A little later Pepe made his appearance in the dining-room.
“If you eat a hearty1 breakfast,” said Doña Perfecta to him, in affectionate accents, “you will have no appetite for dinner. We dine here at one. Perhaps you may not like the customs of the country.”
“Say, then, which you prefer—to eat a hearty breakfast now, or to take something light, and keep your appetite for dinner.”
“I prefer to take something light now, in order to have the pleasure of dining with you. But not even if I had found anything to eat in Villahorrenda, would I have eaten any thing at this early hour.”
“Of course, I need not tell you that you are to treat us with perfect frankness. You may give your orders here as if you were in your own house.”
“Thanks, aunt.”
“But how like your father you are!” said the señora, regarding the young man, as he ate, with real delight. “I can fancy I am looking now at my dear brother Juan. He sat just as you are sitting and ate as you are eating. In your expression, especially, you are as like as two drops of water.”
Pepe began his frugal3 breakfast. The words, as well as the manner and the expression, of his aunt and cousin inspired him with so much confidence that he already felt as if he were in his own house.
“Do you know what Rosario was saying to me this morning?” said Doña Perfecta, looking at her nephew. “Well, she was saying that, as a man accustomed to the luxuries and the etiquette4 of the capital and to foreign ways, you would not be able to put up with the somewhat rustic5 simplicity6 and the lack of ceremony of our manner of life; for here every thing is very plain.”
“What a mistake!” responded Pepe, looking at his cousin. “No one abhors7 more than I do the falseness and the hypocrisy8 of what is called high society. Believe me, I have long wished to give myself a complete bath in nature, as some one has said; to live far from the turmoil9 of existence in the solitude10 and quiet of the country. I long for the tranquillity11 of a life without strife12, without anxieties; neither envying nor envied, as the poet has said. For a long time my studies at first, and my work afterward13, prevented me from taking the rest which I need, and which my mind and my body both require; but ever since I entered this house, my dear aunt, my dear cousin, I have felt myself surrounded by the peaceful atmosphere which I have longed for. You must not talk to me, then, of society, either high or low; or of the world, either great or small, for I would willingly exchange them all for this peaceful retreat.”
While he was thus speaking, the glass door which led from the dining-room into the garden was obscured by the interposition between it and the light of a dark body. The glasses of a pair of spectacles, catching14 a sunbeam, sent forth15 a fugitive16 gleam; the latch17 creaked, the door opened, and the Penitentiary18 gravely entered the room. He saluted19 those present, taking off his broad-brimmed hat and bowing until its brim touched the floor.
“It is the Señor Penitentiary, of our holy cathedral,” said Doña Perfecta: “a person whom we all esteem20 greatly, and whose friend you will, I hope, be. Take a seat, Señor Don Inocencio.”
Pepe shook hands with the venerable canon, and both sat down.
“If you are accustomed to smoke after meals, pray do so,” said Doña Perfecta amiably21; “and the Señor Penitentiary also.”
The worthy22 Don Inocencio drew from under his cassock a large leather cigar-case, which showed unmistakable signs of long use, opened it, and took from it two long cigarettes, one of which he offered to our friend. Rosario took a match from a little leaf-shaped matchbox, which the Spaniards ironically call a wagon24, and the engineer and the canon were soon puffing25 their smoke over each other.
“And what does Señor Don José think of our dear city of Orbajosa?” asked the canon, shutting his left eye tightly, according to his habit when he smoked.
“I have not yet been able to form an idea of the town,” said Pepe. “From the little I have seen of it, however, I think that half a dozen large capitalists disposed to invest their money here, a pair of intelligent heads to direct the work of renovating26 the place, and a couple of thousands of active hands to carry it out, would not be a bad thing for Orbajosa. Coming from the entrance to the town to the door of this house, I saw more than a hundred beggars. The greater part of them are healthy, and even robust27 men. It is a pitiable army, the sight of which oppresses the heart.”
“That is what charity is for,” declared Don Inocencio. “Apart from that, Orbajosa is not a poor town. You are already aware that the best garlic in all Spain is produced here. There are more than twenty rich families living among us.”
“It is true,” said Doña Perfecta, “that the last few years have been wretched, owing to the drought; but even so, the granaries are not empty, and several thousands of strings28 of garlic were recently carried to market.”
“During the many years that I have lived in Orbajosa,” said the priest, with a frown, “I have seen innumerable persons come here from the capital, some brought by the electoral hurly-burly, others to visit some abandoned site, or to see the antiquities29 of the cathedral, and they all talk to us about the English ploughs and threshing-machines and water-power and banks, and I don’t know how many other absurdities30. The burden of their song is that this place is very backward, and that it could be improved. Let them keep away from us, in the devil’s name! We are well enough as we are, without the gentlemen from the capital visiting us; a great deal better off without hearing that continual clamor about our poverty and the grandeurs and the wonders of other places. The fool in his own house is wiser than the wise man in another’s. Is it not so, Señor Don José? Of course, you mustn’t imagine, even remotely, that I say this on your account. Not at all! Of course not! I know that we have before us one of the most eminent31 young men of modern Spain, a man who would be able to transform into fertile lands our arid32 wastes. And I am not at all angry because you sing us the same old song about the English ploughs and arboriculture and silviculture. Not in the least. Men of such great, such very great merit, may be excused for the contempt which they manifest for our littleness. No, no, my friend; no, no, Señor Don José! you are entitled to say any thing you please, even to tell us that we are not much better than Kaffirs.”
This philippic, concluded in a marked tone of irony33, and all of it impertinent enough, did not please the young man; but he refrained from manifesting the slightest annoyance34 and continued the conversation, endeavoring to avoid as far as possible the subjects in which the over-sensitive patriotism35 of the canon might find cause of offence. The latter rose when Doña Perfecta began to speak to her nephew about family matters, and took a few turns about the room.
This was a spacious36 and well-lighted apartment, the walls of which were covered with an old-fashioned paper whose flowers and branches, although faded, preserved their original pattern, thanks to the cleanliness which reigned37 in each and every part of the dwelling38. The clock, from the case of which hung, uncovered, the apparently39 motionless weights and the voluble pendulum40, perpetually repeating No, no, occupied, with its variegated41 dial, the most prominent place among the solid pieces of furniture of the dining-room, the adornment42 of the walls being completed by a series of French engravings representing the exploits of the conqueror43 of Mexico, with prolix44 explanations at the foot of each concerning a Ferdinand Cortez, and a Donna Marine45, as little true to nature as were the figures delineated by the ignorant artist. In the space between the two glass doors which communicated with the garden was an apparatus46 of brass47, which it is not necessary to describe further than to say that it served to support a parrot, which maintained itself on it with the air of gravity and circumspection48 peculiar49 to those animals, taking note of everything that went on. The hard and ironical23 expression of the parrot tribe, their green coats, their red caps, their yellow boots, and finally, the hoarse50, mocking words which they generally utter, give them a strange and repulsive51 aspect, half serious, half-comic. There is in their air an indescribable something of the stiffness of diplomats52. At times they remind one of buffoons53, and they always resemble those absurdly conceited54 people who, in their desire to appear very superior, look like caricatures.
The Penitentiary was very fond of the parrot. When he left Doña Perfecta and Rosario conversing55 with the traveller, he went over to the bird, and, allowing it to bite his forefinger56 with the greatest good humor, said to it:
“Rascal, knave57, why don’t you talk? You would be of little account if you weren’t a prater58. The world of birds, as well as men, is full of praters.”
Then, with his own venerable hand, he took some peas from the dish beside him, and gave them to the bird to eat. The parrot began to call to the maid, asking her for some chocolate, and its words diverted the two ladies and the young man from a conversation which could not have been very engrossing59.
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1
hearty
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| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
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enchanted
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| adj. 被施魔法的，陶醉的，入迷的 动词enchant的过去式和过去分词 | |
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frugal
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| adj.节俭的，节约的，少量的，微量的 | |
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etiquette
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| n.礼仪，礼节；规矩 | |
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rustic
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| adj.乡村的，有乡村特色的；n.乡下人，乡巴佬 | |
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6
simplicity
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| n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯 | |
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7
abhors
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| v.憎恶( abhor的第三人称单数 )；（厌恶地）回避；拒绝；淘汰 | |
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8
hypocrisy
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| n.伪善，虚伪 | |
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turmoil
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| n.骚乱，混乱，动乱 | |
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solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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tranquillity
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| n. 平静, 安静 | |
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strife
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| n.争吵，冲突，倾轧，竞争 | |
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afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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fugitive
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| adj.逃亡的，易逝的；n.逃犯，逃亡者 | |
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17
latch
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| n.门闩，窗闩；弹簧锁 | |
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penitentiary
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| n.感化院；监狱 | |
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19
saluted
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| v.欢迎，致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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20
esteem
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| n.尊敬，尊重；vt.尊重，敬重；把…看作 | |
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21
amiably
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| adv.和蔼可亲地，亲切地 | |
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22
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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ironical
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| adj.讽刺的，冷嘲的 | |
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24
wagon
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| n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车 | |
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25
puffing
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| v.使喷出( puff的现在分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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26
renovating
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| 翻新，修复，整修( renovate的现在分词 ) | |
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27
robust
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| adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的 | |
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28
strings
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| n.弦 | |
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29
antiquities
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| n.古老( antiquity的名词复数 )；古迹；古人们；古代的风俗习惯 | |
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30
absurdities
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| n.极端无理性( absurdity的名词复数 )；荒谬；谬论；荒谬的行为 | |
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31
eminent
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| adj.显赫的，杰出的，有名的，优良的 | |
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arid
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| adj.干旱的；(土地)贫瘠的 | |
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33
irony
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| n.反语，冷嘲；具有讽刺意味的事，嘲弄 | |
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34
annoyance
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| n.恼怒，生气，烦恼 | |
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35
patriotism
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| n.爱国精神，爱国心，爱国主义 | |
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spacious
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| adj.广阔的，宽敞的 | |
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37
reigned
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| vi.当政，统治（reign的过去式形式） | |
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38
dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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39
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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40
pendulum
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| n.摆，钟摆 | |
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41
variegated
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| adj.斑驳的，杂色的 | |
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42
adornment
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| n.装饰；装饰品 | |
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43
conqueror
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| n.征服者，胜利者 | |
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44
prolix
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| adj.罗嗦的；冗长的 | |
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45
marine
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| adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵 | |
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46
apparatus
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| n.装置，器械；器具，设备 | |
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47
brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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48
circumspection
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| n.细心，慎重 | |
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49
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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50
hoarse
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| adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的 | |
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51
repulsive
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| adj.排斥的，使人反感的 | |
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52
diplomats
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| n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人 | |
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53
buffoons
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| n.愚蠢的人( buffoon的名词复数 )；傻瓜；逗乐小丑；滑稽的人 | |
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54
conceited
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| adj.自负的，骄傲自满的 | |
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55
conversing
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| v.交谈，谈话( converse的现在分词 ) | |
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56
forefinger
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| n.食指 | |
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57
knave
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| n.流氓；（纸牌中的）杰克 | |
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58
prater
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| 多嘴的人，空谈者 | |
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59
engrossing
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| adj.使人全神贯注的，引人入胜的v.使全神贯注( engross的现在分词 ) | |
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