Don Dionisio Cascajares is a famous doctor, although not for the depth of his knowledge of pathology, and a good man, since it could never be said of him that he was inclined to take what did not belong to him, nor to kill his fellow men by means other than those of his dangerous and scientific vocation6. We can be quite sure that the leniency7 of his treatment and his complacency in not giving his patients any other treatment than the one they want are the root cause of the confidence he inspires in a great many families, irrespective of class, especially when, in his limitless kindness, he also has a reputation for meting8 out services over and above the call of duty though always of a rigorously honest nature. Nobody knows like he does interesting events which are not common knowledge, and no-one possesses to a higher degree the mania10 of asking questions, though this vice9 of being overly inquisitive11 is compensated12 for in him by the promptness with which he tells you everything he knows without others needing to take the trouble to sound him out. Judge then if such a fine exemplar of human flippancy13 would be in demand with the curious and the garrulous14. This man, my friend as he is everyone's, was sitting next to me when the tram, slipping smoothly15 along its iron road, was going down the calle de Serrano, stopping from time to time in order to fill the few seats that still remained empty. We were so hemmed16 in that the bundle of books I was carrying with me became a source of great concern to me, and I was putting it first on one knee, then on the other. Finally I decided17 to sit on it, fearing to disturb the English lady, whose seat just happened to be next to me on my left.
"And where are you going?" Cascajares asked me, looking at me over the top of his dark glasses, which made me feel that I was being watched by four eyes rather than two. I answered him evasively and he, not wanting to lose any time before finding something out, insisted on asking questions: "And what's so-and-so up to? And that woman, what's-her-name, where is she?" accompanied by other inquiries18 of the same ilk which were not fully19 replied to either. As a last resort, seeing how useless his attempts were to start a conversation, he set off on a path more in keeping with his expansive temperament20 and began to spill the beans:
"Poor countess!" he said, expressing with a movement of his head and facial features his disinterested21 compassion22. "If she had followed my advice, she would not be in such a critical situation."
"Quite clearly," I replied mechanically, doing compassionate23 homage24 also to the aforementioned countess. "Just imagine," he continued, "that they've let themselves be dominated by that man! And that man will end up being master of the house. Poor woman! She thinks that with tears and lamentations all can be remedied, but it isn't so. She must make a decision, for that man is a monster; I believe he has it in him to commit the most heinous25 crimes."
"Yes, he'll stop at nothing," I said, unconsciously participating in his indignation.
"He's like all those low-born men who follow their base instincts. If they raise their station in life, they become insufferable. His face is a clear indication that nothing good can come out of all this."
"It hits you in the face. I believe you."
"I'll explain it to you in a nutshell. The countess is an excellent woman, angelic, as discreet as she is beautiful and deserving of something far better. But she is married to a man who does not understand the value of the treasure he possesses and he spends his life given over to gambling26 and to all sorts of illicit27 pastimes. She in the meantime gets bored and cries. Is it surprising that she tries to dull her pain honestly, here and there, wherever a piano is being played? Moreover I myself give her this advice and say it loud and clear: Madam, seek diversion. Life's too short. The count in the end will have to repent28 of his follies29 and your sufferings will then be over. It seems to me I'm right."
"No doubt about it," I replied off the cuff30, although, in my heart of hearts, as indifferent as I had been to begin with to the sundry31 misfortunes of the countess. "But that's not the worst of it," Cascajares added, striking the floor with his stick, "for now the count, in the prime of life, has started to be jealous, yes, of a certain young man who has taken to heart the enterprise of helping32 the countess to enjoy herself."
"The husband will be to blame if he succeeds."
"None of that would matter as the countess is virtue33 incarnate34; none of that would matter, I say, if there was not a terrible man whom I suspect of being about to cause a disaster in that house."
"Really? And who is he, this man?" I asked with a spark of curiosity.
"A former butler, well-liked by the count, who has set himself to make a martyr35 of the countess as unhappy as she is sensitive. It seems that he is now in possession of a certain secret which could compromise her, and with this weapon he presumes to do God knows what. It's infamous36!"
"It certainly is and he merits an exemplary punishment," I said, discharging in turn the weight of my wrath37 on that man.
"But she is innocent, she is an angel. But enough said! We've reached Cibeles. Yes, on the right I can see Buenavista Park. Have them stop, boy. I'm not one of those who jump off while the tram is still moving to split open their heads on the cobbles. Farewell, my friend, farewell."
The tram stopped and Don Dionisio Cascajares y de la Vallina got off after shaking my hand again and inflicting38 more slight damage on the hat of the English lady who had not yet recovered from her original scare.
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1
discreet
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| adj.(言行)谨慎的；慎重的；有判断力的 | |
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juncture
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| n.时刻，关键时刻，紧要关头 | |
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denting
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| v.使产生凹痕( dent的现在分词 )；损害；伤害；挫伤（信心、名誉等） | |
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agility
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| n.敏捷，活泼 | |
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mishap
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| n.不幸的事，不幸；灾祸 | |
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vocation
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| n.职业，行业 | |
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leniency
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| n.宽大（不严厉） | |
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meting
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| v.（对某人）施以，给予（处罚等）( mete的现在分词 ) | |
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vice
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| n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的 | |
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mania
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| n.疯狂；躁狂症，狂热，癖好 | |
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inquisitive
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| adj.求知欲强的，好奇的，好寻根究底的 | |
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12
compensated
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| 补偿，报酬( compensate的过去式和过去分词 )； 给（某人）赔偿（或赔款） | |
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13
flippancy
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| n.轻率；浮躁；无礼的行动 | |
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garrulous
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| adj.唠叨的，多话的 | |
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smoothly
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| adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地 | |
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hemmed
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| 缝…的褶边( hem的过去式和过去分词 )； 包围 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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18
inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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temperament
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| n.气质，性格，性情 | |
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disinterested
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| adj.不关心的，不感兴趣的 | |
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compassion
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| n.同情，怜悯 | |
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compassionate
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| adj.有同情心的，表示同情的 | |
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homage
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| n.尊敬，敬意，崇敬 | |
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heinous
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| adj.可憎的，十恶不赦的 | |
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gambling
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| n.赌博；投机 | |
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illicit
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| adj.非法的，禁止的，不正当的 | |
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repent
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| v.悔悟，悔改，忏悔，后悔 | |
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29
follies
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| 罪恶，时事讽刺剧； 愚蠢，蠢笨，愚蠢的行为、思想或做法( folly的名词复数 ) | |
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30
cuff
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| n.袖口；手铐；护腕；vt.用手铐铐；上袖口 | |
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31
sundry
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| adj.各式各样的，种种的 | |
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helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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33
virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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34
incarnate
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| adj.化身的，人体化的，肉色的 | |
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35
martyr
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| n.烈士，殉难者；vt.杀害，折磨，牺牲 | |
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36
infamous
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| adj.声名狼藉的，臭名昭著的，邪恶的 | |
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37
wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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38
inflicting
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| 把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的现在分词 ) | |
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