百年孤独(英文版)-第86部分

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the　night　the　soldiers　searched　the　house；　was　known　only　by　her　and　Aureliano。
　　　Aureliano　made　progress　in　his　studies　of　Sanskrit　as　Melquíades？visits　became　less　and　less　frequent　and　he　was　more　distant；　fading　away　in　the　radiant　light　of　noon。　The　last　time　that　Aureliano　sensed　him　he　was　only　an　invisible　presence　who　murmured：　“I　died　of　fever　on　the　sands　of　Singapore。？The　room　then　became　vulnerable　to　dust；　heat；　termites；　red　ants；　and　moths；　who　would　turn　the　wisdom　of　the　parchments　into　sawdust。
　　　There　was　no　shortage　of　food　in　the　house。　The　day　after　the　death　of　Aureliano　Segundo；　one　of　the　friends　who　had　brought　the　wreath　with　the　irreverent　inscription　offered　to　pay　Fernanda　some　money　that　he　had　owed　her　husband。　After　that　every　Wednesday　a　delivery　boy　brought　a　basket　of　food　that　was　quite　sufficient　for　a　week。　No　one　ever　knew　that　those　provisions　were　being　sent　by　Petra　Cotes　with　the　idea　that　the　continuing　charity　was　a　way　of　humiliating　the　person　who　had　humiliated　her。　Nevertheless；　the　rancor　disappeared　much　sooner　than　she　herself　had　expected；　and　then　she　continued　sending　the　food　out　of　pride　and　finally　out　of　passion。　Several　times；　when　she　had　no　animals　to　raffle　off　and　people　lost　interest　in　the　lottery；　she　went　without　food　so　that　Fernanda　could　have　something　to　eat；　and　she　continued　fulfilling　the　pledge　to　herself　until　she　saw　Fernanda’s　funeral　procession　pass　by。
　　　For　Santa　Sofía　de　la　Piedad　the　reduction　in　the　number　of　inhabitants　of　the　house　should　have　meant　the　rest　she　deserved　after　more　than　half　a　century　of　work。　Never　a　lament　had　been　heard　from　that　stealthy；　impenetrable　woman　who　had　sown　in　the　family　the　angelic　seed　of　Remedios　the　Beauty　and　the　mysterious　solemnity　of　Jos？Arcadio　Segundo；　who　dedicated　a　whole　life　of　solitude　and　diligence　to　the　rearing　of　children　although　she　could　barely　remember　whether　they　were　her　children　or　grandchildren；　and　who　took　care　of　Aureliano　as　if　he　had　e　out　of　her　womb；　not　knowing　herself　that　she　was　his　greatgrandmother。　Only　in　a　house　like　that　was　it　conceivable　for　her　always　to　sleep　on　a　mat　she　laid　out　on　the　pantry　floor　in　the　midst　of　the　nocturnal　noise　of　the　rats；　and　without　telling　anyone　that　one　night　she　had　awakened　with　the　frightened　feeling　that　someone　was　looking　at　her　in　the　darkness　and　that　it　was　a　poisonous　snake　crawling　over　her　stomach。　She　knew　that　if　she　had　told　？rsula；　the　latter　would　have　made　her　sleep　in　her　own　bed；　but　those　were　times　when　no　one　was　aware　of　anything　unless　it　was　shouted　on　the　porch；　because　with　the　bustle　of　the　bakery；　the　surprises　of　the　war；　the　care　of　the　children；　there　was　not　much　room　for　thinking　about　other　peoples　happiness。　Petra　Cotes　whom　she　had　never　seen；　was　the　only　one　who　remembered　her。　She　saw　to　it　that　she　had　a　good　pair　of　shoes　for　street　wear；　that　she　always　had　clothing；　even　during　the　times　when　the　raffles　were　working　only　through　some　miracle。　When　Fernanda　arrived　at　the　house　she　had　good　reason　to　think　that　she　was　an　ageless　servant；　and　even　though　she　heard　it　said　several　times　that　she　was　her　husband’s　mother　it　was　so　incredible　that　it　took　her　longer　to　discover　it　than　to　fet　it。　Santa　Sofía　de　la　Piedad　never　seemed　bothered　by　that　lowly　position。　On　the　contrary；　one　had　the　impression　that　she　liked　to　stay　in　the　corners；　without　a　pause；　without　a　plaint；　keeping　clean　and　in　order　the　immense　house　that　she　had　lived　in　ever　since　adolescence　and　that；　especially　during　the　time　of　the　banana　pany；　was　more　like　a　barracks　than　a　home。　But　when　？rsula　died　the　superhuman　diligence　of　Santa　Sofía　de　la　Piedad；　her　tremendous　capacity　for　work；　began　to　fall　apart。　It　was　not　only　that　she　was　old　and　exhausted；　but　overnight　the　house　had　plunged　into　a　crisis　of　senility。　A　soft　moss　grew　up　the　walls。　When　there　was　no　longer　a　bare　spot　in　the　courtyard；　the　weeds　broke　through　the　cement　of　the　porch；　breaking　it　like　glass；　and　out　of　the　cracks　grew　the　same　yellow　flowers　that　？rsula　had　found　in　the　glass　with　Melquíades？false　teeth　a　century　before。　With　neither　the　time　nor　the　resources　to　halt　the　challenge　of　nature；　Santa　Sofía　de　la　Piedad　spent　the　day　in　the　bedrooms　driving　out　the　lizards　who　would　return　at　night。　One　morning　she　saw　that　the　red　ants　had　left　the　undermined　foundations；　crossed　the　garden；　climbed　up　the　railing；　where　the　begonias　had　taken　on　an　earthen　color；　and　had　penetrated　into　the　heart　of　the　house。　She　first　tried　to　kill　them　with　a　broom；　then　with　insecticides；　and　finally　with　lye；　but　the　next　day　they　were　back　in　the　same　place；　still　passing　by；　tenacious　and　invincible。　Fernanda；　writing　letters　to　her　children；　was　not　aware　of　the　unchecked　destructive　attack。　Santa　Sofía　de　la　Piedad　continued　struggling　alone；　fighting　the　weeds　to　stop　them　from　getting　into　the　kitchen；　pulling　from　the　walls　the　tassels　of　spider　webs　which　were　rebuilt　in　a　few　hours；　scraping　off　the　termites。　But　when　she　saw　that　Melquíades？room　was　also　dusty　and　filled　with　cobwebs　even　though　she　swept　and　dusted　three　times　a　day；　and　that　in　spite　of　her　furious　cleaning　it　was　threatened　by　the　debris　and　the　air　of　misery　that　had　been　foreseen　only　by　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía　and　the　young　officer；　she　realized　that　she　was　defeated。　Then　she　put　on　her　worn　Sunday　dress；　some　old　shoes　of　？rsula’s；　and　a　pair　of　cotton　stockings　that　Amaranta　？rsula　had　given　her；　and　she　made　a　bundle　out　of　the　two　or　three　changes　of　clothing　that　she　had　left。
　　　“I　give　up；？she　said　to　Aureliano。　“This　is　too　much　house　for　my　poor　bones。？
　　　Aureliano　asked　her　where　she　was　going　and　she　made　a　vague　sign；　as　if　she　did　not　have　the　slightest　idea　of　her　destination。　She　tried　to　be　more　precise；　however；　saying　that　she　was　going　to　spend　her　last　years　with　a　first　cousin　who　lived　in　Riohacha。　It　was　not　a　likely　explanation。　Since　the　death　of　her　parents　she　had　not　had　contact　with　anyone　in　town　or　received　letters　or　messages；　nor　had　she　been　heard　to　speak　of　any　relatives。　Aureliano　gave　her　fourteen　little　gold　fishes　because　she　was　determined　to　leave　with　only　what　she　had：　one　peso　and　twentyfive　cents。　From　the　window　of　the　room　he　saw　her　cross　the　courtyard　with　her　bundle　of　clothing；　dragging　her　feet　and　bent　over　by　her　years；　and　he　saw　her　reach　her　hand　through　an　opening　in　the　main　door　and　replace　the　bar　after　she　had　gone　out。　Nothing　was　ever　heard　of　her　again。
　　　When　she　heard　about　the　flight；　Fernanda　ranted　for　a　whole　day　as　she　checked　trunks；　dressers；　and　closets；　item　by　item；　to　make　sure　that　Santa　Sofía　de　la　Piedad　had　not　made　off　with　anything。　She　burned　her　fingers　trying　to　light　a　fire　for　the　first　time　in　her　life　and　she　had　to　ask　Aureliano　to　do　her　the　favor　of　showing　her　how　to　make　coffee。　Fernanda　would　find　her　breakfast　ready　when　she　arose　and　she　would　leave　her　room　again　only　to　get　the　meal　that　Aureliano　had　left　covered　on　the　embers　for　her；　which　she　would　carry　to　the　table　to　eat　on　linen　tablecloths　and　between　candelabra；　sitting　at　the　solitary　head　of　the　table　facing　fifteen　empty　chairs。　Even　under　those　circumstances　Aureliano　and　Fernanda　did　not　share　their　solitude；　but　both　continued　living　on　their　own；　cleaning　their　respective　rooms　while　the　cobwebs　fell　like　snow　on　the　rose　bushes；　carpeted　the　beams；　cushioned　the　walls。　It　was　around　that　time　that　Fernanda　got　the　impression　that　the　house　was　filling　up　with　elves。　It　was　as　if　things；　especially　those　for　everyday　use；　had　developed　a　faculty　for　changing　location　on　their　own。　Fernanda　would　waste　time　looking　for　the　shears　that　she　was　sure　she　had　put　on　the　bed　and　after　turning　everything　upside　down　she　would　find　them　on　a　shelf　in　the　kitchen；　where　she　thought　she　had　not　been　for　four　days。　Suddenly　there　was　no　fork　in　the　silver　chest　and　she　would　find　six　on　the　altar　and　three　in　the　washroom。　That　wandering　about　of　things　was　even　more　exasperating　when　she　sat　down　to　write。　The　inkwell　that　she　had　placed　at　her　right　would　be　on　the　left；　the　blo