dona perecta-第52章

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our　family；　for　the　question　here　is　not　one　of　mania　but　of　real　insanity。　It　is　sad；　terribly　sad　that　out　of　so　many　I　should　be　the　only　one　to　escape；　preserving　a　sound　mind　with　all　my　faculties　unimpaired　and　entirely　free　from　any　sign　of　that　fatal　malady。

〃I　have　not　been　able　to　give　your　remembrances　to　Don　Inocencio；　for　the　poor　man　has　suddenly　fallen　ill　and　refuses　to　see　even　his　most　intimate　friends。　But　I　am　sure　that　he　would　return　your　remembrances；　and　I　do　not　doubt　that　he　could　lay　his　hand　instantly　on　the　translation　of　the　collection　of　Latin　epigrams　which　you　recommend　to　him。　I　hear　firing　again。　They　say　that　we　shall　have　a　skirmish　this　afternoon。　The　troops　have　just　been　called　out。〃



〃BARCELONA；　June　1。

〃I　have　just　arrived　here　after　leaving　my　niece　in　San　Baudilio　de　Llobregat。　The　director　of　the　establishment　has　assured　me　that　the　case　is　incurable。　She　will；　however；　have　the　greatest　care　in　that　cheerful　and　magnificent　sanitarium。　My　dear　friend；　if　I　also　should　ever　succumb；　let　me　be　taken　to　San　Baudilio。　I　hope　to　find　the　proofs　of　my　'Genealogies'　awaiting　me　on　my　return。　I　intend　to　add　six　pages　more；　for　it　would　be　a　great　mistake　not　to　publish　my　reasons　for　maintaining　that　Mateo　Diez　Coronel；　author　of　the　'Metrico　Encomio；'　is　descended；　on　the　mother's　side；　from　the　Guevaras；　and　not　from　the　Burguillos；　as　the　author　of　the　'Floresta　Amena'　erroneously　maintains。

〃I　write　this　letter　principally　for　the　purpose　of　giving　you　a　caution。　I　have　heard　several　persons　here　speaking　of　Pepe　Rey's　death；　and　they　describe　it　exactly　as　it　occurred。　The　secret　of　the　manner　of　his　death；　which　I　learned　some　time　after　the　event；　I　revealed　to　you　in　confidence　when　we　met　in　Madrid。　It　has　appeared　strange　to　me　that　having　told　it　to　no　one　but　yourself；　it　should　be　known　here　in　all　its　detailshow　he　entered　the　garden；　how　he　fired　on　Caballuco　when　the　latter　attacked　him　with　his　dagger；　how　Ramos　then　fired　on　him　with　so　sure　an　aim　that　he　fell　to　the　ground　mortally　wounded。　In　short；　my　dear　friend；　in　case　you　should　have　inadvertently　spoken　of　this　to　any　one；　I　will　remind　you　that　it　is　a　family　secret；　and　that　will　be　sufficient　for　a　person　as　prudent　and　discreet　as　yourself。

〃Joy！　joy！　I　have　just　read　in　one　of　the　papers　here　that　Caballuco　had　defeated　Brigadier　Batalla。〃



〃ORBAJOSA；　December　12。

〃I　have　a　sad　piece　of　news　to　give　you。　The　Penitentiary　has　ceased　to　exist　for　us；　not　precisely　because　he　has　passed　to　a　better　life；　but　because　the　poor　man　has　been；　ever　since　last　April；　so　grief…　stricken；　so　melancholy；　so　taciturn　that　you　would　not　know　him。　There　is　no　longer　in　him　even　a　trace　of　that　Attic　humor；　that　decorous　and　classic　joviality　which　made　him　so　pleasing。　He　shuns　every　body；　he　shuts　himself　up　in　his　house　and　receives　no　one；　he　hardly　eats　any　thing；　and　he　has　broken　off　all　intercourse　with　the　world。　If　you　were　to　see　him　now　you　would　not　recognize　him；　for　he　is　reduced　to　skin　and　bone。　The　strangest　part　of　the　matter　is　that　he　has　quarreled　with　his　niece　and　lives　alone；　entirely　alone；　in　a　miserable　cottage　in　the　suburb　of　Baidejos。　They　say　now　that　he　will　resign　his　chair　in　the　choir　of　the　cathedral　and　go　to　Rome。　Ah！　Orbajosa　will　lose　much　in　losing　her　great　Latinist。　I　imagine　that　many　a　year　will　pass　before　we　shall　see　such　another。　Our　glorious　Spain　is　falling　into　decay；　declining；　dying。〃



〃ORBAJOSA；　December　23。

〃The　young　man　who　will　present　to　you　a　letter　of　introduction　from　me　is　the　nephew　of　our　dear　Penitentiary；　a　lawyer　with　some　literary　ability。　Carefully　educated　by　his　uncle；　he　has　very　sensible　ideas。　How　regrettable　it　would　be　if　he　should　become　corrupted　in　that　sink　of　philosophy　and　incredulity！　He　is　upright；　industrious；　and　a　good　Catholic；　for　which　reasons　I　believe　that　in　an　office　like　yours　he　will　rise　to　distinction　in　his　profession。　Perhaps　his　ambition　may　lead　him　（for　he　has　ambition；　too）　into　the　political　arena；　and　I　think　he　would　not　be　a　bad　acquisition　to　the　cause　of　order　and　tradition；　now　that　the　majority　of　our　young　men　have　become　perverted　and　have　joined　the　ranks　of　the　turbulent　and　the　vicious。　He　is　accompanied　by　his　mother；　a　commonplace　woman　without　any　social　polish；　but　who　has　an　excellent　heart；　and　who　is　truly　pious。　Maternal　affection　takes　in　her　the　somewhat　extravagant　form　of　worldly　ambition；　and　she　declares　that　her　son　will　one　day　be　Minister。　It　is　quite　possible　that　he　may。

〃Perfecta　desires　to　be　remembered　to　you。　I　don抰　know　precisely　what　is　the　matter　with　her；　but　the　fact　is；　she　gives　us　great　uneasiness。　She　has　lost　her　appetite　to　an　alarming　degree；　and；　unless　I　am　greatly　mistaken　in　my　opinion　of　her　case；　she　shows　the　first　symptoms　of　jaundice。　The　house　is　very　sad　without　Rosarito；　who　brightened　it　with　her　smiles　and　her　angelic　goodness。　A　black　cloud　seems　to　rest　now　over　us　all。　Poor　Perfecta　speaks　frequently　of　this　cloud；　which　is　growing　blacker　and　blacker；　while　she　becomes　every　day　more　yellow。　The　poor　mother　finds　consolation　for　her　grief　in　religion　and　in　devotional　exercises；　which　each　day　she　practises　with　a　more　exemplary　and　edifying　piety。　She　passes　almost　the　whole　of　the　day　in　church；　and　she　spends　her　large　income　in　novenas　and　in　splendid　religious　ceremonies。　Thanks　to　her；　religious　worship　has　recovered　in　Orbajosa　its　former　splendor。　This　is　some　consolation　in　the　midst　of　the　decay　and　dissolution　of　our　nationality。

〃To…morrow　I　will　send　the　proofs。　I　will　add　a　few　pages　more；　for　I　have　discovered　another　illustrious　OrbajosanBernardo　Amador　de　Sota；　who　was　footman　to　the　Duke　of　Osuna；　whom　he　served　during　the　period　of　the　vice…royalty　of　Naples；　and　there　is　even　good　reason　to　believe　that　he　had　no　complicity　whatever　in　the　conspiracy　against　Venice。〃



Our　story　is　ended。　This　is　all　we　have　to　say　for　the　present　concerning　persons　who　seem；　but　are　not　good。







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