Early next morning Anselmo took his departure, but I was up in time to say good-bye to the worthy1 spinner of interminable yarns2 leading to nothing. I was, in fact, engaged in performing my morning ablutions in a large wooden bucket under the willows3 when he placed himself in the saddle; then, after carefully arranging the drapery of his picturesque4 garments, he trotted5 gently away, the picture of a man with a tranquil6 stomach and at peace with the whole world, even neighbour Gumesinda included.
I had spent a somewhat restless night, strange to say, for my hospitable7 hostess had provided me with a deliciously soft bed, a very unusual luxury in the Banda Orientál, and when I plunged8 into it there were no hungry bedfellows waiting my advent9 within its mysterious folds. I thought about the pastoral simplicity10 of the lives and character of the good people slumbering11 near me; and that inconsequent story of Anselmo's about Manuel and Pascuala caused me to laugh several times. Finally my thoughts, which had been roaming around in a wild, uncertain manner, like rooks “blown about the windy skies,” settled quietly down to the consideration of that beautiful anomaly, that mystery of mysteries, the white-faced Margarita. For how, in the name of heredity, had she got there? Whence that pearly skin and lithesome form; the proud, sweet mouth, the nose that Phidias might have taken for a model; the clear, spiritual, sapphire12 eyes, and the wealth of silky hair, that if unbound would cover her as with a garment of surpassing beauty? With such a problem vexing13 my curious brain, what sleep could a philosopher get?
When Batata saw me making preparations for departure, he warmly pressed me to stay to breakfast. I consented at once, for, after all, the more leisurely14 one does a thing the sooner will it be accomplished—especially in the Banda Orientál. One breakfasts here at noon, so that I had plenty of time to see, and renew my pleasure in seeing, pretty Margarita.
In the course of the morning we had a visitor; a traveller who arrived on a tired horse, and who slightly knew my host Batata, having, I was told, called at the house on former occasions. Marcos Marcó was his name; a tall, sallow-faced individual about fifty years old, slightly grey, very dirty, and wearing threadbare gaucho15 garments. He had a slouching gait and manner, and a patient, waiting, hungry animal expression of face. Very, very keen were his eyes, and I detected him several times watching me narrowly.
Leaving this Oriental tramp in conversation with Batata, who with misplaced kindness had offered to provide him with a fresh horse, I went out for a walk before breakfast. During my walk, which was along a tiny stream at the foot of the hill on which the house stood, I found a very lovely bell-shaped flower of a delicate rose-colour. I plucked it carefully and took it back with me, thinking it just possible that I might give it to Margarita should she happen to be in the way. On my return to the house I found the traveller sitting by himself under the corridor, engaged in mending some portion of his dilapidated horse-gear, and sat down to have a chat with him. A clever bee will always be able to extract honey enough to reward him from any flower, and so I did not hesitate tackling this outwardly very unpromising subject.
“And so you are an Englishman,” he remarked, after we had had some conversation; and I, of course, replied in the affirmative.
“What a strange thing!” he said. “And you are fond of gathering16 pretty flowers?” he continued, with a glance at my treasure.
“All flowers are pretty,” I replied.
“But surely, señor, some are prettier than others. Perhaps you have observed a particularly pretty one growing in these parts—the white margarita?”
Margarita is the Oriental vernacular17 for verbena; the fragrant18 white variety is quite common in the country; so that I was justified19 in ignoring the fellow's rather impudent20 meaning. Assuming as wooden an expression as I could, I replied, “Yes, I have often observed the flower you speak of; it is fragrant, and to my mind surpasses in beauty the scarlet21 and purple varieties. But you must know, my friend, that I am a botanist22—that is, a student of plants—and they are all equally interesting to me.”
This astonished him; and, pleased with the interest he appeared to take in the subject, I explained, in simple language, the principles on which a classification of plants is founded, telling him about that lingua franca by means of which all the botanists23 in the world of all nations are able to converse24 together about plants. From this somewhat dry subject I launched into the more fascinating one of the physiology25 of plants. “Now, look at this,” I continued, and with my penknife I carefully dissected26 the flower in my hand, for it was evident that I could not now give it to Margarita without exposing myself to remarks. I then proceeded to explain to him the beautiful complex structure by means of which this campanula fertilises itself.
He listened in wonder, exhausting all the Spanish and Oriental equivalents of such expressions as “Dear me!” “How extraordinary!” “Lawks a mussy!” “You don't say so!” I finished my lecture, satisfied that my superior intellect had baffled the rude creature; then, tossingaway the fragments of the flower I had sacrificed, I restored the penknife to my pocket.
“These are matters we do not often hear about in the Banda Orientál,” he said. “But the English know everything—even the secrets of a flower. They are also able to do most things. Did you ever, sir botanist, take part in acting27 a comedy?”
After all, I had wasted my flower and scientific knowledge on the animal for nothing! “Yes, I have!” I replied rather angrily; then, suddenly remembering Eyebrows28' teaching, I added, “and in tragedy also.”
“Is that so?” he exclaimed. “How amused the spectators must have been! Well, we can all have our fill of fighting presently, for I see the White Flower coming this way to tell us that breakfast is ready. Batata's roast beef will give something for our knives to do; I only wish we had one of his own floury namesakes to eat with it.”
I swallowed my resentment29, and when Margarita came to us, looked up into her matchless face with a smile, then rose to follow her into the kitchen.
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1
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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2
yarns
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| n.纱( yarn的名词复数 )；纱线；奇闻漫谈；旅行轶事 | |
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willows
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| n.柳树( willow的名词复数 )；柳木 | |
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4
picturesque
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| adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的 | |
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trotted
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| 小跑，急走( trot的过去分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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tranquil
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| adj. 安静的, 宁静的, 稳定的, 不变的 | |
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hospitable
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| adj.好客的；宽容的；有利的，适宜的 | |
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plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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advent
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| n.(重要事件等的)到来，来临 | |
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10
simplicity
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| n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯 | |
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11
slumbering
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| 微睡，睡眠（slumber的现在分词形式） | |
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12
sapphire
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| n.青玉，蓝宝石；adj.天蓝色的 | |
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13
vexing
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| adj.使人烦恼的，使人恼火的v.使烦恼( vex的现在分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论 | |
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14
leisurely
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| adj.悠闲的；从容的，慢慢的 | |
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15
gaucho
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| n. 牧人 | |
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16
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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vernacular
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| adj.地方的，用地方语写成的；n.白话；行话；本国语；动植物的俗名 | |
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18
fragrant
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| adj.芬香的，馥郁的，愉快的 | |
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19
justified
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| a.正当的，有理的 | |
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impudent
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| adj.鲁莽的，卑鄙的，厚颜无耻的 | |
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scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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22
botanist
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| n.植物学家 | |
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botanists
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| n.植物学家，研究植物的人( botanist的名词复数 ) | |
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24
converse
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| vi.谈话，谈天，闲聊；adv.相反的，相反 | |
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25
physiology
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| n.生理学，生理机能 | |
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26
dissected
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| adj.切开的，分割的，（叶子）多裂的v.解剖（动物等）( dissect的过去式和过去分词 )；仔细分析或研究 | |
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27
acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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28
eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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29
resentment
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| n.怨愤，忿恨 | |
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