百年孤独(英文版)-第44章
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dead and wounded lying on the square： nine clowns； four Columbines； seventeen playing…card kings； one devil； three minstrels； two peers of France； and three Japanese empresses。 In the confusion of the panic Jos？Arcadio Segundo managed to rescue Remedios the Beauty and Aureliano Segundo carried the intruding queen to the house in his arms； her dress torn and the ermine cape stained with blood。 Her name was Fernanda del Carpio。 She had been chosen as the most beautiful of the five thousand most beautiful women in the land and they had brought her to Macondo with the promise of naming her Queen of Madagascar。 ？rsula took care of her as if she were her own daughter。 The town； instead of doubting her innocence； pitied her candor。 Six months after the massacre； when the wounded had recovered and the last flowers on the mass grave had withered； Aureliano Segundo went to fetch her from the distant city where she lived with her father and he married her in Macondo with a noisy celebration that lasted twenty days。
Chapter 11
THE MARRIAGE was on the point of breaking up after two months because Aureliano Segundo； in an attempt to placate Petra Cotes； had a picture taken of her dressed as the Queen of Madagascar。 When Fernanda found out about it she repacked her bridal trunks and left Macondo without saying good…bye。 Aureliano Segundo caught up with her on the swamp road。 After much pleading and promises of reform he succeeded in getting her to e home and he abandoned his concubine。
Petra Cotes； aware of her strength； showed no signs of worry。 She had made a man of him。 While he was still a child she had drawn him out of Melquíades？room； his head full of fantastic ideas and lacking any contact with reality； and she had given him a place in the world。 Nature had made him reserved and withdrawn。 with tendencies toward solitary meditation； and she had molded an opposite character in him； one that was vital； expansive； open； and she had injected him with a joy for living and a pleasure in spending and celebrating until she had converted him inside and out； into the man she had dreamed of for herself ever since adolescence。 Then he married； as all sons marry sooner or later。 He did not dare tell her the news。 He assumed an attitude that was quite childish under the circumstances； feigning anger and imaginary resentment so that Petra Cotes would be the one who would bring about the break。 One day； when Aureliano Segundo reproached her unjustly； she eluded the trap and put things in their proper place。
“What it all means；？she said； “is that you want to marry the queen。？
Aureliano Segundo； ashamed； pretended an attack of rage； said that he was misunderstood and abused； and did not visit her again。 Petra Cotes； without losing her poise of a wild beast in repose for a single instant； heard the music and the fireworks from the wedding； the wild bustle of the celebration as if all of it were nothing but some new piece of mischief on the part of Aureliano Segundo。 Those who pitied her fate were calmed with a smile。 “Don’t worry；？she told them。 “Queens run errands for me。？To a neighbor woman who brought her a set of candles so that she could light up the picture of her lost lover with them； she said with an enigmatic security：
“The only candle that will make him e is always lighted。？
Just as she had foreseen； Aureliano Segundo went back to her house as soon as the honeymoon was over。 He brought his usual old friends； a traveling photographer； and the gown and ermine cape soiled with blood that Fernanda had worn during the carnival。 In the heat of the merriment that broke out that evening； he had Petra Cotes dress up as queen； crowned her absolute and lifetime ruler of Madagascar； and handed out copies of the picture to his friends； she not only went along with the game； but she felt sorry for him inside； thinking that he must have been very frightened to have conceived of that extravagant means of reconciliation。 At seven in the evening； still dressed as the queen； she received him in bed。 He had been married scarcely two months； but she realized at once that things were not going well in the nuptial bed； and she had the delicious pleasure of vengeance fulfilled。 Two days later； however； when he did not dare return but sent an intermediary to arrange the terms of the separation； she understood that she was going to need more patience than she had foreseen because he seemed ready to sacrifice himself for the sake of appearances。 Nor did she get upset that time。 Once again she made things easy with a submission that confirmed the generalized belief that she was a poor devil； and the only souvenir she kept of Aureliano Segundo was a pair of patent leather boots； which； according to what he himself had said； were the ones he wanted to wear in his coffin。 She kept them wrapped in cloth in the bottom of a trunk and made ready to feed on memories； waiting without despair。
“He has to e sooner or later；？she told herself； “even if it’s just to put on those boots。？
She did not have to wait as long as she had imagined。 Actually； Aureliano Segundo understood from the night of his wedding that he would return to the house of Petra Cotes much sooner than when he would have to put on the patent leather boots： Fernanda was a woman who was lost in the world。 She had been born and raised in a city six hundred miles away； a gloomy city where on ghostly nights the coaches of the viceroys still rattled through the cobbled streets； Thirty…two belfries tolled a dirge at six in the afternoon。 In the manor house； which was paved with tomblike slabs； the sun was never seen。 The air had died in the cypresses in the courtyard； in the pale trappings of the bedrooms； in the dripping archways of the garden of perennials。 Until puberty Fernanda had no news of the world except for the melancholy piano lessons taken in some neighboring house by someone who for years and years had the drive not to take a siesta。 In the room of her sick mother； green and yellow under the powdery light from the windowpanes； she would listen to the methodical； stubborn； heartless scales and think that that music was in the world while she was being consumed as she wove funeral wreaths。 Her mother； perspiring with five…o’clock fever； spoke to her of the splendor of the past。 When she was a little girl； on one moonlit night Fernanda saw a beautiful woman dressed in white crossing the garden toward the chapel。 What bothered her most about that fleeting vision was that she felt it was exactly like her； as if she had seen herself twenty years in advance。 “It was your great…grandmother the queen；？her mother told her during a truce in her coughing。 “She died of some bad vapors while she was cutting a string of bulbs。？Many years later； when she began to feel she was the equal of her great…grandmother； Fernanda doubted her childhood vision； but her mother scolded her disbelief。
“We are immensely rich and powerful；？she told her。 “One day you will be a queen。？
She believed it； even though they were sitting at the long table with a linen tablecloth and silver service to have a cup of watered chocolate and a sweet bun。 Until the day of her wedding she dreamed about a legendary kingdom； in spite of the fact that her father； Don Fernando； had to mortgage the house in order to buy her trousseau。 It was not innocence or delusions of grandeur。 That was how they had brought her up。 Since she had had the use of reason she remembered having done her duty in a gold pot with the family crest on it。 She left the house for the first time at the age of twelve in a coach and horses that had to travel only two blocks to take her to the convent。 Her classmates were surprised that she sat apart from them in a chair with a very high back and that she would not even mingle with them during recess。 “She’s different；？the nuns would explain。 “She’s going to be a queen。？Her schoolmates believed this because she was already the most beautiful； distinguished； and discreet girl they had ever seen。 At the end of eight years； after having learned to write Latin poetry； play the clavichord； talk about falconry with gentlemen and apologetics； with archbishops； discuss affairs of state with foreign rulers and affairs of God with the Pope； she returned to her parents？home to weave funeral wreaths。 She found it despoiled。 All that was left was the furniture that was absolutely necessary； the silver candelabra and table service； for the everyday utensils had been sold one by one to underwrite the costs of her education。 Her mother had succumbed to five…o’clock fever。 Her father； Don Fernando； dressed in black with a stiff collar and a gold watch chain； would give her a silver coin on Mondays for the household expenses； and the funeral wreaths finished the week before would be taken away。 He spent most of his time shut up in his study and the few times that he went out he would return to recite the rosary with her。 She had intimate friendships with no one。 She had never heard mention of the wars that were bleeding the country。 She continued her piano lessons at three in the afternoon。 She had even began to lose the illusion of being a queen when two peremptory raps of the knocker sounded at the door and she
