百年孤独(英文版)-第70部分

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ime　before　the　death　of　Amaranta　she　suddenly　stumbled　into　in　open　space　of　lucidity　within　the　madness　and　she　trembled　before　the　uncertainty　of　the　future。　Then　she　heard　about　a　woman　who　made　predictions　from　cards　and　went　to　see　her　in　secret。　It　was　Pilar　Ternera。　As　soon　as　Pilar　saw　her　e　in　she　was　aware　of　Meme’s　hidden　motives。　“Sit　down；？she　told　her。　“I　don’t　need　cards　to　tell　the　future　of　a　Buendía；？Meme　did　not　know　and　never　would　that　the　centenarian　witch　was　her　greatgrandmother。　Nor　would　she　have　believed　it　after　the　aggressive　realism　with　which　she　revealed　to　her　that　the　anxiety　of　falling　in　love　could　not　find　repose　except　in　bed。　It　was　the　same　point　of　view　as　Mauricio　Babilonia’s；　but　Meme　resisted　believing　it　because　underneath　it　all　she　imagined　that　it　had　been　inspired　by　the　poor　judgment　of　a　mechanic。　She　thought　then　that　love　on　one　side　was　defeating　love　on　the　other；　because　it　was　characteristic　of　men　to　deny　hunger　once　their　appetites　were　satisfied。　Pilar　Ternera　not　only　cleared　up　that　mistake；　she　also　offered　the　old　canopied　bed　where　she　had　conceived　Arcadio；　Meme’s　grandfather；　and　where　afterward　she　conceived　Aureliano　Jos？　She　also　taught　her　how　to　avoid　an　unwanted　conception　by　means　of　the　evaporation　of　mustard　plasters　and　gave　her　recipes　for　potions　that　in　cases　of　trouble　could　expel　“even　the　remorse　of　conscience。？That　interview　instilled　In　Meme　the　same　feeling　of　bravery　that　she　had　felt　on　the　drunken　evening。　Amaranta’s　death；　however；　obliged　her　to　postpone　the　decision。　While　the　nine　nights　lasted　she　did　not　once　leave　the　side　of　Mauricio　Babilonia；　who　mingled　with　the　crowd　that　invaded　the　house。　Then　came　the　long　period　of　mourning　and　the　obligatory　withdrawal　and　they　separated　for　a　time。　Those　were　days　of　such　inner　agitation；　such　irrepressible　anxiety；　and　so　many　repressed　urges　that　on　the　first　evening　that　Meme　was　able　to　get　out　she　went　straight　to　Pilar　Ternera’s。　She　surrendered　to　Mauricio　Babilonia；　without　resistance；　without　shyness；　without　formalities；　and　with　a　vocation　that　was　so　fluid　and　an　intuition　that　was　so　wise　that　a　more　suspicious　man　than　hers　would　have　confused　them　with　obvious　experience。　They　made　love　twice　a　week　for　more　than　three　months；　protected　by　the　innocent　plicity　of　Aureliano　Segundo；　who　believed　without　suspicion　in　his　daughter’s　alibis　simply　in　order　to　set　her　free　from　her　mother’s　rigidity。
　　　On　the　night　that　Fernanda　surprised　them　in　the　movies　Aureliano　Segundo　felt　weighted　down　by　the　burden　of　his　conscience　and　he　visited　Meme　in　the　bedroom　where　Fernanda　kept　her　locked　up；　trusting　that　she　would　reveal　to　him　the　confidences　that　she　owed　him。　But　Meme　denied　everything。　She　was　so　sure　of　herself；　so　anchored　in　her　solitude　that　Aureliano　Segundo　had　the　impression　that　no　link　existed　between　them　anymore；　that　the　radeship　and　the　plicity　were　nothing　but　an　illusion　of　the　past。　He　thought　of　speaking　to　Mauricio　Babilonia；　thinking　that　his　authority　as　his　former　boss　would　make　him　desist　from　his　plans；　but　Petra　Cotes　convinced　him　that　it　was　a　woman’s　business；　so　he　was　left　floating　in　a　limbo　of　indecision；　barely　sustained　by　the　hope　that　the　confinement　would　put　an　end　to　his　daughter’s　troubles。
　　　Meme　showed　no　signs　of　affliction。　On　the　contrary；　from　the　next　room　？rsula　perceived　the　peaceful　rhythm　of　her　sleep；　the　serenity　of　her　tasks；　the　order　of　her　meals；　and　the　good　health　of　her　digestion。　The　only　thing　that　intrigued　？rsula　after　almost　two　months　of　punishment　was　that　Meme　did　not　take　a　bath　in　the　morning　like　everyone　else；　but　at　seven　in　the　evening。　Once　she　thought　of　warning　her　about　the　scorpions；　but　Meme　was　so　distant；　convinced　that　she　had　given　her　away；　that　she　preferred　not　to　disturb　her　with　the　impertinences；　of　a　greatgreatgrandmother。　The　yellow　butterflies　would　invade　the　house　at　dusk。　Every　night　on　her　way　back　from　her　bath　Meme　would　find　a　desperate　Fernanda　killing　butterflies　with　an　insecticide　bomb。　“This　is　terrible；？she　would　say；　“All　my　life　they　told　me　that　butterflies　at　night　bring　bad　luck。？One　night　while　Meme　was　in　the　bathroom；　Fernanda　went　into　her　bedroom　by　chance　and　there　were　so　many　butterflies　that　she　could　scarcely　breathe。　She　grabbed　for　the　nearest　piece　of　cloth　to　shoo　them　away　and　her　heart　froze　with　terror　as　she　connected　her　daughter’s　evening　baths　with　the　mustard　plasters　that　rolled　onto　the　floor。　She　did　not　wait　for　an　opportune　moment　as　she　had　the　first　time。　On　the　following　day　she　invited　the　new　mayor　to　lunch。　Like　her；　he　had　e　down　from　the　highlands；　and　she　asked　him　to　station　a　guard　in　the　backyard　because　she　had　the　impression　that　hens　were　being　stolen。　That　night　the　guard　brought　down　Mauricio　Babilonia　as　he　was　lifting　up　the　tiles　to　get　into　the　bathroom　where　Meme　was　waiting　for　him；　naked　and　trembling　with　love　among　the　scorpions　and　butterflies　as　she　had　done　almost　every　night　for　the　past　few　months。　A　bullet　lodged　in　his　spinal　column　reduced　him　to　his　bed　for　the　rest　of　his　life。　He　died　of　old　age　in　solitude；　without　a　moan；　without　a　protest；　without　a　single　moment　of　betrayal；　tormented　by　memories　and　by　the　yellow　butterflies；　who　did　not　give　him　a　moment’s　peace；　and　ostracized　as　a　chicken　thief。

Chapter　15
THE　EVENTS　that　would　deal　Macondo　its　fatal　blow　were　just　showing　themselves　when　they　brought　Meme　Buendía’s　son　home。　The　public　situation　was　so　uncertain　then　that　no　one　had　sufficient　spirit　to　bee　involved　with　private　scandals；　so　that　Fernanda　was　able　to　count　on　an　atmosphere　that　enabled　her　to　keep　the　child　hidden　as　if　he　had　never　existed。　She　had　to　take　him　in　because　the　circumstances　under　which　they　brought　him　made　rejection　impossible。　She　had　to　tolerate　him　against　her　will　for　the　rest　of　her　life　because　at　the　moment　of　truth　she　lacked　the　courage　to　go　through　with　her　inner　determination　to　drown　him　in　the　bathroom　cistern。　She　locked　him　up　in　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía’s　old　workshop。　She　succeeded　in　convincing　Santa　Sofía　de　la　Piedad　that　she　had　found　him　floating　in　a　basket。　？rsula　would　die　without　ever　knowing　his　origin。　Little　Amaranta　？rsula；　who　went　into　the　workshop　once　when　Fernanda　was　feeding　the　child；　also　believed　the　version　of　the　floating　basket。　Aureliano　Segundo；　having　broken　finally　with　his　wife　because　of　the　irrational　way　in　which　she　handled　Meme’s　tragedy；　did　not　know　of　the　existence　of　his　grandson　until　three　years　after　they　brought　him　home；　when　the　child　escaped　from　captivity　through　an　oversight　on　Fernanda’s　part　and　appeared　on　the　porch　for　a　fraction　of　a　second；　naked；　with　matted　hair；　and　with　an　impressive　sex　an　that　was　like　a　turkey’s　wattles；　as　if　he　were　not　a　human　child　but　the　encyclopedia　definition　of　a　cannibal。
　　　Fernanda　had　not　counted　on　that　nasty　trick　of　her　incorrigible　fate。　The　child　was　like　the　return　of　a　shame　that　she　had　thought　exiled　by　her　from　the　house　forever。　As　soon　as　they　carried　off　Mauricio　Babilonia　with　his　shattered　spinal　column；　Fernanda　had　worked　out　the　most　minute　details　of　a　plan　destined　to　wipe　out　all　traces　of　the　burden。　Without　consulting　her　husband；　she　packed　her　bags；　put　the　three　changes　of　clothing　that　her　daughter　would　need　into　a　small　suitcase；　and　went　to　get　her　in　her　bedroom　a　half　hour　before　the　train　arrived。
　　　“Let’s　go；　Renata；？she　told　her。
　　　She　gave　no　explanation。　Meme；　for　her　part；　did　not　expect　or　want　any。　She　not　only　did　not　know　where　they　were　going；　but　it　would　have　been　the　same　to　her　if　they　had　been　taking　her　to　the　slaughterhouse。　She　had　not　spoken　again　nor　would　she　do　so　for　the　rest　of　her　life　from　the　time　that　she　heard　the　shot　in　the　backyard　and　the　simultaneous　cry　of　pain　from　Mauricio　Babilonia。　When　her　mother　ordered　her　out　of　the　bedroom　she　did　not　b　her　hair　or　wash　her　face　and　she　got　into　the　train　as　if　she　were　walking　in　her　sleep；　not　even　noticing　the　yellow　butterflies　that　were　still　acpanying　her。　Fernanda　never　found　out　nor　did　she　take　the　t