But in the end I stopped thinking about what was of such little interest to me and, scanning with my eyes the inside of the tram, I examined one by one my travelling companions. What distinctive7 faces and what expressions! Some appeared not to be bothered in the least about those who were next to them. Some were happy, some were sad, this one was yawning, that one was laughing, and in spite of the journey's shortness, there was not a single one who did not want it to be over quickly, for among the thousand and one annoyances8 of our existence, none exceeds the one that consists in being a dozen people gazing at one another's faces without saying a word and mutually musing9 over their wrinkles, their moles10 or some anomaly noticed in a face or in clothing.
It is strange this short acquaintance with people that we have not seen before and will in all likelihood not see again. We already meet someone on entering and others arrive while we're still there. Passengers get off leaving us alone and finally we too alight. It's a mirror of human life itself in which birth and death are like the entrances and exits I've just mentioned for new generations of passengers come to populate the little world that lives inside the tram. They get on, they get off; they are born and they die. How many have passed through here before we have! How many more will succeed us! And for the resemblance to be even more complete there is also a small world of passions in miniature inside that big box.
Many go there that we feel instinctively11 to be excellent people and their appearance pleases us and we are even upset to see them go. Others, on the contrary, annoy us as soon as we look at them. We examine with a certain rancour their phrenological characteristics and feel a real pleasure when we see them go. And meanwhile the vehicle, an imitation of life, keeps going, always receiving and letting go, uniform, indefatigable12, majestic13, oblivious14 to what is happening inside it, without being moved very much by the barely stifled15 passions of dumb show. The tram is running, always running over the two interminable iron tracks, wide and slippery as centuries. I was thinking about this while the tram was going up the calle de Alcalá until the noise of my bundle of books falling on the floor pulled me back from the gulf16 of so many mixed up ruminations. I picked it up immediately and my eyes focused on the sheet of newspaper that was serving as a wrapper to the volumes and mechanically took in half a line of what was printed there. All of a sudden my curiosity was well and truly aroused. I had read something that interested me and certain names scattered17 through that scrap18 of a newspaper serial19 affected20 both my vision and my memory. I looked for the beginning and did not find it: the paper was torn and I could only read, with curiosity at first and afterwards more and more eagerly, what follows:
The countess felt indescribably agitated21. The presence of Mudarra, the insolent22 butler, who had forgotten his humble23 beginnings to dare to cast his gaze on such a noble personage, was a continual source of anxiety to her. The scoundrel never stopped spying on her, watching her as a prison guard watches a prisoner. He already showed no deference24 to her and nor were the sensitivity and delicacy25 of such an excellent lady an obstacle to his entrapment26 of her. Mudarra made an untimely entrance into the private quarters of the countess, who, pale and agitated, feeling at one and the same time both shame and terror, did not have the strength to dismiss him.
"Don't be frightened, Your Ladyship," he said with a forced and sinister smile, which made the lady even more alarmed. "I haven't come to do you any harm."
"Oh my God! When will this agony be over?" the lady exclaimed, dropping her arms in discouragement. "Leave. I cannot accede27 to your desires. What infamy28! To make use in this way of my weakness and the indifference29 of my husband, the source of so many of my misfortunes!"
"Why so surly, countess?" the fierce butler added. "If I did not have in my hands the secret that could lead to your perdition, if I could not apprise30 the count of certain particulars with reference to that young nobleman. But I will not use these terrible weapons against you. One day you will understand me and know how selfless is the great love that you have been able to inspire in me."
As he said this Mudarra moved a few steps nearer to the countess who distanced herself with horror and repugnance31 from that monster. Mudarra was a man of around fifty, dark-skinned, thickset and knock-kneed, with rough, untidy hair and a big mouth full of teeth. His eyes, half hidden behind the luxuriant growth of wide, black and very thick eyebrows32, expressed at moments like these the most bestial33 concupiscence.
"Ah porcupine34!" he angrily exclaimed on seeing the lady's natural reticence35. "How unfortunate I am not to be a dapper young chap! Such prudery knowing full well I can tell the count and have no doubt that he'll believe me, Your Ladyship: the count has so much trust in me that he takes what I say as gospel and he'll be full of jealousy36 if I show him the paper."
"Scoundrel!" shouted the countess with a noble display of righteous indignation. "I am innocent and my husband will not give credence37 to such vile38 slanders39. And even if I were guilty I would prefer a thousand times over for my husband and the whole world to despise me than to buy peace of mind at that price. Leave here at once."
"I too have a temper, countess," said the butler swallowing his rage. "I too can lose it and get angry and since Your Ladyship is making a big thing of this, let's make a big thing of it. I already know what I have to do and I've been until now far too affable. One last time I put it to Your Ladyship that we should be friends and don't make me do something you'll regret, and so my lady."
On saying this Mudarra contracted the parchment-like skin and the rigid40 tendons of his face making a grimace41 like a smile and took a few more steps as if to sit down on the sofa next to the countess. The latter jumped up shouting: "No! Leave! Scoundrel! And not to have anyone here to defend me. Leave!"
The butler then was like a wild animal that lets go of the prey42 it was holding a moment before in its claws. He breathed heavily, made a threatening gesture and slowly left with soft footfalls. The countess, trembling and out of breath, having taken refuge in a corner of the room, heard the footfalls which faded away on the carpet of the room next door and finally breathed when she judged him to be far away. She closed the doors and tried to sleep, but sleep eluded43 her, her eyes still full of terror at the image of the monster.
CHAPTER XI The Plot
Mudarra, on leaving the countess's room, went in the direction of his own and, dominated by a strong feeling of nervous anxiety, started to search for letters and papers muttering to himself: "I can't stand it anymore. You'll pay me back for all of this." Then he sat down, took up his pen, and, putting in front of him one of those letters and examining it closely, he began to write another, trying to copy the writing. He moved his eyes feverishly44 from the model to the copy and finally, after a great deal of work, he wrote with writing totally identical to that of the model, the following letter, the sentiments in which were of his own making: I promised to meet with you and I'm hastening to carry out that promise.
The newspaper in which this serial appeared was torn and I could read no further.
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1
consort
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| v.相伴；结交 | |
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sinister
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| adj.不吉利的，凶恶的，左边的 | |
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emphatic
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| adj.强调的，着重的；无可置疑的，明显的 | |
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importunity
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| n.硬要，强求 | |
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stimulated
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| a.刺激的 | |
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monotonous
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| adj.单调的，一成不变的，使人厌倦的 | |
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distinctive
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| adj.特别的，有特色的，与众不同的 | |
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annoyances
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| n.恼怒( annoyance的名词复数 )；烦恼；打扰；使人烦恼的事 | |
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musing
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| n. 沉思，冥想 adj. 沉思的, 冥想的 动词muse的现在分词形式 | |
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moles
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| 防波堤( mole的名词复数 )； 鼹鼠； 痣； 间谍 | |
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instinctively
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| adv.本能地 | |
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indefatigable
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| adj.不知疲倦的，不屈不挠的 | |
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majestic
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| adj.雄伟的，壮丽的，庄严的，威严的，崇高的 | |
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oblivious
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| adj.易忘的，遗忘的，忘却的，健忘的 | |
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stifled
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| （使）窒息， （使）窒闷( stifle的过去式和过去分词 )； 镇压，遏制； 堵 | |
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gulf
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| n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂 | |
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scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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scrap
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| n.碎片；废料；v.废弃，报废 | |
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serial
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| n.连本影片，连本电视节目；adj.连续的 | |
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affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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agitated
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| adj.被鼓动的，不安的 | |
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insolent
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| adj.傲慢的，无理的 | |
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humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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deference
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| n.尊重，顺从；敬意 | |
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delicacy
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| n.精致，细微，微妙，精良；美味，佳肴 | |
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entrapment
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| n.（非法）诱捕，诱人犯罪；诱使犯罪 | |
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accede
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| v.应允，同意 | |
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infamy
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| n.声名狼藉，出丑，恶行 | |
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indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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apprise
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| vt.通知，告知 | |
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repugnance
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| n.嫌恶 | |
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eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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bestial
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| adj.残忍的；野蛮的 | |
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porcupine
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| n.豪猪， 箭猪 | |
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reticence
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| n.沉默，含蓄 | |
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jealousy
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| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
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credence
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| n.信用，祭器台，供桌，凭证 | |
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vile
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| adj.卑鄙的，可耻的，邪恶的；坏透的 | |
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slanders
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| 诽谤，诋毁( slander的名词复数 ) | |
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rigid
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| adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的 | |
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grimace
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| v.做鬼脸，面部歪扭 | |
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42
prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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43
eluded
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| v.（尤指机敏地）避开( elude的过去式和过去分词 )；逃避；躲避；使达不到 | |
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feverishly
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| adv. 兴奋地 | |
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