百年孤独(英文版)-第36部分

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its　highest　level　of　madness　and　Aureliano　Segundo　had　satisfied　at　last　his　dream　of　dressing　up　like　a　tiger　and　was　walking　along　the　wild　throng；　hoarse　from　so　much　roaring；　when　on　the　swamp　road　a　parade　of　several　people　appeared　carrying　in　a　gilded　litter　the　most　fascinating　woman　that　imagination　could　conceive。　For　a　moment　the　inhabitants　of　Macondo　took　off　their　masks　in　order　to　get　a　better　look　at　the　dazzling　creature　with　a　crown　of　emeralds　and　an　ermine　cape；　who　seemed　invested　with　legitimate　authority；　and　was　not　merely　a　sovereign　of　bangles　and　crepe　paper。　There　were　many　people　who　had　sufficient　insight　to　suspect　that　it　was　a　question　of　provocation。　But　Aureliano　Segundo　immediately　conquered　his　perplexity　and　declared　the　new　arrivals　to　be　guests　of　honor；　and　with　the　wisdom　of　Solomon　he　seated　Remedios　the　Beauty　and　the　intruding　queen　on　the　same　dais。　Until　midnight　the　strangers；　disguised　as　bedouins；　took　part　in　the　delirium　and　even　enriched　it　with　sumptuous　fireworks　and　acrobatic　skills　that　made　one　think　of　the　art　of　the　gypsies。　Suddenly；　during　the　paroxysm　of　the　celebration；　someone　broke　the　delicate　balance。
　　　“Long　live　the　Liberal　party！？he　shouted。　“Long　live　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía！？
　　　The　rifle　shots　drowned　out　the　splendor　of　the　fireworks　and　the　cries　of　terror　drowned　out　the　music　and　joy　turned　into　panic。　Many　years　later　there　were　those　who　still　insisted　that　the　royal　guard　of　the　intruding　queen　was　a　squad　of　regular　army　soldiers　who　were　concealing　government…issue　rifles　under　their　rich　Moorish　robes。　The　government　denied　the　charge　in　a　special　proclamation　and　promised　a　plete　investigation　of　the　bloody　episode。　But　the　truth　never　came　to　light；　and　the　version　always　prevailed　that　the　royal　guard；　without　provocation　of　any　kind；　took　up　bat　positions　upon　a　signal　from　their　mander　and　opened　fire　without　pity　on　the　crowd。　When　calm　was　restored；　not　one　of　the　false　bedouins　remained　in　town　and　there　were　many　dead　and　wounded　lying　on　the　square：　nine　clowns；　four　Columbines；　seventeen　playing…card　kings；　one　devil；　three　minstrels；　two　peers　of　France；　and　three　Japanese　empresses。　In　the　confusion　of　the　panic　Jos？Arcadio　Segundo　managed　to　rescue　Remedios　the　Beauty　and　Aureliano　Segundo　carried　the　intruding　queen　to　the　house　in　his　arms；　her　dress　torn　and　the　ermine　cape　stained　with　blood。　Her　name　was　Fernanda　del　Carpio。　She　had　been　chosen　as　the　most　beautiful　of　the　five　thousand　most　beautiful　women　in　the　land　and　they　had　brought　her　to　Macondo　with　the　promise　of　naming　her　Queen　of　Madagascar。　？rsula　took　care　of　her　as　if　she　were　her　own　daughter。　The　town；　instead　of　doubting　her　innocence；　pitied　her　candor。　Six　months　after　the　massacre；　when　the　wounded　had　recovered　and　the　last　flowers　on　the　mass　grave　had　withered；　Aureliano　Segundo　went　to　fetch　her　from　the　distant　city　where　she　lived　with　her　father　and　he　married　her　in　Macondo　with　a　noisy　celebration　that　lasted　twenty　days。

Chapter　11
THE　MARRIAGE　was　on　the　point　of　breaking　up　after　two　months　because　Aureliano　Segundo；　in　an　attempt　to　placate　Petra　Cotes；　had　a　picture　taken　of　her　dressed　as　the　Queen　of　Madagascar。　When　Fernanda　found　out　about　it　she　repacked　her　bridal　trunks　and　left　Macondo　without　saying　good…bye。　Aureliano　Segundo　caught　up　with　her　on　the　swamp　road。　After　much　pleading　and　promises　of　reform　he　succeeded　in　getting　her　to　e　home　and　he　abandoned　his　concubine。
　　　Petra　Cotes；　aware　of　her　strength；　showed　no　signs　of　worry。　She　had　made　a　man　of　him。　While　he　was　still　a　child　she　had　drawn　him　out　of　Melquíades？room；　his　head　full　of　fantastic　ideas　and　lacking　any　contact　with　reality；　and　she　had　given　him　a　place　in　the　world。　Nature　had　made　him　reserved　and　withdrawn。　with　tendencies　toward　solitary　meditation；　and　she　had　molded　an　opposite　character　in　him；　one　that　was　vital；　expansive；　open；　and　she　had　injected　him　with　a　joy　for　living　and　a　pleasure　in　spending　and　celebrating　until　she　had　converted　him　inside　and　out；　into　the　man　she　had　dreamed　of　for　herself　ever　since　adolescence。　Then　he　married；　as　all　sons　marry　sooner　or　later。　He　did　not　dare　tell　her　the　news。　He　assumed　an　attitude　that　was　quite　childish　under　the　circumstances；　feigning　anger　and　imaginary　resentment　so　that　Petra　Cotes　would　be　the　one　who　would　bring　about　the　break。　One　day；　when　Aureliano　Segundo　reproached　her　unjustly；　she　eluded　the　trap　and　put　things　in　their　proper　place。
　　　“What　it　all　means；？she　said；　“is　that　you　want　to　marry　the　queen。？
　　　Aureliano　Segundo；　ashamed；　pretended　an　attack　of　rage；　said　that　he　was　misunderstood　and　abused；　and　did　not　visit　her　again。　Petra　Cotes；　without　losing　her　poise　of　a　wild　beast　in　repose　for　a　single　instant；　heard　the　music　and　the　fireworks　from　the　wedding；　the　wild　bustle　of　the　celebration　as　if　all　of　it　were　nothing　but　some　new　piece　of　mischief　on　the　part　of　Aureliano　Segundo。　Those　who　pitied　her　fate　were　calmed　with　a　smile。　“Don’t　worry；？she　told　them。　“Queens　run　errands　for　me。？To　a　neighbor　woman　who　brought　her　a　set　of　candles　so　that　she　could　light　up　the　picture　of　her　lost　lover　with　them；　she　said　with　an　enigmatic　security：
　　　“The　only　candle　that　will　make　him　e　is　always　lighted。？
　　　Just　as　she　had　foreseen；　Aureliano　Segundo　went　back　to　her　house　as　soon　as　the　honeymoon　was　over。　He　brought　his　usual　old　friends；　a　traveling　photographer；　and　the　gown　and　ermine　cape　soiled　with　blood　that　Fernanda　had　worn　during　the　carnival。　In　the　heat　of　the　merriment　that　broke　out　that　evening；　he　had　Petra　Cotes　dress　up　as　queen；　crowned　her　absolute　and　lifetime　ruler　of　Madagascar；　and　handed　out　copies　of　the　picture　to　his　friends；　she　not　only　went　along　with　the　game；　but　she　felt　sorry　for　him　inside；　thinking　that　he　must　have　been　very　frightened　to　have　conceived　of　that　extravagant　means　of　reconciliation。　At　seven　in　the　evening；　still　dressed　as　the　queen；　she　received　him　in　bed。　He　had　been　married　scarcely　two　months；　but　she　realized　at　once　that　things　were　not　going　well　in　the　nuptial　bed；　and　she　had　the　delicious　pleasure　of　vengeance　fulfilled。　Two　days　later；　however；　when　he　did　not　dare　return　but　sent　an　intermediary　to　arrange　the　terms　of　the　separation；　she　understood　that　she　was　going　to　need　more　patience　than　she　had　foreseen　because　he　seemed　ready　to　sacrifice　himself　for　the　sake　of　appearances。　Nor　did　she　get　upset　that　time。　Once　again　she　made　things　easy　with　a　submission　that　confirmed　the　generalized　belief　that　she　was　a　poor　devil；　and　the　only　souvenir　she　kept　of　Aureliano　Segundo　was　a　pair　of　patent　leather　boots；　which；　according　to　what　he　himself　had　said；　were　the　ones　he　wanted　to　wear　in　his　coffin。　She　kept　them　wrapped　in　cloth　in　the　bottom　of　a　trunk　and　made　ready　to　feed　on　memories；　waiting　without　despair。
　　　“He　has　to　e　sooner　or　later；？she　told　herself；　“even　if　it’s　just　to　put　on　those　boots。？
　　　She　did　not　have　to　wait　as　long　as　she　had　imagined。　Actually；　Aureliano　Segundo　understood　from　the　night　of　his　wedding　that　he　would　return　to　the　house　of　Petra　Cotes　much　sooner　than　when　he　would　have　to　put　on　the　patent　leather　boots：　Fernanda　was　a　woman　who　was　lost　in　the　world。　She　had　been　born　and　raised　in　a　city　six　hundred　miles　away；　a　gloomy　city　where　on　ghostly　nights　the　coaches　of　the　viceroys　still　rattled　through　the　cobbled　streets；　Thirty…two　belfries　tolled　a　dirge　at　six　in　the　afternoon。　In　the　manor　house；　which　was　paved　with　tomblike　slabs；　the　sun　was　never　seen。　The　air　had　died　in　the　cypresses　in　the　courtyard；　in　the　pale　trappings　of　the　bedrooms；　in　the　dripping　archways　of　the　garden　of　perennials。　Until　puberty　Fernanda　had　no　news　of　the　world　except　for　the　melancholy　piano　lessons　taken　in　some　neighboring　house　by　someone　who　for　years　and　years　had　the　drive　not　to　take　a　siesta。　In　the　room　of　her　sick　mother；　green　and　yellow　under　the　powdery　light　from　the　windowpanes；　she　would　listen　to　the　methodical；　stubborn；　heartless　scales　and　think　that　that　music　was　in　the　world　while　she　was　being　consumed　as　she　wove　funeral　wreaths。　Her　mother；　perspiring　with　five…o’clock　fever；　spoke　to　her　of　the　splendor　of　the　past。　When　she　was　a　little　girl；　on　one　moonlit　night　Fernanda　saw　a　beautiful　woman　dressed　in　white　crossing　the　garden　toward　the　chapel。　What　bothered　her　most　about　that　fleeting　vision　was　that　she　felt　it　was　exactly　like　her；　as　if　she　had　seen　herself　twenty　years　in　advance。　“It　was　your　great…grandmother　the　queen；？her　mother　told　her　during　a　truce　in　her　coughing。　“She　died　of　some　bad　vapors　while　she　was　cutting　a　string　of　bulbs。？Many　years　later；　when　she　began　to　feel　she　was　the　equal　of　her　great…grandmother；　Fernanda　doubted　her　childhood　vision；　but　her　mother　scolded　her　disbelief。
　　　“We　are　immensely　rich　and　powerful；？she　told　her。　“One　day　you　will　be　a　queen。？
　　　She　believed　it；　even　though　they　were　sitting　at　the　long　table　with　a　linen　tablecloth　and　silver　service　to　have　a　cup　of　watered　chocolate　and　a　sweet　bun。　Until　the　day　of　her　wedding　she　dreamed　about　a　legendary　kingdom；　in　spite　of　the　fact　that　her　father；　Don　Fernando；　had　to　mortgage　the　house　in　order　to　buy　her　trousseau。　It　was　not　innocence　or　delusions　of　grandeur。　That　was　how　they　had　brought　her　up。　Since　she　had　had　the　use　of　reason　she　remembered　having　done　her　duty　in　a　gold　pot　with　the　family　crest　on　it。　She　left　the　house　for　the　first　time　at　the　age　of　twelve　in　a　coach　and　horses　that　had　to　travel　only　two　blocks　to　take　her　to　the　convent。　Her　classmates　were　surprised　that　she　sat　apart　from　them　in　a　chair　with　a　very　high　back　and　that　she　would　not　even　mingle　with　them　during　recess。　“She’s　different；？the　nuns　would　explain。　“She’s　going　to　be　a　queen。？Her　schoolmates　believed　this　because　she　was　already　the　most　beautiful；　distinguished；　and　discreet　girl　they　had　ever　seen。　At　the　end　of　eight　years；　after　having　learned　to　write　Latin　poetry；　play　the　clavichord；　talk　about　falconry　with　gentlemen　and　apologetics；　with　archbishops；　discuss　affairs　of　state　with　foreign　rulers　and　affairs　of　God　with　the　Pope；　she　returned　to　her　parents？home　to　weave　funeral　wreaths。　She　found　it　despoiled。　All　that　was　left　was　the　furniture　that　was　absolutely　necessary；　the　silver　candelabra　and　table　service；　for　the　everyday　utensils　had　been　sold　one　by　one　to　underwrite　the　costs　of　her　education。　Her　mother　had　succumbed　to　five…o’clock　fever。　Her　father；　Don　Fernando；　dressed　in　black　with　a　stiff　collar　and　a　gold　watch　chain；　would　give　her　a　silver　coin　on　Mondays　for　the　household　expenses；　and　the　funeral　wreaths　finished　the　week　before　would　be　taken　away。　He　spent　most　of　his　time　shut　up　in　his　study　and　the　few　times　that　he　went　out　he　would　return　to　recite　the　rosary　with　her。　She　had　intimate　friendships　with　no　one。　She　had　never　heard　mention　of　the　wars　that　were　bleeding　the　country。　She　continued　her　piano　lessons　at　three　in　the　afternoon。　She　had　even　began　to　lose　the　illusion　of　being　a　queen　when　two　peremptory　raps　of　the　knocker　sounded　at　the　door　and　she