Suriña. But it is dreadful to say that. Why should God -look on you with disfavor?”</p> - -<p>The girl half raised herself in her place, her eyes wide open, terrified -at seeing that the fact which she was trying to bring herself to -disclose was already known.</p> - -<p>“Don’t be foolish,” murmured Rogelio, kindly. “What fault is it of -yours, child? The same thing might have happened to me or to any one. We -don’t choose our parents. Foolish girl!”</p> - -<p>“If you knew how <i>that</i> weighs on me here,” exclaimed the girl -vehemently, opening her heart as one seeks to open one’s lungs to the -air when one feels that one is going to faint. “I am always saying to -myself, Esclavita, it is impossible that God should love you. You can -never have any good fortune, never. Since the hour in which you were -born you have been in the power<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_198" id="page_198"></a>{198}</span> of the Evil One, and he is not likely -to let go what he has once got hold of. No matter how hard you may try -to be an angel, you will be forever in mortal sin. You must be so; there -is no remedy for it. For you there is neither father nor mother, nor -anything but shame when you are asked about them. And in the same way -all you undertake must go against you, and if you take a liking to any -person, worse still; for God will take away that person’s affection from -you.”</p> - -<p>“Well, with me that is not going to happen, my white dove. I am as fond -of you as if you were a king’s daughter. And mamma is very fond of you, -too; don’t you know that she took a liking to you from the very first -day?”</p> - -<p>Esclavita, when she heard this assertion, raised her head and turned her -eyes toward Señora de Pardiñas’s bed. Her glance and her smile were full -of meaning, but Rogelio was in no mood<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_199" id="page_199"></a>{199}</span> to interpret them. He was not in -a condition of mind for reasoning; he wanted to be gently soothed by the -affection which he needed as a sedative and a medicine. Seeing that in -Esclavita’s presence he no longer felt the same temptations as before, -he thought that his affection for her had been purified, and that this -anomalous courtship was the most innocent thing in the world. Or to say -the whole truth; he was passing through an emotional crisis, and he -neither weighed nor measured his words nor his affirmations. This was -for him one of those moments in which we obey our natural impulses, our -secret egotism, and abandon ourselves to the pleasure of feeling -ourselves loved and of making ourselves still more dearly loved. It is -as natural for one who is sad to seek consolation as it is for one who -is hungry to seek food.</p> - -<p>“Mamma is very fond of you,” he<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_200" id="page_200"></a>{200}</span> repeated. “You don’t seem to believe -me. Silly girl! why, she herself scolded me because I treated -you—well—a little coldly at first. She told me you were unhappy on -that account.”</p> - -<p>Esclavita lowered her eyes, doubtless lest they should betray her -thoughts and forebodings regarding the future.</p> - -<p>“See,” said Rogelio, softly, “if you knew how well I feel with you here -beside me! I even think I am beginning to grow sleepy, and that I shall -have no more bad dreams or such nonsense. I think I shall sleep as sound -as a patriarch; but for that you must have the good nature to stay there -at my feet. If you go away I shall waken up again.”</p> - -<p>“I won’t go away!” the girl answered with decision. “Not with pincers -would they be able to pull me away from here.”</p> - -<p>“Well, then, I shall go to sleep. Ah, how pleasant!”</p> - -<p>Tasting already the first sweet sip of<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_201" id="page_201"></a>{201}</span> that cup of oblivion which -sleep, when it follows some great moral or physical shock, presents to -our lips, Rogelio spoke once more:</p> - -<p>“Suriña?”</p> - -<p>“Well?”</p> - -<p>“Do you care for me?”</p> - -<p>He only half-heard her answer, and for this reason he was never quite -certain that it was this—so romantic and unsuited to a country girl:</p> - -<p>“Until the hour of my death.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_202" id="page_202"></a>{202}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="XV" id="XV"></a>XV.</h2> - -<p><span class="smcap">Notwithstanding</span> her positive promise, when Rogelio opened his eyes after -a peaceful and beneficial sleep, he saw Esclavita standing at his -mother’s bedside, giving her a cup of broth. Señora de Pardiñas -complained greatly of the contusion in the spine, but her headache was -much better. Sanchez de Abrojo soon came and justified her complaints by -saying that, judging by the symptoms, the contusion threatened to assume -an erysipelatous character, for which reason, in order to avoid the -pernicious effects of cold on the injured parts, it would be well to -remain in bed. “And even if he had given me permission, I could not have -got up,” Señora de Pardiñas said. “I feel as if I had been tossed in a -blanket and been<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_203" id="page_203"></a>{203}</span> beaten with sand-bags afterward. There is not a bone -in my body that does not ache. It is only now that I begin to feel the -full effects of the bruise.”</p> - -<p>Rogelio took his chocolate, seated at the foot of his mother’s bed, and -showed little inclination to stir from there. But Doña Aurora soon -observed this. “Oh, oh, child,” she cried, “Hurry off to college! You -know very well that the professors, especially Ruiz del Monte, won’t -excuse absences. The examinations will come afterward, and then you will -be wondering why you didn’t pass.”</p> - -<p>He must, then, shake off his laziness, go to his room, bathe his face -with cold water, wrap himself well in his cloak and proceed to the -confounded “<i>chocolate factory</i>,” as he called the University, for the -reason that in no place is there more grinding going on. When he left -the warm atmosphere of the house, his faculties brightened by his<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_204" id="page_204"></a>{204}</span> -matutinal ablutions, and felt the cold of the early morning in his eyes -and on his lips, it seemed to Rogelio as if a veil of fog had suddenly -been rent apart and his recollections of the day before took clear and -distinct shape in his mind. At this hour his sweetheart, the little girl -with the superfluous tooth, would be leaning over the balcony to see, -first the mounted artillerymen, and then himself pass by. Rogelio shook -with laughter when he recalled this episode. “What a joke!” he said to -himself. “What a way I took to find a sweetheart!” Then he remembered -what had passed during the night. “I don’t know what came over me,” he -thought. “Mamma’s fall dazed me. I said some stupendous things to -Esclavita. That, indeed, was like a declaration of love, in earnest; -yes, truly. And I felt it all, and if I had not tried hard to control -myself, I should have cried. And she, too, was inclined to be -sentimental. But looking<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_205" id="page_205"></a>{205}</span> at it calmly, nothing that we said to each -other compromises either of us. They were words that slip from -one—well—because at times—if I were required now to give an -explanation of why I said them I could not do it. They came without my -thinking. Perhaps this is <i>love</i>; as for the other, that was pure -make-believe. Well, <i>this</i> at least, if mamma were to find it out, would -not vex her so much as what was near happening the other day. In what -happened last night I don’t see anything bad.” And as he exchanged a -salutation at the door of the University with the sleepy door-keeper, -his thoughts took another direction, and he said to himself, “I shall -make a nice show of myself if I am questioned on the lesson to-day.”</p> - -<p>In the afternoon the house was full of friends who had heard of the -accident and who had come to offer their services. There were two or -three ladies who were allowed into the bed-room<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_206" id="page_206"></a>{206}</span> to chat with the -patient, whose head was well now and who, consequently, was not -disturbed by the noise. The <i>habitués</i> of the house came as usual and -remained in the dressing-room to accompany the “son of the victim,” as -Rogelio laughingly called himself. They discussed the possible -consequences of the fall; they devoted a good half hour to a -consideration of what would have happened if the patient, instead of -setting her heel down in <i>this</i> way had set it down in <i>that</i>. Only Lain -Calvo, the representative in that senile assemblage, at once of common -sense and of malevolence, pretended deafness more than ever, confining -himself to stirring the fire and looking over the pictures and -caricatures in the illustrated periodicals. Two or three times he took -his ear-trumpet from his pocket and made a pretense of cleaning it and -putting it into his ear, but the plainest proof that he heard perfectly -was, that under pretense of showing<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_207" id="page_207"></a>{207}</span> some illustration or other in <i>La -Ilustracion Iberica</i> to Rogelio, he leaned toward the student and said -to him with a look that would better have become the face of a -mischievous urchin than of a grave old man:</p> - -<p>“When are those manikins going to stop their senseless chatter, boy? -They are even more idiotic to-day than usual. What is the use of talking -about what the possible consequence might be of something that might -possibly have happened but that didn’t happen? It is like saying, ‘If -she had fallen on her head instead of on her side it would have killed -her.’<span class="lftspc">”</span></p> - -<p>Then another discussion arose—in relation also to the great event of -the fall—as to whether it might not be well for some friend to stay and -take care of the patient, as there were certain services which Rogelio, -being a man and inexperienced in such matters besides, could not very -well render her. But<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_208" id="page_208"></a>{208}</span> here Don Gaspar Febrero broke out, emphasizing his -asseverations by striking the ferule of his crutch against the -chimney-guard:</p> - -<p>“Why, she has the best nurse she could possibly have! Don’t be afraid -but that our friend Doña Aurora will be well taken care of by the -sympathetic Esclavita. You may be sure she will wait on her like a -sister of charity. Don’t pity Doña Aurora; pity a poor fellow like me, -rather, who will have no Esclavita at his pillow to close his dying -eyes, when his last hour comes.”</p> - -<p>The company here all protested, with the exception of Lain Calvo, whose -attention seemed to be occupied in adjusting his trumpet in his ear.</p> - -<p>“You, Don Gaspar, why, you will live to bury us all! Why you are only in -the prime of life! You are as vigorous as a boy.”</p> - -<p>Don Gaspar shook his head, but with an air of such Olympic serenity, -with<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_209" id="page_209"></a>{209}</span> so animated an expression on his classical features that he seemed -rather a demi-god of antiquity affirming his immortality than an old man -of our restless age announcing the decline of his vital powers.</p> - -<p>“The truth is,” interposed Lain Calvo, “that we are all like moldy -parchment, ready to burn to dust at a touch, like the mummies of Peru. -Is not that what you were saying, Don Gaspar?”</p> - -<p>“He was saying,” screamed Rojas, “that he would like to have Esclavita, -Doña Aurora’s maid, to nurse him when he is sick.”</p> - -<p>“What an idea!” exclaimed the Asturian. “With a girl like that to take -care of him, an old man would soon be in his grave, even if he were as -strong as an oak, <i>caray</i>. Unless he were like King David.” And turning -to Rogelio, he added. “What does the son of the house say to that? Would -he be willing to give up the pretty girl to the old<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_210" id="page_210"></a>{210}</span> fellows? Wouldn’t -he protest against it?”</p> - -<p>Whether because of the manner in which the question was put to him, or -because his conscience was not altogether tranquil, or finally because -owing to his youth and inexperience he had not the self-possession -demanded by the occasion, Rogelio turned crimson (which was the more -noticeable in him, on account of his habitual pallor), and stammered:</p> - -<p>“No—to Señor Febrero—I—I—” And in his own mind, he said “Hypocrite! -You can’t hear, indeed. I verily believe you can hear the grass grow.”</p> - -<p>The arrangements for the night were the same as on the previous night, -only that, in order not to vitiate the air of the bed-room, Rogelio’s -bed was placed in the dressing-room, the door between the two rooms -being left open. It was long before the patient fell asleep; she -complained of much<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_211" id="page_211"></a>{211}</span> pain, of a sensation of heat in the injured leg, and -an unaccountable feeling of weariness. Rogelio, laying his hand on her -forehead, noticed that it was hot, a fact which kept him from sleeping, -without preventing him, however, from wondering a little if Esclavita -would come to chat a while with him, a thing which he at once feared and -desired. Debating this question in his mind, he at last fell asleep, and -waking toward morning, he saw the girl approach his bedside. Leaning -over him, she said quickly, “I can’t stir from there; she is continually -asking for water. She complains of pains all over her body. It is all -the effect of the fall.” Rogelio, greatly troubled, answered softly, -“Very well, Suriña.” But this bad news prevented him from falling asleep -again. Was there any danger? Was this the beginning of a fever? The -doctor, who came at an early hour, relieved<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_212" id="page_212"></a>{212}</span> him from his apprehensions. -“All this,” he said, “is the after-effect of the fall. The fever is -slight. The inflammation we will soon have under control. Give me a -piece of paper. You will see an improvement by evening.” In the evening, -instead of the promised improvement, there was an increase in the fever, -but at nightfall a change for the better took place, and at ten o’clock -the patient ate with appetite the wing of a chicken. “Ah, God be -praised!” she cried. “The pain in my bones seems better now. I felt such -an oppression inside. Child, I think I shall soon be myself again.” This -cheerful prognostication was followed by a period of freedom from pain, -and toward midnight Doña Aurora was enjoying the profound and peaceful -slumber of a convalescent.</p> - -<p>“To-day she will come flying,” said Rogelio to himself, resolving to -keep awake, and notwithstanding his sophistical<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_213" id="page_213"></a>{213}</span> arguments to prove <i>all -that</i> of no importance whatever, he felt his nerves thrill with -excitement, and his heart throb tumultuously.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/ill_pg213.jpg" width="328" height="360" alt="Image unavailable: " /> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_214" id="page_214"></a>{214}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="XVI" id="XVI"></a>XVI.</h2> - -<p><span class="smcap">She</span> came on tiptoe with an air of gayety and animation that contrasted -with her usual reserve of manner, and curled herself up on the floor -like a pet kitten, at the foot of her master’s bed. The latter, however, -did not dedicate his first words to her, but instinctively consecrated -them to the real love of his life, the mother who had borne him; who was -sleeping close by in the next room.</p> - -<p>“Only think what happiness, Esclavita! Mamma is almost entirely well. I -can scarcely believe it. She gave me a terrible fright. This morning -when you told me how ill she felt, I could not go to sleep again.”</p> - -<p>Esclavita gave the student a curiously<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_215" id="page_215"></a>{215}</span> penetrating and meaning glance, -and then answered:</p> - -<p>“I prayed earnestly to Our Lady of Slavery that the mistress might get -better. I offered her a mass, besides. You see how the Virgin has -listened to my prayers, Señorito.”</p> - -<p>“Of course. You must have a great deal of influence with the saints.”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” murmured the girl, “I have—to obtain what is against myself.”</p> - -<p>“Against yourself!” exclaimed Rogelio, surprised and somewhat -displeased. “And is it against yourself that my mother should get well?”</p> - -<p>“That she should get well—no,” stammered Esclavita; “that she should -get well, no, indeed; and I hope God will take me to himself before he -takes her. But as soon as her illness is over our sitting up with her -will be over. And when that is over, these pleasant times will be over.”</p> - -<p>The explanation flattered Rogelio’s<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_216" id="page_216"></a>{216}</span> vanity, assuring him once more that -he was loved, and not as a child is loved, but as a man is loved by a -woman; in which consisted the whole charm of this singular intercourse, -that not even to himself did he venture to call amorous. These words, -that were rendered sweeter to him by the tremulous and regretful tones -in which they were uttered, impelled Rogelio to put his arm around her -head, and, drawing it toward him, he tenderly pressed it to his breast. -Esclavita’s breath came and went so tumultuously that Rogelio said to -her at last, affectionately:</p> - -<p>“There, I will release you. I don’t want to hurt you or distress you.”</p> - -<p>“Hurt me, no,” murmured the girl; “hurt me, no.”</p> - -<p>Rogelio did not again attempt to caress her. It was not necessary that -he should impose any restraint upon himself in order to treat Esclavita -with respect here, almost at his mother’s bedside,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_217" id="page_217"></a>{217}</span> or to refrain from -these manifestations of affection, that were fraternal rather than -lover-like; of whose real meaning and significance he himself was -ignorant. He only permitted himself to pass his hand now and again over -her loosely-flowing and luxuriant auburn hair. Esclavita’s hair looked -softer than it really was, but it was certainly pleasant to pass his -hand over the warm, wavy tresses.</p> - -<p>“Don’t you want to sleep a little?” he said. “You have been sitting up -for two nights, and you must be worn out. If mamma moves I will waken -you. I will not sleep in any case.”</p> - -<p>Esclavita refused. To sit up three nights! What was that? She had spent -forty nights without taking off her clothes, when nursing the priest -during his last illness, without other rest than such as was afforded -her by leaning back in an old arm-chair and dozing for five minutes or -so at a time. Do without<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_218" id="page_218"></a>{218}</span> rest for three nights! She could do without -rest for three months if it were necessary.</p> - -<p>“Well, if you don’t want to sleep, amuse me, then. Tell me something,” -he said.</p> - -<p>“Ah, Señorito, a good person you ask to tell you something! One who -knows nothing herself.”</p> - -<p>“Of course you know something, silly girl. Tell me something about our -native place. I am dying to hear about it. When I left there I was only -a child. I can scarcely remember it.”</p> - -<p>Hearing him speak of her native land, Esclavita’s eyes glowed in the -darkness like the eyes of a cat.</p> - -<p>“Don’t you remember it at all, Señorito?” she asked.</p> - -<p>“Well, I will tell you. Searching in my memory I fancy I can see a great -many green fields and a rough sea, very green, too. But it is all very -confused. Do you know what I can remember<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_219" id="page_219"></a>{219}</span> most distinctly? A sailor -taking me in his arms to bathe me; I fancy I can see him now before me, -as black as pitch and smelling of sardines.”</p> - -<p>“And why don’t you go back there to see it all again?”</p> - -<p>“This year it will go hard with me or I will persuade mamma to go. We -will pass through Marineda and Compostela. We shall see the provinces of -Pontevedra and Orense. We will feast upon oysters and lobsters. It must -be like Paradise there. We will take you with us. You shall see.”</p> - -<p>“Me?” said the girl, shaking her head. “Me? Ah, no; you will see that -you will not take me.”</p> - -<p>“Why not, silly girl?”</p> - -<p>“When my heart tells me anything it always comes true, and my heart -tells me that my eyes shall never see home again.”</p> - -<p>“Be still, bird of ill omen! Let me get through with the worry of the -examinations<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_220" id="page_220"></a>{220}</span> and you shall see. So it is a beautiful place, eh? Come, -tell me all about it? What is it like? They say it is the loveliest -province in all Spain.”</p> - -<p>“Or in all the world; I have already told you so,” Esclavita answered, -with profound conviction. “If you were to see the rivers of Pontevedra -you would be struck dumb with admiration. If you were to see them -casting the nets for sardines!”</p> - -<p>“It must be delightful. You are already making me long to see it. And -the pilgrimages with their drums and bagpipes, what do you say of them?”</p> - -<p>“A festival like one of those,” declared the girl, very seriously, “is -better than all the diversions of Madrid put together. There I was very -gay and I danced every Sunday; here I feel as if my <i>paletilla</i><a name="FNanchor_A_1" id="FNanchor_A_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_A_1" class="fnanchor">[A]</a> had -sunk in.”</p> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_A_1" id="Footnote_A_1"></a><a href="#FNanchor_A_1"><span class="label">[A]</span></a> Paletilla: xiphisternum, metasternum, or ensiform -cartilage.</p></div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_221" id="page_221"></a>{221}</span></p> - -<p>“And what do you mean by that? Tell me.”</p> - -<p>“It is a bone that we have here,” she answered, touching her breast, -“that when it sinks in, it seems as if one’s soul sank, too; one keeps -growing sadder and sadder, and one loses one’s color and appetite, so -that after a while if one doesn’t get it raised again, one dies.”</p> - -<p>“Do you believe that, child?”</p> - -<p>“It is the truth. Some people say that all that about the <i>paletilla</i> is -the effect of witchcraft, but I have seen two or three die already -because they wouldn’t have it raised.”</p> - -<p>“Well, then, Suriña, sometimes it seems as if my <i>paletilla</i>, too, had -fallen, for I have fits of the spleen and I lose my appetite completely. -I have got the notion into my head that as soon as I go home I shall get -strong and grow as fat as a pig—so,” and he puffed out his cheeks to -show how fat he expected<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_222" id="page_222"></a>{222}</span> to become. “Here, I will always be as thin as -a lath. The life here is not calculated to make one grow strong. Come, -tell me something about home.”</p> - -<p>Esclavita obeyed, and began to narrate, without order or descriptive -skill, incidents connected with her own history rather than having any -relation to the country. “When I was a child, such or such a thing took -place—” “One afternoon when I went to see the sardine fishing—” “When -I was learning to make lace with the bobbins—” “Once when we were -baking the bread in our oven.” The very personality of these -recollections lent them a singular charm in Rogelio’s eyes. While he -listened to the girl’s words, it seemed as if the vanished memories of -his childhood took definite and distinct shape in his mind. The room -seemed to be filled with rural scents of mint, anise, new-mown hay. The -illusion was so strong that he drew Esclava’s<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_223" id="page_223"></a>{223}</span> head toward him and -smelled it. “Your hair smells like—like the fields,” he said. While the -girl talked, his determination to go <i>home</i> grew every moment stronger. -“If I don’t go home,” he thought, “I shall never be a man. It is the -first thing to be done. I am going to ask mamma to go when she is well. -It is a wonder she has never gone there before to spend the summer -instead of going to that ill-smelling, crowded San Sebastián. The moment -I set foot in the old land I shall grow as strong as a young ox.”</p> - -<p>“Ah, Señorito,” said Esclavita softly, “how ugly and arid all the -country on the way coming here seemed to me! Not a solitary tree, not a -streamlet, not a green bush. How can the farmers live here?”</p> - -<p>“Better than there, foolish girl. This is the land that produces bread -and wine.”</p> - -<p>“Holy Mother! It seems impossible<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_224" id="page_224"></a>{224}</span> that people could live contented in -that parched land. And then, never to see the sea! When you look at the -sea, it seems the same as if you were looking at the grandeur of God. -Isn’t it true that only God could create a thing so grand as the sea, -and all that comes out of it? Those pretty little shells; so many, many -kinds of fishes, the sardines, that are the maintenance of the poor.”</p> - -<p>“You talk like a book, Esclavita. I am not surprised that your devoted -Nuño Rasura——”</p> - -<p>“Who?”</p> - -<p>“Señor de Febrero, child.”</p> - -<p>“The old man with the crutch?”</p> - -<p>“Yes. Well, he says that you are a treasure. You must know that he is -head over ears in love with you.”</p> - -<p>“Nonsense. Don’t make sport of me.”</p> - -<p>“I am in earnest. Why, he wants<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_225" id="page_225"></a>{225}</span> to take you to his own house. They say -it will end by his offering you his lily-white hand and his lame foot. -He has conceived for you an insensate passion which will carry him to -the tomb in the flower of his youth, in the smiling age of illusion, -before he has reached his eighty-sixth April.”</p> - -<p>“Well, well! Poor man, he hasn’t even the use of his legs.”</p> - -<p>“Hold your tongue, ungrateful girl; hypocrite, rather. You will gain -nothing by concealing the profound impression which his curling locks -have made upon you.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, taken from some dead man’s head,” said the girl, smiling -humorously.</p> - -<p>“His pearly teeth and his slender form. But lay no plans, traitress, for -I will not allow you to follow that Don Juan. If you should prove false -to your duty, be prepared to die at my hands. I will tear your heart out -if you betray me.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_226" id="page_226"></a>{226}</span></p> - -<p>He ran his hand through her tresses caressingly, and murmured softly:</p> - -<p>“Suriña will not go with the old man. Suriña belongs to me. Who wanted -to steal her from me? Let them prepare to defend themselves; let them -prepare to defend themselves. Suriña is mine!”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_227" id="page_227"></a>{227}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="XVII" id="XVII"></a>XVII.</h2> - -<p><span class="smcap">On</span> the following day Doña Aurora was so much better that she was able to -sit up for a couple of hours, and when night came she refused to consent -to Rogelio’s sleeping in her room. “It does not suit me,” she said. “You -don’t sleep comfortably; you lie awake for a long time; you toss about; -you chat with Esclavita. Last night I could hear you between sleeping -and waking, and then you get up in the morning looking pale and -miserable; and you have no appetite.” When Señora de Pardiñas was saying -this the girl, who had been going about the room putting things in -order, turned her back quickly to her, pretending to be looping up a -curtain which had become unfastened, an operation which<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_228" id="page_228"></a>{228}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/ill_pg228.jpg" width="336" height="248" alt="Image unavailable: “The girl ... turned her back quickly to her, pretending -to be looping up a curtain.”" /> -<br /> -<span class="caption">“The girl ... turned her back quickly to her, pretending -to be looping up a curtain.”</span> -</div> - -<p class="nind">engaged her attention for some time. The student fixed his eyes with -alarm on his mother’s countenance; but that dear face, so little -schooled in dissimulation, and so familiar to him in its every line, -reflected no other thought than that to which her lips had given -utterance, and the student, breathing freely once more, acceded to her -wish that he should sleep that night in his<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_229" id="page_229"></a>{229}</span> own room. His mother was -not without reason in saying that he needed sleep. At the most important -stage of his development, his health not yet fully established after a -childhood, if not precisely sickly, at least weakly, his delicate -organization was easily disturbed, and the three nights of wakefulness -he had spent had begun to tell upon him.</p> - -<p>When he was in his own room, however, he felt sad and solitary. -Accustomed to be surrounded by tenderness and indulgent care—wrapped in -cotton, as it were—he was avid of affection, and two days had sufficed -to habituate him to those tender and novel conversations, carried on at -an unusual hour with a woman who offered him so large a measure of -affection and loyalty that not even his own mother, seemingly, lavished -love upon him more profusely. If Rogelio had been able to analyze his -sentiments he<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_230" id="page_230"></a>{230}</span> would have found that a great part of the charm of his -intercourse with Esclavita consisted in the fact that in it he was the -one who commanded, while the woman of twenty-five, who at first had -treated him like a stripling, a <i>boy</i>, was now all obedience, submissive -as a very <i>slave</i>. No matter how loving and tender his mother might be, -Rogelio was always conscious of his subjection to her; the habit of -respecting and obeying her had become rooted in his nature, keeping him -in a state of perpetual childhood. In his intercourse with the girl, on -the contrary, he could gratify at once his youthful vanity and his vague -and secret longing to assume the virile toga, the symbol of human -dignity.</p> - -<p>For this reason the interruption in those pleasant nocturnal chats vexed -him greatly. He was on the point of stealing into his mother’s -dressing-room on tiptoe at about one o’clock to<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_231" id="page_231"></a>{231}</span> bring back a smile to -Suriña’s countenance that had grown a mile long. But what if his mother -should surprise them? She would think all sorts of evil things; it would -be a dreadful affliction to her; she might have a relapse; perhaps she -would dismiss Esclavita. The instinct of cautiousness, which in moments -of passion springs up in the soul to moderate the fever that urges to -rash resolutions and wild extremes, counseled him to observe prudence; -and on the following day, when he saw Esclavita’s face looking pale and -haggard, he drew her into a corner of the hall and said to her, between -jest and earnest, “Suriña, don’t wear that look of misery. Last night I -thought a great deal about you and about our chats together. I longed to -go to you, but I did not dare to do so. We must be careful for poor -mamma’s sake. Come, Esclava, smile on your lord!”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_232" id="page_232"></a>{232}</span></p> - -<p>This glimpse of happiness sufficed to bring back the color to the girl’s -cheeks, and even to restore to her, apparently, cheerfulness and -serenity.</p> - -<p>Rogelio had consented to sleep in his own room, partly through prudence, -partly through filial respect. “Only let mamma get quite well,” he -thought, “let her be herself again; that is the first thing. Until she -is strong and well, let Esclavita nurse her, that is all. But mamma is -much better now, and will soon be convalescent; in eight or ten days -more there will not be a trace of the injury left. Then we shall have -time enough for all the chats we desire. Mamma will go out, or she will -be occupied with her visitors, and—we shall have all the liberty we -want. I must tell Sura this to make her completely happy.”</p> - -<p>He watched for a favorable opportunity to communicate these agreeable -plans to her. Kept a prisoner in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_233" id="page_233"></a>{233}</span> patient’s room during these days, -Esclavita did not enter that of the student; it was necessary to take -the hall as the center of operations, and Rogelio resolved to wait there -for her in the afternoon, as the morning slipped away between breakfast -and college. At about four o’clock, the coming and going of Doña -Aurora’s daily visitors introduced a certain animation and disorder into -the house which were favorable to Rogelio’s plans. And on these days -there were many visitors, for Señora de Pardiñas’s illness not being of -a nature to exact quietude, imposed upon her friends the duty of keeping -her company. Not only the gentlemen came, but also the feminine -contingent, composed almost entirely of mothers of families of moderate -means, who, lacking Doña Aurora’s wealth, could indulge only -occasionally in the luxury of visiting, and then not without much -previous preparation so as to present<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_234" id="page_234"></a>{234}</span> themselves in public with the -respectability demanded by their station as the wives of magistrates. On -the afternoon in question two ladies came who allowed themselves to be -seen but seldom: the wife of the President of the Court, Don Prudencio -Rojas, and the wife of the ex-Crown Solicitor, Don Nicanor Candás, -nicknamed Lain Calvo. If a painter, had desired to symbolize Dignity -clad in the garb of modesty he need only have copied faithfully the -costume and the features of Señora de Rojas. For one whose sentiments -had not been perverted or distorted and whose sensibilities had not been -blunted, there was something in the appearance of this simply dressed -woman, socially insignificant, which would impel him irresistibly to -uncover the head and bend the knee before her. Her worn black velvet -wrap, scrupulously brushed, carefully altered to meet the fashion of the -day at the cost of a<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_235" id="page_235"></a>{235}</span> week’s labor, perhaps; her bonnet, the lace on -which betrayed by its gloss its home making-up; her new two-button -gloves of a dark and serviceable color, bought for the occasion; her -old-fashioned earrings, each a cluster of minute brilliants; her white -hair, worn smooth over the temples with the supreme decorum of a widowed -queen who has renounced the aspiration to please, revealed more courage, -more endurance, more secret heroism than any beggar’s rags, any -invalid’s uniform, any nun’s sackcloth. The living commentary and -perhaps the best explanation of the strict integrity of the husband was -the aureole of domestic patience and of serene acceptance of daily -sacrifice which surrounded the brow of the wife. The severity and -inflexibility of Rojas in his manner of interpreting and administering -the law were softened by the sweetness of his wife, whom ancient Rome -would have<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_236" id="page_236"></a>{236}</span> chosen as a priestess of domestic piety. This matron had -never asked, even in her own mind, why her life, for thirty years or -more, should be one continued act of self-abnegation. She knew, and this -sufficed, that in her house the stern image of duty was worshiped side -by side with the gilded statue of decorum, and without a protest she had -consecrated herself to the worship of both deities.</p> - -<p>There could not be a greater contrast than that which existed between -Señora de Rojas and Señora de Candás. As in the magistracy great -importance is attached to family antecedents, doubtless his marriage to -so vulgar a woman, who, according to report, had been the landlady of an -inn at Gijón, had had much to do with certain clouds that at one time -had rested on the reputation of the Crown Solicitor, and had caused his -colleagues, irritated at being obliged to associate with her,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_237" id="page_237"></a>{237}</span> to regard -him with a disfavor which was heightened by the incorrigible mordacity, -the mocking cynicism, and the intermittent deafness of the Asturian. -Señora de Candás, a stout woman with a wen on the left eye-lid, who was -very showy in her dress, always wearing gowns full of furbelows, and -bonnets looking like sentry-boxes or preserving kettles, who spoke -partly in Spanish, partly in the Asturian dialect, calling her husband -<i>this one</i>, and describing in mixed company ailments which, with more -propriety, might have been allowed to remain buried in oblivion—was a -perfect type of incurable and ingrained vulgarity; a vulgarity which was -proof against example, against the atmosphere of the court, against -ridicule, and against the influence of time, which smoothes and -polishes, as the waves smooth and polish the roughest stone. If Don -Nicanor had ever made the effort to civilize his<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_238" id="page_238"></a>{238}</span> wife, he had certainly -long since given up the task; and besides, his colleagues affirmed that -to polish Pachita it would be necessary for Don Nicanor to begin by -polishing himself, and abjuring the roughness of his speech, the -harshness of his manners, and the bad taste of his opinions; for even -the opinions of the Crown Solicitor were in bad taste, or at least -seemed to be so from his manner of expressing them.</p> - -<p>But whether he were or were not on a level with his Pachita (and perhaps -the only superiority he possessed over her was his masculine acuteness -of intellect and his learning), it was certain that Don Nicanor seemed -at times a little ashamed of his better half. A concealed observer, -stationed at Doña Aurora’s door and noting first Señor de Rojas and then -Señor de Candás, each accompanied by his wife, as they entered the house -on the day in question, might, from this observation<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_239" id="page_239"></a>{239}</span> alone, have been -able to form a correct idea of the psychic natures of each of the -couples and of the moral atmosphere of their houses. Rojas offered his -arm to his wife as they were going upstairs, hurried forward to ring the -bell, and then stood aside courteously at the door to allow her to enter -first, afterward drawing aside the portière of the dining-room (where -the receptions were once more held). His manner of seating himself -beside her, of associating her with him in his inquiries for the health -of Rogelio’s mother, was full of the same consideration, the same -delicate feeling of reverential familiarity, if I may say so, and the -magistrate, in respecting his partner, showed that he respected himself. -Señor de Candás, on the contrary, entered with the same want of ceremony -as on the other days, and almost left his wife in the corner where he -left his umbrella. One might have thought that Pachita and her husband<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_240" id="page_240"></a>{240}</span> -were strangers to each other who had met by chance on the staircase. But -further: while Señor de Rojas, conversing with his wife in the same -deferential tone as with Doña Aurora, made no motion to go until Señora -de Rojas gave the customary signal, saying: “When you wish, Prudencio, -we will go home,” Señor de Candás, brusquely cutting short a harangue of -Pacha on the dearness and the rancidness of bacon in Madrid, said, with -the greatest rudeness:</p> - -<p>“Eh, Pacha, hold your tongue and come on; it is time for us to go.”</p> - -<p>Señor de Candás left the room first, doubtless to show the way to his -wife, who was floundering through the ceremonies of leave-taking, and -was just in time to surprise two persons who were whispering earnestly -together at the further end of the hall. No one could excel the sly -Asturian in the art of appearing not to see what was not meant<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_241" id="page_241"></a>{241}</span> for him -to see, but as for seeing, <i>carapuche</i>, he saw so much that long after -he had quitted the house a smile still played among the wrinkles of his -Voltairian countenance.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/ill_pg241.jpg" width="270" height="274" alt="Image unavailable: “Great news, Suriña! This summer we are to go home—all -of us.”" /> -<br /> -<span class="caption">“Great news, Suriña! This summer we are to go home—all -of us.”</span> -</div> - -<p>What Rogelio was saying to the girl with so much eagerness was:</p> - -<p>“Great news, Suriña! This summer we are to go home—all of us. Mamma has -promised me.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_242" id="page_242"></a>{242}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="XVIII" id="XVIII"></a>XVIII.</h2> - -<p><span class="smcap">Señora de Pardiñas</span> was now pronounced entirely well, and the -advisability of her going out for a walk was being considered, when one -morning, at the hour when Rogelio had his lecture on Political Economy, -an hour which was unusually early for visitors, Don Nicanor arrived, -smiling, and seemingly in a very good humor. He pretended to be -surprised at finding none of the accustomed visitors there, whereupon -Doña Aurora, who was knitting a woolen stocking, answered with much show -of reason that as it wanted at least two hours to the usual time of -their arrival, it was not strange that none of them had yet come. But -apparently Lain Calvo did not hear this answer,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_243" id="page_243"></a>{243}</span> for he had kept his ear -trumpet in his pocket, using his hand as a substitute.</p> - -<p>“Tell me, Doña Aurora, have you not noticed something?” he asked, -settling himself comfortably in his easy-chair, whose broad back already -bore the impress of his form.</p> - -<p>Doña Aurora raised her eyes with an expression that seemed to say: -No—that is to say, I don’t know. Do me the favor to explain yourself.</p> - -<p>“Did you not notice the other day, the day that Pacha and I were -here——”</p> - -<p>“Yes, yes; I know—Friday.”</p> - -<p>“How dejected the wife of Rojas seemed?”</p> - -<p>“Poor woman! She is never very cheerful; but she never seems -discontented, either. She is an excellent woman! As good as gold!”</p> - -<p>“Well, she tried hard to conceal her grief, but it was very evident, -especially to those of us who were already aware of the circumstances.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_244" id="page_244"></a>{244}</span></p> - -<p>“Why, what has happened? Have they had any trouble?” asked Señora de -Pardiñas in alarm, for she sincerely esteemed and liked Señora de Rojas.</p> - -<p>“Joaquin—the son, the judge—they have transferred him again from one -end of Spain to the others, two months after the first transfer, and -just when his wife is about to be confined. That will convince him that -one cannot play the Quixote here, <i>carapuche</i>. Fancy a young man, who is -beginning his career, making his début by opposing so powerful a chief -as Colmenar, who has at his back the Minister of the Department. He will -soon see, he will soon see that they are not the people to be trifled -with. And he will see, too, of how much consequence the law is. A judge -can be transferred only at his own instance? Well, put in the royal -order, ‘at his own instance,’ and that settles it. Why, there have been -people who were placed on the retired list<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_245" id="page_245"></a>{245}</span> ‘at their own instance.’ And -when they protested, they were told they were wanting in respect for the -Minister.”</p> - -<p>“But, Señor Don Nicanor, that is very creditable to the Rojases. It is -evident the young man is of his father’s school. People as upright as -that are seldom seen nowadays. I understand nothing about those things, -but I remember the affair was discussed here, and it was said that they -wanted Joaquin Rojas to be a party to a dreadful piece of dishonesty—a -robbery of——”</p> - -<p>“The idea of a jackanapes like that,” continued Lain Calvo, persisting -in his deafness, “wishing to set himself up in opposition to the -Minister. The Rojases are as stubborn as mules. <i>Talis pater</i>—a fanatic -the father, a fanatic the son. That is to say, a still greater fanatic, -although that might seem to be impossible. For the father at least does -not get himself into a fix; he adheres<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_246" id="page_246"></a>{246}</span> to the letter of the law and -that is the end of it. The code says white? White let it be, then. Does -it say black? Then let it be black. Rojas is a machine for carrying out -the law. If the law to flog criminals or to cut off their ears were -still in force, Rojas would himself go about seeing it carried into -execution. But the boy! Because he has read a few trashy German and -Italian books, translated into worse gibberish, he plays the learned man -and the phi-los-o-pher. A judge a phi-los-o-pher! Fancy! What -pretentiousness!”</p> - -<p>“Well, for my part,” protested Doña Aurora, without raising her voice, -for she knew how much faith to put in the Crown Solicitor’s deafness, “I -think that in every situation in life a man should behave himself with -dignity and propriety. For that reason I have a great deal of sympathy -for the Rojases.”</p> - -<p>“And as a natural consequence,”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_247" id="page_247"></a>{247}</span> continued Lain Calvo, “they are very -straitened in their circumstances. They never light a fire in that -house, they eat only the plainest food, they drink no coffee. The salary -is not enough to meet the expenses of moving from one place to another; -he has married a girl without a penny, and as soon as things come to a -crisis the young gentleman will lower his tone. Necessity teaches more -than all the universities put together. They will tame him yet. He will -be as soft as a glove before the year is over.”</p> - -<p>Convinced that she would gain nothing by argument, Doña Aurora went on -narrowing the heel of her stocking, contenting herself with shaking her -head in dissent from time to time, for her quick temper would not allow -her to listen quietly to the spiteful remarks of the malicious Asturian.</p> - -<p>“We all begin life with the idea that we are going to reform the world,” -he<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_248" id="page_248"></a>{248}</span> went on, “but very soon we take in our sails. Oh, yes, we soon take -in our sails. Or if we do not, we lead a miserable existence. You will -see that the storm that has caught Joaquin will reach his father also. -It is brewing for him. Before the year is out they will give him a -lesson he won’t forget. They cannot transfer him? They will superannuate -him, then. I am no lover of the past like Don Gaspar and the others, but -I must acknowledge that in my day politics had less to do with the -magistracy than it has now. That is the way things come and that is how -we must take them. Those gentlemen are always in the clouds, -<i>carapuche</i>. Complete fools! The new generation understand things -better. I am the only one of our circle who lives in the world. If it -were not for this cursed deafness——”</p> - -<p>“Don’t come to me with stories about your deafness,” protested Señora<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_249" id="page_249"></a>{249}</span> -de Pardiñas. “God deliver me from deaf people like you. You hear more -than you ought to hear. Give over your nonsense with me, eh? I wasn’t -born in the year of the fools.”</p> - -<p>“And the craziest of them all,” continued Lain, pretending not to have -heard, “is the worthy Don Gaspar. He is a perfect simpleton. He has gone -back to his childhood. We shall have to give him a nurse, or at the -least a maid to take care of him. That is what he wants, and that is -what he sighs for, and he is trying to steal away from you the one you -have chosen for your boy. I am speaking in earnest; as sure as my name -is Nicanor he is crazy for your maid, for Esclava, or whatever her name -is. No boy of twenty could be more desperately in love than he is with -her. I am certain that Rogelio is not half so deeply smitten.”</p> - -<p>On hearing Rogelio’s name, and observing<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_250" id="page_250"></a>{250}</span> the tone in which it was -uttered by Candás, Señora de Pardiñas started, and let her knitting fall -on her lap.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/ill_pg250.jpg" width="340" height="212" alt="Image unavailable: “On hearing Rogelio’s name ... Señora de Pardiñas started -and let her knitting fall on her lap.”" /> -<br /> -<span class="caption">“On hearing Rogelio’s name ... Señora de Pardiñas started -and let her knitting fall on her lap.”</span> -</div> - -<p>“As for Rogelio,” continued the Asturian, with the same affectation of -indulgence, “what has happened to him is so natural at his age that the -wonder would be if it had not happened. It is plain. A woman of -twenty-five, good-looking and affectionate; a boy of twenty, what was to -happen? A glance to-day, a touch to-morrow, a<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_251" id="page_251"></a>{251}</span> caress in the hall, a -romp in the reception-room—youthful follies that come to an end of -themselves.”</p> - -<p>Señora de Pardiñas jumped in her chair as if she had been moved by a -spring.</p> - -<p>“Do you know what you are saying?” she exclaimed. “Do you think it is -right to say such things for no other reason than your own pleasure, -without any proof or foundation whatever? Are you to let your tongue -gallop away with you without caring whom you knock down? Rogelio, poor -boy, is incapable of such conduct in his mother’s house.”</p> - -<p>“Of course I can understand your attaching little importance to the -matter, and turning it into ridicule, for those things are follies -natural to youth; and for that reason when I caught them the other day -in the reception-room billing and cooing like a pair of turtle-doves, I -said to them in<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_252" id="page_252"></a>{252}</span> my own mind: ‘That’s right, children, amuse yourselves; -that is the law of God.’ But when I think of that other driveler, with -his eighty odd years, playing the love-sick swain, I vow I could lay him -across my knee and give him a sound flogging for an arch fool.”</p> - -<p>And Doña Aurora felt that she could with the greatest pleasure have -performed the same operation on the person of the incorrigible Asturian. -To say these dreadful things to her and to say them in that treacherous -way, that did not even give her a chance to set him right, for with the -pretense of his deafness, he might assert what he chose regardless of -all that might be said either in denial or disproof of his words. It was -enough to make one’s blood boil with rage. It was a stupid, shameless, -insufferable jest. And was she going to let it pass? No, indeed. Señora -de Pardiñas’s anger was aroused; the blood boiled in her veins. -“Hypocrite!<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_253" id="page_253"></a>{253}</span> liar! fire-brand! tale-bearer! fox!” she said to the -Asturian in her own mind. “Now I am going to settle accounts with you.” -She rose from her chair, went up quickly to him, put her hand in the -pocket of his coat with the dexterity of a professional pickpocket, and -took from it the case which contained his ear-trumpet. And before the -astonished Lain Calvo could make a movement to defend himself, Doña -Aurora had taken the silver tube out of its case, introduced it into his -ear, and screamed with all her might:</p> - -<p>“Whenever you talk to me in future, either use your trumpet or else make -up your mind to hear what I say in answer to you. All that about Rogelio -and Esclava is the suggestion of your own vile thoughts, do you hear? My -boy is not in the habit of flirting with his mother’s servants, do you -hear? People are not so loose and so shameless in their conduct as you -try to make<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_254" id="page_254"></a>{254}</span> them out to be, do you hear? do you hear? And decent people -are not the same as villains, do you hear? And I am not so great a -simpleton, listen well to what I say, that such things could take place -under my very nose without my seeing them. And malicious people are not -to my taste, do you hear? For I always think of the saying, ‘Ill-doers, -ill-deemers,’ do you hear?”</p> - -<p>Her philippic ended, she let herself fall on the sofa, agitated and -unstrung, while the Asturian, putting both his hands up to his bald -crown, exclaimed in distressed accents:</p> - -<p>“<i>Carapuche</i>, Aurorina, you have broken the drum of my ear. Another such -outbreak as that and you would leave me deaf.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_255" id="page_255"></a>{255}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="XIX" id="XIX"></a>XIX.</h2> - -<p><span class="smcap">But</span> no sooner had the hypocritical Lain Calvo taken his departure than -Doña Aurora, whose agitation had now subsided, and in whose mind anger -had given place to reflection, scratched her head with her knitting -needle, as was her habit, and put to herself the question invariably -suggested by mistrust.—“And why should it not be true?” Without the -need of any great perspicacity, without possessing the Crown Solicitor’s -evil-mindedness, her own good sense suggested to her that such proverbs -as, ‘Fire and tow,’ etc., were not without foundation. And by a natural -process of reasoning, based on common sense, Señora de Pardiñas arrived -at a conclusion exactly the reverse of her first conviction,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_256" id="page_256"></a>{256}</span> and -accused herself of being simple-minded and credulous, because not only -the possibility but the probability also of so obvious a result had not -occurred to her until it had been maliciously brought to her notice by a -stranger, when it was her duty to have foreseen the danger. “We mothers -make the mistake of thinking that boys will always remain boys,” she -said to herself, “and time passes, and they become men without their -mustaches waiting for our permission to grow. When we don’t imagine they -are still children we go to the opposite extreme and think that they are -old men, and ought to have as much sense as we have ourselves—another -absurdity, another mistake. Youth will have what belongs to it, and it -is a folly to shut our eyes to it. The worst of it here is that we have -the enemy within our very gates. And it was I myself who admitted her. I -opened the door<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_257" id="page_257"></a>{257}</span> and invited her in. Besides putting myself in a -humiliating and unbecoming position, I have placed the temptation in his -way and increased the seriousness of the consequences that may -follow—and how serious they may be! Of course I never supposed that -Rogelio was going to live all his life like a saint, but this—here, in -the very house——”</p> - -<p>Another scratching of the head suggested to her the logical counterpoise -to these reflections. “It is very likely that that vile old man may have -slandered my boy and poor Esclava merely for the pleasure of slandering. -I am not so easily deceived where birds of that feather are in question, -and it was precisely on account of her modest and serious appearance -that I took a liking to Esclava. It is true her family antecedents are -not in her favor, and that she has bad blood on both sides, but in -that—in that one is sometimes apt to<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_258" id="page_258"></a>{258}</span> be greatly mistaken; people are -not like peppers, that grow good or bad according to the seed they -spring from. No, there is only one course to be pursued here—to -observe, to be on the alert, and to provide some outside distraction for -the boy. I will be guided by circumstances. I am not going to commit the -cruelty of turning the girl away without a word of warning. If all this -should turn out to be only stories of Don Nicanor, I should have it on -my conscience. And if it is the truth, the lad might rebel and we should -have a fine time. These first fancies are apt to be very violent with -boys. I must proceed with caution. Aurora, imagine that you are a -policeman, and that they have set you to track a crime. Keep your eyes -open, be prudent, and suspect everything.”</p> - -<p>Never was programme more literally carried out. Señora de Pardiñas -occupied herself from that very instant in<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_259" id="page_259"></a>{259}</span> making up for lost time. In -proportion as she had been trusting and credulous before, did she become -incredulous and mistrusting from the moment when suspicion first -suddenly laid its cold touch upon her. She watched them adroitly, -without betraying her suspicions or allowing her uneasiness to be -perceived. In every woman, in the most innocent and frankest even, there -is the germ of the detective. The habits of dissimulation, practiced -from childhood, make it easy for her to play the part. In order not to -awaken suspicion, Doña Aurora resolved to exercise her surveillance over -one only of the supposed criminals. And, indeed, in the circumstances it -cannot be denied that watching Esclavita it was unnecessary to watch -Rogelio. And this was what Señora de Pardiñas did. Making use of her -indisputable right she studied, without a moment’s cessation, every -action, every step, every<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_260" id="page_260"></a>{260}</span> movement of her servant. She knew at what -hour she awoke in the morning, what she did when she arose, how often -and with what object she entered Rogelio’s room; how she spent the -afternoon; in what way she was occupied when there were visitors; when -she retired for the night, and when she put the light out. And it must -be confessed that at first this espionage was absolutely without result. -Esclavita, when she left the room, attended at once to the making of the -chocolate, and afterward to her toilet, which was simple; she did not -even arrange her hair in the coil at the back of the head which is the -only adornment indulged in by the domestics of Madrid. She put Rogelio’s -study and bed-room in order while he was at college or out walking; she -never entered either room when he was there. Esclavita never went out on -Sundays except to go to church, consequently Rogelio did<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_261" id="page_261"></a>{261}</span> not go out -either. During the receptions Rogelio did not stir from his corner on -the sofa, nor the girl from her basket of mending, except to open the -door. And the evenings, which, unless some college friend came to see -him, Rogelio spent reading the magazines or at the theater, Esclavita -spent in her room sewing or doing some other work for herself. There was -nothing in all this to arouse suspicion, and Señora de Pardiñas would -have slept with a tranquil mind if her powers of observation had been of -a more vulgar order.</p> - -<p>But she was not a woman to let pass unnoticed certain things, -insignificant in appearance, but in reality very significant and even -alarming for a suspicious mother—loose threads which her maternal -perspicacity divined to belong to a tangled skein. These indications, -signs or guides for the investigations of the watchful mother, were -something<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_262" id="page_262"></a>{262}</span> of the following nature: At breakfast, when Esclava brought -Rogelio his pills or his syrup of iron, or when she handed him some -favorite dish, there passed between them (and it would have been useless -to try to persuade Doña Aurora to the contrary, for she had seen it only -too well) an exchange of glances, at times languishing and sentimental, -at times flashing and ardent. When Esclavita went to open the door at -Rogelio’s ring she showed an eagerness which she was very far from -showing when it was one of the tiresome old men who rang the bell; it -was evident that she recognized the Señorito’s ring, and even the sound -of his step upon the stairs. When Esclavita was ironing Rogelio’s linen, -she took the greatest possible pains with it, and this sign was also -observable in the manner in which she arranged his room and waited on -him at the table. Sometimes, when<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_263" id="page_263"></a>{263}</span> Rogelio was going out of an evening, -the girl would be in the hall and they would exchange a few words, but -always in so low a tone that it was impossible to catch what they said; -the same thing happened when Rogelio came in from college in the -morning, if Doña Aurora did not chance to be in the reception-room at -the time. Finally, and this last was the most significant sign of all, -Rogelio had, on two or three occasions, objected to accompanying his -mother when she went out, and although he always finally yielded, it was -with much grumbling and evident dissatisfaction.</p> - -<p>This was all Señora de Pardiñas perceived, but this was enough and more -than enough to keep her in a state of constant anxiety, and to inspire -her with an ardent desire to put an end, in the quietest way possible, -to this ambiguous situation, and to unwind the skein which threatened -otherwise to<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_264" id="page_264"></a>{264}</span> become, with time, an inextricable tangle. She did not -dare to stir from the house lest she should thus afford them dangerous -opportunities. Such a course may be followed for a time, but it cannot -be continued through a whole winter without arousing suspicion. Rogelio -had already, on several occasions, manifested much surprise at the -discontinuance of the morning drives. “<i>Mater</i>,” he said to her -jestingly, “we are soon destined to witness grave disturbances if you -persist in your seclusion, disdaining the gilded chariots that wait -impatiently to receive you at the foot of our palace walls, that, -reclining luxuriously on their embroidered cushions, you may resume your -accustomed matutinal drives. An imposing demonstration is being -organized in which ten thousand of the most distinguished Phætons are to -take part; discourses in the sweet tongue of the troubadour Macías and -the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_265" id="page_265"></a>{265}</span> eloquent jargon of Duke Pelayo are to be pronounced. Martin the -<i>Buloniu</i> and José the <i>Cabaleiro</i> are to speak. The government has -adopted precautionary measures and the affair will come off in the -tavern.”</p> - -<p>When the <i>habitués</i> of the house learned of Doña Aurora’s seclusion, -they, too, felt themselves obliged to enter their protest against it on -hygienic grounds. “Friend Aurora, you must not give way to indolence. -Take care how you create humors that may afterward give you trouble. -Look at me, I owe my good health and my cheerful spirits to my habit of -never letting a day pass without walking a certain distance. Less than a -league will not thin the blood. Since the accident to my foot I walk -more than that.” This advice came from the worthy Nuño Rasura. “Exercise -is very necessary,” added Señor de Rojas, with his accustomed -sententiousness, “for the body,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_266" id="page_266"></a>{266}</span> and, if it goes to that, for the mind -as well. Walking, the mind is diverted. There is nothing like a little -walk, and if one finds it tiresome, why one can count the stones, or the -trees, or the numbers on the houses.” These counsels at last put Doña -Aurora out of patience. “People have a sort of mania for giving advice -without knowing what is the matter or where the shoe pinches,” she said -to herself. “These gentlemen seem determined on having happen here what -shouldn’t happen. That intermeddler, Don Nicanor, is right in saying -that they all live in the clouds.”</p> - -<p>Doña Aurora, however, was not long in convincing herself that her plan -of remaining always at home was impracticable, and it irritated her to -think that perhaps she was taking unnecessary trouble, for the -inclination of the young people for each other did not seem so strong as -to justify all these<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_267" id="page_267"></a>{267}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/ill_pg267.jpg" width="344" height="180" alt="Image unavailable: “And dismissing it shortly afterward, returned home on -foot.”" /> -<br /> -<span class="caption">“And dismissing it shortly afterward, returned home on -foot.”</span> -</div> - -<p class="nind">precautions; and even if it were, to try to prevent them from seeing -each other alone was like putting doors to an open field. A device then -occurred to her by means of which to clear up her doubts and measure the -magnitude of the danger. She had a key secretly made for the door of the -apartment; and, provided with this, she drove out one morning in one of -her “equipages”—that of Martin, it chanced to be—and dismissing it -shortly afterward, returned home on foot, opened the door noiselessly -with her key, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_268" id="page_268"></a>{268}</span> made her way softly to the lion’s den, where she -supposed she should find Esclavita, nor was she mistaken. She found her -quietly seated at her sewing, as usual, with that pensive and absorbed -air which characterized her.</p> - -<p>“Where is the Señorito?” Doña Aurora asked her suddenly, with the -intention of taking her off her guard.</p> - -<p>The girl, raising her serene or rather melancholy countenance, answered:</p> - -<p>“I believe he is studying in his room. How did you get in, Señora? I did -not hear the bell.”</p> - -<p>“Fausta was going out,” hurriedly explained Doña Aurora, feeling as if -she herself had been caught in the snare she had laid. She even felt her -cheeks grow red. This was what might be called a take-in! So much -secrecy about having the key made only to find that nothing particular -was going on at the house, and that when she expected to surprise them -in a stolen<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_269" id="page_269"></a>{269}</span> meeting she found everything going on in its usual routine. -And yet she was not convinced. No, indeed. Let Satan convince himself. -“Can this girl be slyer than I had imagined?” she thought. “Can she be -deceiving me without my knowing it? Are they both laughing at me? For -the glances and the whispered words when they meet and the unwillingness -the boy shows to leave the house—no one can make me lose sight of all -that; I have seen it, and what I see I see, and not all the preaching of -all the bare-footed friars in the world would make me believe anything -else. Instead of this failure reassuring me, I believe it will put me -more on my guard than ever. No, I am not to be so easily hoodwinked as -that. To protect my son I shall do everything in human power to do. They -shall find me prepared—whatever may happen. That girl makes me afraid. -She looks—I don’t know<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_270" id="page_270"></a>{270}</span> how—but I am not pleased with her. She is a -true Galician: she keeps everything to herself, and one can never be -sure of her, for she never lets you see what is passing in her mind. -Well, then, against deceit greater deceit. Wait, wait for awhile; I -shall find a way to get rid of you, and to get rid of you decently, in a -way that will give you no room for complaint; on the contrary, you will -be obliged to say that you are contented. And now—one nail drives out -another, and boys will be boys—I am going to provide Rogelio with an -amusement. I am going to give you a rival. Wait, girl; against wiles, -counter-wiles. I have found a rival who shall supplant you.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_271" id="page_271"></a>{271}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="XX" id="XX"></a>XX.</h2> - -<p><span class="smcap">And</span> in effect, before twenty-four hours had passed, Señora de Pardiñas -had arranged an interview between her son and Esclavita’s rival. The -place of rendezvous was the abode of the aforesaid rival, an obscure -abode and not a very odorous one, as is apt to be the case with the -dwellings of individuals of her class; for which reason, in order that -Rogelio should make himself acquainted with the bearing and the figure -of his new sweetheart, she was brought out into the yard unadorned, her -graceful form was covered only by an old blanket, which Augustin Cuero, -the proprietor of the livery stable, hastened to take off, so that not a -single one of her charms should remain hidden from view.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_272" id="page_272"></a>{272}</span></p> - -<p>She was a beautiful Andalusian pony, sorrel, with black feet, with a -small, thin head, sinewy legs, curved and shining hoofs, a coat -dazzlingly bright, dilated and sensitive nostrils, and an eye full of -fire and sweetness; she was young, gentle, graceful, spirited, one of -those animals which do honor to the race of Spanish horses by the beauty -of their appearance, by their intelligence, and by their noble and -generous natures. Augustin Cuero was lavish in his praises of the -animal, affecting to be grieved at parting from so precious a treasure.</p> - -<p>“I assure you, Señora, that a finer horse is not to be seen to-day on -the Castellana. She has not a single blemish. And she is a saint—a -skein of silk; an infant could manage her. Spirited as she is, she is -incapable of playing a trick. So that a man becomes attached to her, and -when one sells her, it is like parting, one<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_273" id="page_273"></a>{273}</span> might almost say, with one -of the family.”</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/ill_pg273.jpg" width="334" height="196" alt="Image unavailable: “I assure you, Señora, that a finer horse is not to be -seen to-day on the Castellana.”" /> -<br /> -<span class="caption">“I assure you, Señora, that a finer horse is not to be -seen to-day on the Castellana.”</span> -</div> - -<p>“Yes,” answered Señora Pardiñas, who had an eye for a bargain, “but you -won’t attempt to deny that this kind of horse is not now in fashion. The -horses that are in style now have a neck a mile long, and are shaped -like a tooth-pick.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, the English horses; a ridiculous fashion, like a great many -others. And those are for a certain kind of young gentlemen and certain -circumstances.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_274" id="page_274"></a>{274}</span> For the hippodrome and that sort of nonsense. A pony -like this will always be of use. Anxious enough the <i>Baraterin</i>, is to -buy her from me; only we can’t come to an agreement about the price. The -Señorito there can tell you so.”</p> - -<p>“That is true, mamma,” affirmed Rogelio, stroking the silky coat of the -gentle animal. “I can bear witness to it. Augustin asked him the same -price that he has asked you, and the bull-fighter offers him two ounces -less; he is wild about her; he is all the time hanging around her; he -makes her more visits!”</p> - -<p>“Let him give up hanging around her then, for she is yours,” exclaimed -the mother, with decision, enjoying the sight of the happiness depicted -on the countenance of her son, who, on hearing those heavenly words, -with a spontaneous movement threw his arms around the neck of the pony -and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_275" id="page_275"></a>{275}</span> planted a hearty smack on her soft black nose.</p> - -<p>The price and the time of payment being agreed upon, Doña Aurora -proposed to leave the pony in the care of Augustin for the present. But -Rogelio, almost wild with delight, would not hear of this or of any -other definite arrangement being made. “You know nothing about it, -mamma,” he cried. “I will take charge of that, leave it all to me. -Likely, indeed, that I should spend a whole day without knowing how my -pony goes! Every morning and evening I must have a look at my lady pony. -Leave it all to me, I say.” Doña Aurora ended by acceding to his wishes, -and investing him with full powers in the matter, saying, “Very well, -arrange it to suit yourself, then.” When the question arose as to a name -for the pony, the young man said, smiling, “I will call it ‘Suriña.’<span class="lftspc">”</span></p> - -<p>The cardinal affections of the human<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_276" id="page_276"></a>{276}</span> soul are at times marvelously -clear-sighted counselors. Señora de Pardiñas had divined, enlightened by -maternal affection, that with a young man of twenty—and one young for -his age—a woman can have no more dangerous rival than a fine horse. The -horse is not merely a distraction for a couple of hours daily, but an -occupation and a preoccupation from sunrise to sunset. To make -investigations with regard to what it has eaten, and whether it has been -robbed of its feed; to see if it has been rubbed down, and if all the -operations of its toilet have been performed—and the toilet of a fine -horse occupies almost as much time as the toilet of a beautiful woman; -then the affectionate understanding that establishes itself between the -horseman who for the first time enjoys the possession of a horse, and -the animal; the tenderness that springs from ownership, the exchange of -caresses, the sugar robbed<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_277" id="page_277"></a>{277}</span> from the breakfast table to take to it; the -fresh bread put away in the waistcoat pocket, the pleasure produced by -the joyful whinny of the animal when its keen sense of smell and its -delicate perception tell it that its master is approaching with the -dainty. Then the anxieties regarding its health—a horse gives as much -anxiety in this respect as a child. “Señorito, I don’t know what is the -matter with the pony, it hasn’t eaten its feed to-day. I notice that its -eyes look dull—” “Señorito, to-day the pony has not—” But who can -enumerate the ailments from which a pony may suffer. With all these -cares, there are others of a different order, having relation to what -may be called the wedding-finery of horsemanship—the saddle of the best -pig-skin, small, fanciful, that crackles at the touch; the saddle-cloth -of handsome felt, adorned with English ciphers; the steel stirrup, the -fine head stall that gives<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_278" id="page_278"></a>{278}</span> free play to the graceful movements of the -slender head; and for the rider, the whip with its chased silver handle, -the Tyrolese gloves, the cravat with white horseshoes on a gray ground. -All is excitement, all is delight in the enchanting honeymoon of the -young man and his pony. And what emotion when it is brought out of the -stable! What pride in displaying it before his friends! What ineffable -joy to ride up and down the shady walks of Moncloa, seated on its back; -to see a carriage approach in which some black-robed beauty reclines, -and under the fascinating gaze of the beautiful unknown to make it rear -and prance and show off its grace and spirit until it is covered with -foam and sweat! What delight to put it through all its paces,—passing -from the measured pace to the quick trot, then to the fiery gallop, and, -as he strokes with his palm the neck of the obedient brute, to hear it -snort with pleasure, thrilling through<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_279" id="page_279"></a>{279}</span> all its sensitive nerves and its -vigorous and sinewy muscles like a young girl when the arm of her agile -partner encircles her waist as he leads her to the dance!</p> - -<p>There was not a doubt but that the idea of the pony had been a happy -one, suggested as it was by experience, and infinitely superior to that -commonplace artifice of taking a sweetheart, which had suggested itself -to the innocent mind of Rogelio as a sovereign remedy against his -incipient love-sickness. His mother did not need now to ask him to -accompany her on her expeditions or to invent excuses to get him out of -the house. Of his own accord the young man spent his time between his -house and the stall of his favorite. The weather was now growing milder. -The closing days of March, notwithstanding the bad reputation of that -variable month, were clear, calm, and pleasant, and every afternoon, at -three<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_280" id="page_280"></a>{280}</span> o’clock, Rogelio rode out to enjoy the first warm airs of spring, -now alone, again with some friend, and again with the riding-master, to -return home at dusk healthily tired, intoxicated with the pure air, -strengthened and exhilarated, and his mind free from enervating -thoughts. Between this vein of activity which his mother had discovered, -and study no longer to be avoided, as the examinations were approaching -with alarming swiftness, how or when could he find time to devote to -Esclavita?</p> - -<p>His mother did not on this account relax her vigilance, however, or -abandon her well-considered plan of defense. One day Don Gaspar Febrero, -having gone somewhat earlier than usual to Doña Aurora’s, found himself -alone with her, and, according to his custom, turned the conversation on -Esclavita, praising her so extravagantly that his companion at last -began to grow impatient.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_281" id="page_281"></a>{281}</span></p> - -<p>“Now that you speak of the girl,” she said, when the old man allowed her -to get in a word, “I wish to say something to you about her. But promise -me first that you will answer me with the frankness due to our -long-standing friendship.”</p> - -<p>“Can you doubt it? Why of course I shall, my dear Aurora. In what way -can I serve you?”</p> - -<p>“You shall hear. It is something that I have been thinking of sitting -here alone in the mornings when the boy is at college. As you will be -very lonely, no doubt, when Felisa starts on her long voyage to the -Philippines, I have thought—so that you might not miss so greatly the -attentions to which you have been accustomed—what do you think?”</p> - -<p>“Let us hear—let us hear. Since the idea is yours—you always reason -very judiciously, my dear friend——”</p> - -<p>“As you have often told me that<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_282" id="page_282"></a>{282}</span> you thought Esclavita so excellent a -servant——”</p> - -<p>The sprightly old man made a quick movement of delighted surprise, -settled his spectacles on his nose, and eagerly and tremulously, in -disjointed phrases, exclaimed:</p> - -<p>“My dear friend! my dear friend! what is it you are saying? what is it -you are saying? Have you considered well before speaking? To part with -that treasure! that treasure! You overwhelm me with this proof of your -goodness. Yes, indeed, but in conscience no, I cannot accept. Now I see -of what friendship is capable, Aurora! No, it would be too selfish on my -part. You have not thought well over the matter. Are you speaking in -earnest? in earnest?”</p> - -<p>Señora de Pardiñas felt the pricking of remorse at this spontaneous -effusion of gratitude, and hastened to add:</p> - -<p>“Listen and you will see that it<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_283" id="page_283"></a>{283}</span> would be for my own advantage as well -as for yours. There is something of selfishness in the offer, too, Don -Gaspar, it is not all a kindness. As I am thinking of taking Rogelio on -a visit to our native place this year——”</p> - -<p>“A reason the more, my friend; a reason the more. You cannot dispense -with the services of such a girl, traveling. The times are bad. With the -Higinias that are going, who would part with an Esclavita? And an -Esclavita of that stamp! Have you thought seriously over the matter, I -mean <i>seriously</i>?”</p> - -<p>As he spoke thus, Nuño Rasura jumped up and down in his chair, twirling -his crutch between his palms. His eyes sparkled, his form straightened -itself like a boy’s, and his breast rose and fell with his agitated -breathing.</p> - -<p>“Heaven help us!” thought Doña Aurora, “I shall have to lift the man up -from the floor with a spoon.” And<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_284" id="page_284"></a>{284}</span> as she remained silent, affecting to -be considering the good man’s arguments, the latter added quickly and -energetically, like a child who pretends to be yielding to persuasion in -accepting a toy:</p> - -<p>“That is to say—of course I know from the very fact of your proposing -it to me that you have thought well over it. I see that you are right in -what you say; very right, very right, Aurora. Traveling, one is better -alone; the boy and his mother, of course, of course. As for me, it is -enough that you should propose it; I accept, I accept; do you hear, my -friend? I accept.”</p> - -<p>“It is true,” reflected Doña Aurora, “that that slippery Don Nicanor, -who is stuffed full of malice and who is capable of thinking evil of his -own mother, irritates one at times; but these simpletons, too, who can -never understand a hint—well, there are days when they<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_285" id="page_285"></a>{285}</span> keep one’s -nerves on the stretch like the strings of a guitar.”</p> - -<p>Don Gaspar’s scruples being thus vanquished, he himself arranged a plan -of action, which he laid before Doña Aurora—as soon as his daughter -should go away, he would take Esclavita as his housekeeper. The -octogenarian added, rubbing his hands:</p> - -<p>“Don’t let Candás know anything about the matter. I don’t want to be -made the subject of annoying jests.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_286" id="page_286"></a>{286}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="XXI" id="XXI"></a>XXI.</h2> - -<p><span class="smcap">This</span> domestic conspiracy was kept a profound secret. Doña Aurora was -silent, for women know how to keep a secret when they resolve to do so, -especially if their affections are concerned, and Don Gaspar did not -open his lips because he dreaded more than the cholera the jokes and -insinuations of the Crown Solicitor, and no less—if we must betray the -secrets of his household—the anger of his daughter Felisa. The latter, -suspicious as a wife, distrusting the sociable and gallant disposition -of the old man, had made it her business to provide him with the -ugliest, most ignorant, and worst-tempered Maritornes to be found, for -she always saw in the distance the menacing shadow of a stepmother. -Until Felisa<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_287" id="page_287"></a>{287}</span> should have started on her voyage to the fifth division of -the globe, the old man did not dare even to hint at his desire of taking -into his service the gentle and pretty Esclavita. It was with the -greatest difficulty that he was able to control his impatience and wait -for this event, for his old age was a second childhood. Capricious and -impatient as a child, if he yielded to his impulses, he would stamp upon -the floor whenever anything interfered with the gratification of his -desires. The outlet he sought for his impatience was a <i>tête-à-tête</i> -with Doña Aurora before the arrival of the other visitors, when he would -talk to her ramblingly, as old people are wont to talk, of his plans for -the future, of the comfort he should enjoy with Esclavita to wait upon -him, of the favors he would heap upon her, of how easy it would be to -wait on an old man like him, without any family, and many other things -of the same<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_288" id="page_288"></a>{288}</span> kind. And when the good man, owing to the presence of -others, was unable to dilate on his favorite theme, he gave his -excellent friend glances and winks of intelligence. He smiled at her -without any cause, and, in short, sought to give vent to his exuberant -and boyish gayety. “Heaven grant he may keep his reason,” said Señora de -Pardiñas to herself. “I don’t know why we should wonder at the craziness -of youth, when old men can act in this way. No boy could be more deeply -smitten. I declare, if he is not wild for his daughter to take herself -off, so that he may get Esclavita at once. If I did not know that he is -a really excellent man and that the girl, on her part, is incapable of -laying a trap for him, I should be a little uneasy, for no one can tell -where these things will end, and if he should take it into his head to -marry!—” The idea of Don Gaspar marrying a girl of twenty-five was so -absurd<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_289" id="page_289"></a>{289}</span> that Señora de Pardiñas laughed to herself, and the monologue -ended by the good lady scratching her head with her knitting-needle, and -saying, as a corollary of her reflections: “It won’t be my fault if -anything extraordinary should happen. To find a good situation for a -good servant is not a crime. All I am sorry for is that that tiresome -Felisa Febrero keeps forever putting off her departure for the -Philippines.”</p> - -<p>It was true, indeed, that Don Gaspar’s daughter delayed her journey in a -way to make the blood boil in the veins of a more patient person than -Doña Aurora. What made the latter wild was that the time for the -examinations to take place was now drawing near, after which she had -resolved to take a trip to Galicia, and to leave Esclavita behind or to -take her with her seemed equally impracticable. Don Gaspar kept her -informed of the news regarding his daughter’s departure,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_290" id="page_290"></a>{290}</span> looking more -and more joyful as the time drew nearer. “They are packing the trunks.” -“They have made inquiries concerning the dates of sailing of the -steamers.” “On Thursday, or at furthest on Saturday, they will be on -their way to Cadiz.” At last he came one day with a face looking more -radiant, more Olympic than usual, under the aureole of his beautiful -white curls. “Friend Aurora,” he said, “they are to leave us this -afternoon.” It was agreed that for appearance’s sake a few days should -be allowed to pass before giving warning to the ignorant and slatternly -Estremaduran who waited on Don Gaspar, and informing Esclavita of her -change of situation. “Friend Aurora, do you take charge of that,” said -the octogenarian. But although he thus laid all the responsibility on -the shoulders of Doña Aurora, he could not resist the temptation, as he -was passing the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_291" id="page_291"></a>{291}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/ill_pg291.jpg" width="336" height="236" alt="Image unavailable: “As he was passing the confectionary of La Pajarita.”" /> -<br /> -<span class="caption">“As he was passing the confectionary of La Pajarita.”</span> -</div> - -<p class="nind">confectionary of La Pajarita when he was taking his constitutional on -the following day in the Puerta del Sol, to enter the shop and buy half -a pound of caramels and bonbons. He hid his purchase in an inside pocket -of his coat and when, stopping at the house of Señora de Pardiñas, -Esclavita opened the door for him, he glanced around furtively, put his -hand into his pocket, and drawing out the cartridge slipped it into her -palm as if it were a <i>billet<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_292" id="page_292"></a>{292}</span> doux</i>. “Fresh,” was the only word his -pleasing agitation allowed him to utter, as he put the gift into her -hand.</p> - -<p>Very reluctantly, and with much hemming and hawing, Doña Aurora set -about performing her disagreeable task of getting rid of Esclavita. She -would have felt less embarrassed if she had been called upon to break to -her the news of some great misfortune, such as the death of some one -dear to her, or some pecuniary loss, for, after all, in such a case she -would have none of the responsibility nor would she be in any way to -blame, while in merely announcing to her the impending change of abode -and of employers, she felt, with her natural sense of right, to which -nothing but her maternal affection could blind her, that there was -something of harshness and cruelty in her conduct, although this was -dictated by motives such as no prudent mother could disregard. “It is -even a matter<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_293" id="page_293"></a>{293}</span> of conscience with me,” she said to herself, to fortify -her courage. “I was thoughtless in bringing temptation within Rogelio’s -reach. Felisa Febrero has shown more knowledge of the world than I, for, -old as her father is, she would not put him in danger’s way. The boy has -more sense than could have been expected, not to have lost his head -completely. No, no, it is better to blush once than to turn pale a -hundred times. To-day I will get rid of her. As soon as Rogelio goes to -college——”</p> - -<p>There are in the tones of the human voice mysterious notes of warning -which in certain situations reveal our inmost thoughts before we have -put them into words. The simple words, “Come here, Esclavita,” words -such as a servant hears innumerable times in the course of a day, echoed -on this occasion with an ominous sound in the soul of the young -Galician. All the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_294" id="page_294"></a>{294}</span> blood in her body rushed to her heart, and when she -entered the room where her mistress was awaiting her she already knew by -intuition the purport of what she was about to hear.</p> - -<p>Doña Aurora was seated, not in the dining-room, but in her son’s study, -where she was in the habit of going, in his absence, to write a note, to -make up her accounts, or the like, and perhaps also to satisfy that -instinctive and restless curiosity characteristic of an absorbing -affection when it reaches the height of a passion. She made Esclavita -sit down in a chair beside her and began to speak, without looking at -her, occupying herself in taking the pens, one by one, from a little -pen-box and placing them symmetrically, side by side, upon the table—On -account of the trip to Galicia, there was nothing else to be done—To -travel with three people was not the same as to travel with only two, -that required no explanation—A situation<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_295" id="page_295"></a>{295}</span> in the house of Señor de -Febrero was the best thing a girl like her could possibly desire; it was -a great piece of good fortune. She would be, not a servant, but the -housekeeper. She would be treated with every kind of consideration. The -labor of waiting on one person only would not kill her; by taking a -little trouble to please that excellent gentleman she would be in -heaven—almost as if she were in her own house. Finally, Don Gaspar, -too, was from Galicia. There would be no cause for her to feel lonesome -there, as she had felt in the house of the Señoritas Romera.</p> - -<p>When she had brought forward all these arguments she felt her mind -relieved and, still apparently intent on the symmetrical arrangement of -the rows of pens, gave a side glance at the girl. Esclavita remained -motionless in her seat, her hands folded in her lap, her feet side by -side, her eyes cast<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_296" id="page_296"></a>{296}</span> down; she, too, was little prone to throw open -those windows of the soul to prying eyes.</p> - -<p>“Well, what do you say?” asked Señora de Pardiñas at last, beginning to -grow impatient, as she always did when she was met by a passive -resistance.</p> - -<p>“What should I say?” asked Esclavita in husky tones, but with apparent -calmness.</p> - -<p>“Say yes or no; say whether you like the situation I propose to you, or -whether you would prefer to look for another, which should be more to -your taste.”</p> - -<p>There was an interval of silence, and then the girl answered in a voice -deprived of all expression by her effort to render it calm:</p> - -<p>“If there is no great hurry, I will give you my answer to-morrow or the -day after.”</p> - -<p>“I understand you,” said Señora de<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_297" id="page_297"></a>{297}</span> Pardiñas, in her own mind. “You want -to have a talk with the boy first. Very good. I am prepared for whatever -may happen. Here I am on guard and here I mean to remain. The first -thing I shall do is to see that you don’t take him by surprise. I shall -be on the alert, never fear!”</p> - -<p>That afternoon, however, she was obliged to leave the house, contrary to -her habit, to go to the railway station to see Felisa Febrero off, in -compliance with one of those irksome social duties which cannot be -evaded and which always seem to come at the most inopportune moment. -Rogelio, too, had gone out riding, but owing to the necessity of -attending to his studies now that the examinations were close at hand, -he shortened his ride, and it was just as he was entering the house, -flushed with exercise, fanning himself with his gray hat and cracking -his whip, that Esclavita caught him by the sleeve<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_298" id="page_298"></a>{298}</span> and drew him, almost -by force, into the study, bringing him to a stand-still beside the very -table on which Doña Aurora had that morning drawn up her army of pens.</p> - -<p>“Has anything happened, Suriña?” he asked. “What is the matter with -you?”</p> - -<p>“Didn’t I tell you—that I wasn’t going to Galicia,” she cried, “either -this year or any other year? Your mamma has dismissed me. She is going -to leave me at Señor Febrero’s.”</p> - -<p>“What are you saying? What do you mean? Tell me, tell me all about it.”</p> - -<p>The girl told him all she herself knew. Her eyes were dry, but her mouth -and chin quivered. Her bosom heaved, and in her manner of telling what -had occurred, in that despairing cry for help, like the cry of a -drowning man when he is about to sink beneath the waves, there was a -vehemence and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_299" id="page_299"></a>{299}</span> disorder which formed a contrast to her habitual -composure, and which might well have moved one with more years and -experience than Rogelio. While he stammered, “No, it cannot be possible, -you won’t leave us, what nonsense,” he clasped his arms involuntarily -around the girl’s slender form, and the thrill of passion he had felt -four or five months before awoke within him again, more ardent than -ever, inspiring him with courage to rebel, to protest, and to defend -Esclavita as we defend what belongs to us and is a part of our life. -“Some one must have been telling her stories,” he said; “but who and -why? What motive have we given for talk, Suriña? Why, since mamma’s -illness we have scarcely spoken a word together. You never put your foot -here. This is very strange; this must not be. I will arrange the matter. -The idea of your leaving us! No, my pretty one.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_300" id="page_300"></a>{300}</span></p> - -<p>Cheered and revived by these promises, Esclavita nestled close to -Rogelio’s bosom, as if she sought there a refuge whence no one could -tear her, and Rogelio, with youthful and irresistible transport, covered -her with kisses and tried to lift up her head, seeking her lips. The -bell rang, unheard by either. It rang again, this time energetically and -impatiently, and with an abrupt and simultaneous movement they drew -apart. The girl smoothed her hair, and arranged her neckerchief with -trembling fingers, saying:</p> - -<p>“I am going to open the door; it is the Señora.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_301" id="page_301"></a>{301}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="XXII" id="XXII"></a>XXII.</h2> - -<p><span class="smcap">When</span> Señora de Pardiñas observed that her son looked pale and -preoccupied that evening at dinner, and even answered her shortly when -she spoke to him, she thought to herself at once, “We are in for it now. -That jewel has given him her news.” She intercepted, too, furtive -glances, frightened and eloquent, between them, but she bore it all in -silence, saying to herself, “According to Don Nicanor one must pretend -to be a fool for a quarter of an hour every day in this world. But more -than that falls to my share, for I must pretend to be a fool for months -to come.” She pretended to be a fool then, acting as if she did not -notice anything unusual in her son’s manner, asking him with a great -show of interest<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_302" id="page_302"></a>{302}</span> about the pony, the stable, his companions in his -rides. When the table-cloth was removed she introduced another subject -of conversation, very timely, and of immediate and vital importance, -namely, the examinations. “I think your turn will come about Wednesday -or Thursday, child,” she began, “so that this week I shall have my hands -full. For the fact is, that with those gentlemen one never knows what -course to take. If they were all like Contreras! He knows how to be -reasonable. Only Contreras won’t be your professor this year. With the -others one doesn’t know what course to pursue; if one were to listen to -this one and that one, it would be enough to make one crazy. Lastra -wants people to bow down before him, to pay him the compliment of -begging him, to be indebted to him. Ruiz del Monte seems to be just the -opposite; if he is spoken to in behalf of a boy, he takes a<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_303" id="page_303"></a>{303}</span> dislike to -him and torments the life out of him. You know whether that is so or -not; it was your friend Diaz, the one who writes verses, who told me so. -Of Albirán they tell a different story—that he does not disregard -intercession, but in rule and measure; according to whom it comes from. -The safest thing would be for you to study, child.”</p> - -<p>“I do study, mamma,” answered the student laconically.</p> - -<p>During the whole of the evening it was impossible to draw another word -from him. He turned over the illustrated papers, he took them up and -laid them down, he changed his seat, passing from the chair to the sofa -and from the sofa to the chair; he sighed profoundly, and, in short, -gave every possible sign of distress, making no effort to conceal this -distress, but, on the contrary, seeming to desire that his mamma should -notice it. At last,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_304" id="page_304"></a>{304}</span> when the latter said to him, “Are you not going for -a while to the theater to-night?” he answered, in a hard and resolute -tone:</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/ill_pg304.jpg" width="308" height="314" alt="Image unavailable: “He sighed profoundly and, in short, gave every possible -sign of distress.”" /> -<br /> -<span class="caption">“He sighed profoundly and, in short, gave every possible -sign of distress.”</span> -</div> - -<p>“No, I am going to bed. My head aches a little.”</p> - -<p>And he left the room and walked noisily through the hall to his study,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_305" id="page_305"></a>{305}</span> -which he entered, slamming the door behind him.</p> - -<p>“It is as I said; we are in for it now,” she said to herself. “I have -made a great mistake. I should have waited to settle this affair until -the examinations were over, a few days before our departure. It was a -piece of stupidity on my part. Well, you see, I wanted to get out of the -mess quickly; but I was wrong. There are things that it is better to go -slowly about. I must only see if I can remedy matters now by putting off -the girl’s departure; otherwise the boy will be all upset when he most -needs to keep a cool head. We must wait a while. I must see if I can -persuade Don Gaspar to wait. I shouldn’t wonder if it would be harder to -make the old man listen to reason than the boy. What complications! That -perfidious Rita Pardo was right. One ought to consider well whom one -receives into one’s house.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_306" id="page_306"></a>{306}</span></p> - -<p>There then took place in the little domestic drama that was now drawing -near to its <i>dénouement</i> one of those byplays, like momentary truces, -during which the actors, while appearing to be occupied with other -interests, or while thus occupied in reality, do not yet lose sight of -the main subject of the drama, continuing still to play a part, so to -speak, and maintaining silence regarding the matter which chiefly -occupies their minds, without deceiving anybody by this silence. Señora -de Pardiñas put off the girl’s departure from day to day, calming the -puerile impatience of Don Gaspar Febrero at the delay, with the excuse -of the nearness of the examinations and the impossibility of remaining -at such a time without a servant. Esclavita waited, hiding in the depths -of her heart a tenacious hope, based on the words and the promises of -Rogelio; and Rogelio, preoccupied and agitated, waited in vain for an<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_307" id="page_307"></a>{307}</span> -opportunity to say something—something very serious and decided—to his -mother. To speak the truth, however, if his mother had given him this -opportunity he would not have known how to avail himself of it. As time -passed, the courage which he had felt at first evaporated by degrees, -like the essence in a vial which is left uncorked. It requires more -resolution than appears at first sight for a good son to place himself -in direct opposition to a good mother, and take a step, which to a -certain extent emancipates him from maternal authority, but which at the -same time wrings the inmost fibers of his heart. So blended together are -natural duty, habit, and even that excusable selfishness which counsels -us to place ourselves without reserve in the hands of one who loves us -better than ourselves, that the breaking of this bond is an act of -supreme courage, one of those efforts from which the will<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_308" id="page_308"></a>{308}</span> shrinks, -unless it be of finely-tempered metal. Against a severe father there is -always energy; his very severity serves as a tonic to the will; but a -mother like Rogelio’s, whose first thought had always been her son, who -had made him the object of so much solicitude, sparing him even the -trouble of considering and the effort of desiring; a widowed mother, -delicate in health, who had made it a practice to anticipate the wishes -of her son, in this way preventing the will of her son from ever -acquiring the robustness which struggles and privations give, was an -adversary against whom Rogelio had not the strength to measure himself. -“If she herself would introduce the subject,” he thought. But the truth -is that if she had introduced it, the result would have been the same. -All he ventured to do was to enter a mute protest, to show himself -melancholy at times, and at times ill-tempered<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_309" id="page_309"></a>{309}</span> and sullen. “Mamma, in -order not to see me looking unhappy, is capable of anything,” he -reasoned, with the logic of a spoiled child. Only that his mamma knew -how to discriminate between toys.</p> - -<p>The examinations, too, had their effect in weakening his resolution -still more. What with his studies, his fears of failure, and the coming -and going of the friends who brought him an account of the rise and -fall, so to say, of the marks, Rogelio found himself outside the magic -circle by which an absorbing passion surrounds us, and if it were not -that occasionally a pair of greenish eyes looked steadily into his, he -would even have forgotten the danger which, by a curious illusion, -seemed to him every day less imminent, being in reality more so, for the -departure for Galicia was inevitably to take place immediately after the -examinations.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_310" id="page_310"></a>{310}</span></p> - -<p>And the examinations came, and Rogelio found that he had passed in two -branches, but in one—the most difficult and uncongenial to him—there -came upon him, like a dash of cold waiter, a <i>conditioned</i>. “I know who -is to blame for this!” thought his mother, looking through the -half-closed door at Esclava, who was dusting the pictures in the parlor. -“This is what comes of flirtation; but what is to be done? every age has -its tastes. He will gain in September what he loses now; he is young -enough, provided he keeps well. And let us be just; the pony, too, made -him lose his head in this last term. It is true that that was all the -better. About the time lost in that way I don’t complain. The pony has -behaved well. It deserves a lump of sugar.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_311" id="page_311"></a>{311}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="XXIII" id="XXIII"></a>XXIII.</h2> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/ill_pg311.jpg" width="347" height="178" alt="Image unavailable: “A great many friends came to bid them good-by.”" /> -<br /> -<span class="caption">“A great many friends came to bid them good-by.”</span> -</div> - -<p><span class="smcap">On</span> the last evening spent in Madrid by Doña Aurora and her son, before -setting out for their native place, a great many friends came to bid -them good-by, and there was a pleasant informal reception at the house. -It was now the end of June, and the most enjoyable hour for a social -gathering was really between ten and eleven at night, when a fresh and -healthy breeze blows<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_312" id="page_312"></a>{312}</span> even through the heated streets of old Madrid, the -Madrid which is not shaded by trees and which enjoys little of the -benefit of the municipal watering. The neighbors on the second floor, -nieces of a brigadier, came down, and they were also joined by the -Marchioness de Andrade, a compatriot of Doña Aurora, a handsome and -elegant woman who moved in aristocratic circles, and was consequently -accustomed to keep late hours. Señora de Pardiñas, finding herself -surrounded by visitors, gave herself up to the task of entertaining them -to the best of her ability, without seeking to guide the conversation, -which soon drifted to subjects connected with the country to which she -was about to return after an absence of so many years. The Marchioness, -who was of a vain and lively disposition, said that she thought of going -to Vigo soon, displaying at the same time a new bracelet of sapphires -and diamonds,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_313" id="page_313"></a>{313}</span> with an air of mystery. “She is evidently thinking of -marrying again,” thought Doña Aurora. “Who may her intended be? God -grant she may choose well.”</p> - -<p>Rogelio had quietly slipped away without saying a word to any one. His -retreat did not pass unnoticed by his mother, but, besides there being -no remedy for it, she discovered other reasons for resignation. “Bad -luck is not always going to follow us, and, at the worst, we are going -away to-morrow,” she thought. (Esclavita still foreboded danger and -trouble, but far in the distance.) “To-morrow at this hour we shall be -near Avila. When shall I hear the whistle of the train?”</p> - -<p>Rogelio retired to his study, impelled by a vague hope of seeing the -girl, explaining to her his attitude during these days, and the -impossibility of his acting differently, of rebelling and refusing to go -with his mother. He foresaw that<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_314" id="page_314"></a>{314}</span> Esclavita, availing herself of the -occasion, would soon join him, and to attract her attention he lighted a -lamp, striking a great many matches in the operation, and walking about -the room noisily; he opened the drawers and made the door creak two or -three times. He did not venture to call her, through fear of his -mother’s keen ear, for, according to his paradoxical and hyperbolical -expression, she could hear better than the deaf Candás.</p> - -<p>He was not obliged to wait long. After ten minutes or so he heard a -knock at the door, and before he had time to say, “Come in,” Esclavita -entered. The light of the lamp standing on the table of the study which -communicated with the bedroom and dressing-room of the student, fell -full on the girl’s face, and Rogelio suddenly realized how thin and pale -her face had grown during the last fortnight, presenting now a spiritual -and refined type<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_315" id="page_315"></a>{315}</span> of beauty that might have served as a model for one of -those waxen images which are used to inclose the bones of unknown -martyrs.</p> - -<p>Rogelio went up to Esclavita and took her hand in his—it was burning -with fever.</p> - -<p>Without exchanging a word, they involuntarily looked around for a seat -where they could sit down side by side. There was none in the study, -which was furnished with a high stool and half a dozen chairs, and -without reflecting they went into the inner room, where Rogelio, putting -his arm around the girl’s neck drew her toward the couch and made her -sit down beside him. They remained silent for a space of five minutes or -so, Rogelio pressing and stroking the girl’s hand, hardened somewhat by -labor, the fingers marked by the pricking of the needle, as if to -communicate to it the coolness of his palms and draw from it its fever. -But he<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_316" id="page_316"></a>{316}</span> could think of nothing to say except the commonplaces usual on -parting, and at last, unwilling to remain silent any longer, he resolved -to avail himself of that poor resource.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/ill_pg316.jpg" width="238" height="190" alt="Image unavailable: “Rogelio, putting his arm around the girl’s neck.”" /> -<br /> -<span class="caption">“Rogelio, putting his arm around the girl’s neck.”</span> -</div> - -<p>“Suriña, silly girl, don’t be like that,” he began. “See, I have been -thinking a great deal; this has troubled me more than you. Nothing would -be gained by opposing mamma now. We should afflict her greatly. She -might even become ill on account of it, but she would not change her -resolution. Have patience. Within three months, or even<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_317" id="page_317"></a>{317}</span> less, we shall -be back here again, and we shall see each other, for you will enjoy a -great deal more liberty at Señor Febrero’s than here. You know already -that I shall always love you, foolish girl. Don’t desert me for the -tender Nuño Rasura. There, silly girl, there, my dove, don’t look like -that. If you do, you will make me very unhappy.”</p> - -<p>Esclavita only answered by shaking her head with persistent melancholy. -After a while she responded in a tolerably firm voice;</p> - -<p>“Gay I cannot be; but I am not sad, either. Don’t be troubled on my -account. Only my head is—as if there was something wrong going on -inside.”</p> - -<p>“Suriña! child!”</p> - -<p>“It is as I say. I am here, eh? I am listening to you? I answer you? -Well, it is as if I were listening to some person—far away, from the -other world, talking to me.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_318" id="page_318"></a>{318}</span></p> - -<p>“Good heavens!” exclaimed the student shuddering. “I would rather see -you cry. If you cried you would not have such wild notions, Sura. Cry -and give way to your grief; but don’t say those dreadful things.”</p> - -<p>“I cry inwardly, not with my eyes. I cannot shed a tear. I was the same -way once before, when my father died,” responded the girl quietly, -without either of them taking notice of the word <i>father</i>, which, -perhaps, for the first time in her life, Esclavita uttered without -mystery or circumlocution.</p> - -<p>“Child, you seem to me to be ill. Ah! you have fever. Promise me that -you will go to-morrow to see Sanchez del Abrojo.”</p> - -<p>“No, it isn’t sickness. I was never better in my life. It is a -<i>warning</i>.”</p> - -<p>“Sura, be silent, for Heaven’s sake! You are talking wildly——”</p> - -<p>He bent toward the girl and kissed her cold cheek; she made no -resistance.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_319" id="page_319"></a>{319}</span> She seemed to be more resigned, and it was in a tone that -was natural and almost confidential that she uttered the following -extravagances:</p> - -<p>“Rogelio, there are certain things that the dead warn the living about; -don’t doubt it. Three days before my father’s death I saw a large black -bird at the foot of my bed. Yesterday I saw the same bird again. He flew -so fast that I couldn’t see where he disappeared to, but I saw him as -surely as that we are here now. I shall never go home again, never. Time -will show, and then you will see that what I tell you is true and you -will say, ‘Esclavita was right.’ If I was as sure of having a million -ounces I should be considering now where to hide them so that they -should not be stolen from me. Last night——”</p> - -<p>She lowered her voice and whispered to Rogelio:<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_320" id="page_320"></a>{320}</span></p> - -<p>“A dog in the next house howled till morning, and that means that some -one is going to die.”</p> - -<p>“Heavens! Suriña,” for the second time exclaimed Rogelio, now -superstitiously affected by this strange conversation, “you are crazy! -Don’t you know, Suriña, that scores of people die or are at the point of -death every night in Madrid? Just imagine; if the dogs have to announce -all those deaths they have enough to do. There would be announcements -enough to fill an extra sheet of <i>La Correspondencia</i>. The fact is, -Sura, that you feel badly because we are going away and you remain -behind. I, too, have been troubled for some time past about the trip. I -have had some frightful moments. Afterward I reflected—and—I think it -is better to be resigned to things as they are, for if we rebel it will -only make matters worse. In three months, Suriña—in ninety days (and -perhaps even less)<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_321" id="page_321"></a>{321}</span> you will have me here again. My first visit shall be -to Doña Sura. Come, don’t look like that. I love you dearly, believe it. -We shall be able in time to win mamma over. You haven’t yet told me -to-day that you care for me. Come!”</p> - -<p>With the gesture of a child asking for a caress he approached his cheek -to Esclavita’s lips, and the latter, without protest, as if she were -performing an accustomed act, pressed her lips to it. Like her palms, -they were hot and dry, and it seemed to Rogelio as if they burned his -flesh, causing him a sensation that was painful rather than pleasant. -Only, caresses were a resource to render this last painful interview a -little less intolerable, and the student, in default of arguments by -which to console the poor deserted girl, had recourse to caresses, -without being influenced by a motive less pure or noble....<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_322" id="page_322"></a>{322}</span></p> - -<p>“Suriña, Suriña, I think I hear the marchioness saying good-by in the -hall. If she is going, it is because every one else has gone. Mamma will -be here directly, I am certain. Try to slip away without being seen. -Good-by; go quietly so that no one may hear you.”</p> - -<p>The girl obeyed with the same passiveness she had shown throughout, in -her utter submissiveness, not even claiming the last embrace. Rogelio -lighted the lamp again, carefully straightening the wick. He then closed -the bedroom window, and standing before his bureau glass, brushed his -hair and parted it with a little comb. Then putting his hands into his -trousers pockets he stood for a while studying carefully, with eager -curiosity, his own countenance, questioning his own eyes in the mirror, -as if to convince himself that, after this vertigo had passed away, he -still preserved his<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_323" id="page_323"></a>{323}</span> individuality, and that there did not remain in him -a something belonging to another individuality, a something which could -not be effaced and which would betray him. Then the thought of his -mother came again to oppress his heart. But this feeling, suddenly gave -way to a burst of joy, and running to the window he threw it open, -allowing the pure night air to blow in upon him and, grasping the window -bars, drew a long, deep breath.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_324" id="page_324"></a>{324}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="EPILOGUE" id="EPILOGUE"></a>EPILOGUE.</h2> - -<p><span class="smcap">Punctual</span> as the sun, Don Gaspar made his appearance at four in the -afternoon with a little carriage, to take his future housekeeper back -with him to his house. Being told that Esclavita was on her way there, -he again got into his shabby landau and told the coachman to drive -quickly home. His impatience would not permit him to walk with his lame -foot.</p> - -<p>At the last moment Doña Aurora had called Esclavita and put into her -hands, in addition to her wages, a handsome present of money and a pair -of torquoise earrings. “I don’t want her to go away dissatisfied,” she -said to herself. “And, indeed, the poor girl looked greatly altered. I -really believe she had a liking for the boy, which<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_325" id="page_325"></a>{325}</span> makes my resolution -all the more prudent. I pity her, and I know that it is folly for me to -do so. Where could she find a home like the one I have provided for her? -I am doing her a very great service; that is what sets my mind at rest. -She has a sinecure.”</p> - -<p>With all this, Señora de Pardiñas could not repress a certain feeling of -disquietude, of secret pain, of overwhelming pity, which she afterward -interpreted as a presentiment of coming evil. “The idea of my pitying -her,” she said to herself, “when I am certain that I have found her the -best situation a girl of her class could possibly desire.” And Señora de -Pardiñas was firmly convinced of the truth of what she said. Like many -good-hearted people, incapable of hating or injuring any one, who like -to think that they are acting in the interests of others when they are -really prompted by self-interest, she wished to persuade herself<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_326" id="page_326"></a>{326}</span> that -she had at heart Esclava’s good, and not, primarily, her son’s welfare, -just as this motive might seem to her, and as it really was.</p> - -<p>She was somewhat reassured when she heard Fausta joking Esclavita in the -kitchen, humming, “And now I serve a doting old man, and I am the -mistress of the house.”</p> - -<p>“Fausta is right,” she thought. “She will be mistress in Señor de -Febrero’s house. If she doesn’t make herself too much so——”</p> - -<p>The train for Galicia started at thirty-five minutes past seven, and at -that pleasant twilight hour the platform of the Northern Depot was -filled with a hurried and animated crowd of travelers and their friends -who had come to see them off, the latter envying those who were going to -see beautiful scenery, to breathe the sea air, to enjoy a cool -temperature, and to spend a few months pleasantly in a healthy and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_327" id="page_327"></a>{327}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/ill_pg327.jpg" width="292" height="318" alt="Image unavailable: “And now I serve a doting old man, and I am the mistress -of the house.”" /> -<br /> -<span class="caption">“And now I serve a doting old man, and I am the mistress -of the house.”</span> -</div> - -<p class="nind">temperate climate. Here were no sad parting scenes. It was not the -good-by of the sailor, the leave-taking of the soldier departing for the -war, the homesick farewell of the emigrant. Those who were going were -joyous and excited; those who remained behind, outwardly gay. Only, at -one end of<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_328" id="page_328"></a>{328}</span> the train, at the door of a first-class carriage, could be -seen a group of four or five persons, exchanging long and lingering -embraces. It was composed of two men, one of them young, the other -already in the decline of life, with bowed heads but erect forms, and -three ladies, two young, the third a white-haired old lady, who -frequently applied their handkerchiefs to their reddened eyes. Inside -the car was a nurse, holding an infant in her arms. Lain Calvo -approached Doña Aurora and said to her, pointing to the group:</p> - -<p>“Do you see the Rojases there? Fanatics to the end, to death. They have -transferred the son again to Marineda on account of that affair with the -Minister, and even if he knew he was going to die of want, he would -travel first-class, through respect for his office. If they transfer him -a third time, he says he will send in his resignation. And they have -paid off Rojas himself already. Haven’t you heard of it? He<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_329" id="page_329"></a>{329}</span> was put on -the retired list a week ago.”</p> - -<p>“What do you tell me?” exclaimed Señora de Pardiñas, with genuine -sorrow. “Heaven help us! Unhappy people! Where will that poor Matilde -Rojas find a man who will be willing to marry her without a penny? I -declare I shall have that family in my thoughts during the whole of the -journey. What a world this is, Don Nicanor!”</p> - -<p>Doña Aurora tried to make her way toward the group to shake hands with -the ladies of the Rojas family, but it was not possible, the warning -bell sounded, the engine snorted, and wheelbarrows, laden with baggage -checked for the train, were passing on all sides. Rogelio, who was on -the train, reached out his hand to assist his mother, who ascended the -steps slowly, smiling because a flounce of her dress had caught on one -of them, and the noise made by the starting of the train drowned the -voice of Lain Calvo as he cried:<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_330" id="page_330"></a>{330}</span></p> - -<p>“Beware of the girls of Vigo, Rogelio! they are tempting morsels, my -boy!”</p> - -<p>The train, swaying gently, hurried on its way. Evening closed in with -serene splendor, and Rogelio as he looked out of the window fancied he -could already descry the fresh Galician valleys, the leafy chestnut -trees, the blue waters girdling the most beautiful country in the world.</p> - -<p>But he did not perceive Esclavita, who, from the other side of the -platform, followed the train with her eyes until it passed, swift and -majestic, from her sight. When the last black smoke-wreath had -disappeared in the distance, trembling as if with cold, she turned her -steps slowly toward the city, resolved that the sun, which was just -sinking below the horizon, should never again rise for her. Let us leave -the unhappy girl, for, however hard we might try we could never dissuade -her from her purpose. Don Gabriel Pardo, who is fond<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_331" id="page_331"></a>{331}</span> of generalizing in -a dogmatic way, and who, in support of a favorite theory, will make use -of the most illogical arguments, would tell us, if we asked him to -account for this tragedy, that the mental aberration which leads to -suicide is a natural outcome of the melancholy temperament of the Celtic -race, that great martyr of history; just as if the newspapers did not -every day record similar cases of suicide in every province of Spain.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/ill_pg331.jpg" width="256" height="218" alt="Image unavailable: back cover of book." /> -</div> - -<p class="c">THE END.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_332" id="page_332"></a>{332}</span></p> - -<hr /> - -<p class="cb"><big><big>CASSELL’S BLUE LIBRARY.</big></big></p> - -<p>Cassell’s “Blue Library” is the name given to a new series of novels -issued by the Cassell Publishing Company. The “Blue Library” will be -edited with the greatest care by an editor especially engaged for that -purpose. Well-known American, English and Continental authors will be -represented, and none but books of high literary merit and of permanent -value will be admitted to this series.</p> - -<p>The volumes are of 12mo size, and are bound in <i>Blue Cloth</i>, simply but -artistically decorated with a design in silver and gold.</p> - -<p class="cb">PRICE, $1.00 PER VOLUME.</p> - -<p class="c"> -<i>NOW READY.</i><br /> -</p> - -<p class="cb">A CHRISTIAN WOMAN.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"><p class="hang">By <span class="smcap">Emilia Pardo Bazán</span>. Translated by Mary Springer. With an -introduction by Mr. <span class="smcap">Rollo Ogden</span>. A portrait of the author as -frontispiece.</p></div> - -<div class="blockquott"><p>“This strong story of the realistic school is a fit opening volume -to this new and dainty series.”—<i>Current Literature.</i></p> - -<p>“The bright production of a brilliant and warm-hearted -woman.”—<i>Boston Saturday Evening Gazette.</i></p> - -<p>“Will be a delightful surprise to readers whose knowledge of -realism in fiction is derived from the Zolaesque school.”—<i>Boston -Globe.</i></p> - -<p>“The reader will find that even Spain can produce women whose -mental caliber is on a par with that of our own valued and honored -writers and speakers.”—<i>Portland Transcript.</i></p> - -<p>“A story of great interest.”—<i>Philadelphia Weekly Item.</i></p></div> - -<p class="cb">“THERE IS NO DEVIL.”</p> - -<div class="blockquot"><p class="hang">By <span class="smcap">Maurus Jókai</span>. Translated from the Hungarian, under the author’s -supervision, by Mme. F. Steinitz. A portrait of the author as -frontispiece.</p></div> - -<div class="blockquott"><p>“No one can dispute Jókai’s power as a novelist, and ‘There is no -Devil’ is certainly one of the boldest and strongest of his -works.... As he is by far the greatest Hungarian of his time, it is -quite worth while to make his acquaintance.”—<i>Boston Herald.</i></p></div> - -<p class="cb">THE STORY OF TWO LIVES.</p> - -<p class="c">By <span class="smcap">Stuart Sterne</span>.</p> - -<div class="blockquott"><p>This is the first appearance of the gifted poet, Stuart Sterne, as -a novelist, and is therefore a matter of great interest to the -literary world.</p></div> - -<p class="cb">OTHER VOLUMES TO FOLLOW.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p class="cb"> -<big>CASSELL PUBLISHING COMPANY,</big><br /> -<span class="smcap">104 & 106 Fourth Avenue, New York</span>.<br /> -</p> - -<hr class="full" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/ill_back.jpg" alt="Image unavailable: " /> -</div> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's Morriña (Homesickness), by Emilia Pardo Bazán - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MORRIÑA (HOMESICKNESS) *** - -***** This file should be named 54742-h.htm or 54742-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/4/7/4/54742/ - -Produced by Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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