Dona Perfecta

  CHAPTER XXVII

  A CANON'S TORTURE

  "Resignation, resignation!" repeated Don Inocencio.

  "Resignation, resignation!" repeated his niece, drying her tears. "If mydear son is doomed to be always a beggar, well, then, be it so. Lawsuitsare becoming scarce; the day will soon come when the practice of the lawwill be the same as nothing. What is the use of all his talent? What isthe use of his tiring his brain with so much study? Ah! We are poor.A day will come, Senor Don Inocencio, when my poor boy will not have apillow on which to lay his head."

  "Woman!"

  "Man! can you deny it? Tell me, then, what inheritance are you goingto leave him when you close your eyes on this world? A couple of rooms,half a dozen big books, poverty, and nothing more. What times are beforeus, uncle; what times! My poor boy is growing very delicate in hishealth, and he won't be able to work--it makes him dizzy now to read abook; he gets a headache and nausea whenever he works at night! He willhave to beg a paltry situation; I shall have to take in sewing, and whoknows, who knows but we may have to beg our bread!"

  "Woman!"

  "Oh, I know very well what I am talking about! Fine times before us!"added the excellent woman, forcing still more the lachrymose note inher diatribe. "My God! What is going to become of us? Ah, it is only amother's heart that can feel these things! Only a mother is capableof suffering so much anxiety about a son's welfare. How should youunderstand it? No; it is one thing to have children and to sufferanxiety on their account and another to sing the _gori gori_ in thecathedral and to teach Latin in the institute. Of great use is it formy son to be your nephew and to have taken so many honors and to bethe pride and ornament of Orbajosa. He will die of starvation, for wealready know what law brings; or else he will have to ask the deputiesfor a situation in Havana, where the yellow fever will kill him."

  "But, niece--"

  "No, I am not grieving, I am silent now; I won't annoy you any more.I am very troublesome, always crying and sighing; and I am not to beendured because I am a fond mother and I will look out for the good ofmy beloved son. I will die, yes, I will die in silence, and stifle mygrief. I will swallow my tears, in order not to annoy his reverence thecanon. But my idolized son will comprehend me and he won't put his handsto his ears as you are doing now. Woe is me! Poor Jacinto knows thatI would die for him, and that I would purchase his happiness at thesacrifice of my life. Darling child of my soul! To be so deserving andto be forever doomed to mediocrity, to a humble station, for--don't getindignant, uncle--no matter what airs we put on, you will always be theson of Uncle Tinieblas, the sacristan of San Bernardo, and I shallnever be any thing more than the daughter of Ildefonso Tinieblas, yourbrother, who used to sell crockery, and my son will be the grandson ofthe Tinieblas--for obscure we were born, and we shall never emerge fromour obscurity, nor own a piece of land of which we can say, 'This ismine'; nor shall I ever plunge my arms up to the elbows in a sack ofwheat threshed and winnowed on our own threshing-floor--all because ofyour cowardice, your folly, your soft-heartedness."

  "But--but, niece!"

  The canon's voice rose higher every time he repeated this phrase, and,with his hands to his ears, he shook his head from side to side witha look of mingled grief and desperation. The shrill complaint of MariaRemedios grew constantly shriller, and pierced the brain of the unhappyand now dazed priest like an arrow. But all at once the woman's facebecame transformed; her plaintive wail was changed to a hard, shrillscream; she turned pale, her lips trembled, she clenched her hands,a few locks of her disordered hair fell over her forehead, her eyesglittered, dried by the heat of the anger that glowed in her breast; sherose from her seat and, not like a woman, but like a harpy, cried:

  "I am going away from here! I am going away from here with my son! Wewill go to Madrid; I don't want my son to fret himself to death inthis miserable town! I am tired now of seeing that my son, under theprotection of the cassock, neither is nor ever will be any thing. Do youhear, my reverend uncle? My son and I are going away! You will never seeus again--never!"

  Don Inocencio had clasped his hands and was receiving the thunderboltsof his niece's wrath with the consternation of a criminal whom thepresence of the executioner has deprived of his last hope.

  "In Heaven's name, Remedios," he murmured, in a pained voice; "in thename of the Holy Virgin----"

  These fits of range of his niece, who was usually so meek, were asviolent as they were rare, and five or six years would sometimes passwithout Don Inocencio seeing Remedios transformed into a fury.

  "I am a mother! I am a mother! and since no one else will look out formy son, I will look out for him myself!" roared the improvised lioness.

  "In the name of the Virgin, niece, don't let your passion get the bestof you! Remember that you are committing a sin. Let us say the Lord'sPrayer and an Ave Maria, and you will see that this will pass away."

  As he said this the Penitentiary trembled, and the perspiration stood onhis forehead. Poor dove in the talons of the vulture! The furious womancompleted his discomfiture with these words:

  "You are good for nothing; you are a poltroon! My son and I will go awayfrom this place forever, forever! I will get a position for my son, Iwill find him a good position, do you understand? Just as I would bewilling to sweep the streets with my tongue if I could gain a living forhim in no other way, so I will move heaven and earth to find a positionfor my boy in order that he may rise in the world and be rich, and aperson of consequence, and a gentleman, and a lord and great, and allthat there is to be--all, all!"

  "Heaven protect me!" cried Don Inocencio, sinking into a chair andletting his head fall on his breast.

  There was a pause during which the agitated breathing of the furiouswoman could be heard.

  "Niece," said Don Inocencio at last, "you have shortened my life by tenyears; you have set my blood on fire; you have put me beside myself.God give me the calmness that I need to bear with you! Lord,patience--patience is what I ask. And you, niece, do me the favor tosigh and cry to your heart's content for the next ten years; for yourconfounded mania of sniveling, greatly as it annoys me, is preferableto these mad fits of rage. If I did not know that you are good atheart----Well, for one who confessed and received communion this morningyou are behaving--"

  "Yes, but you are the cause of it--you!"

  "Because in the matter of Rosario and Jacinto I say to you,resignation?"

  "Because when every thing is going on well you turn back and allow Senorde Rey to get possession of Rosario."

  "And how am I going to prevent it? Dona Perfecta is right in saying thatyou have an understanding of brick. Do you want me to go about the townwith a sword, and in the twinkling of an eye to make mincemeat of thewhole regiment, and then confront Rey and say to him, 'Leave the girl inpeace or I will cut your throat'?"

  "No, but when I advised the senora to give her nephew a fright, youopposed my advice, instead of supporting it."

  "You are crazy with your talk about a fright."

  "Because when the dog is dead the madness is at an end."

  "I cannot advise what you call a fright, and what might be a terriblething."

  "Yes; because I am a cut-throat, am I not, uncle?"

  "You know that practical jokes are vulgar. Besides, do you suppose thatman would allow himself to be insulted? And his friends?"

  "At night he goes out alone."

  "How do you know that?"

  "I know every thing; he does not take a step that I am not aware of; doyou understand? The widow De Cuzco keeps me informed of every thing."

  "There, don't set me crazy. And who is going to give him that fright?Let us hear."

  "Caballuco."

  "So that he is disposed--"

  "No, but he will be if you command him."

  "Come, niece, leave me in peace. I cannot command such an atrocity. Afright! And what is that? Have you spoken to him already?"

  "Yes, senor; but he paid no attention to me, or rather he refused. Thereare only two peopl
e in Orbajosa who can make him do what they wish by asimple order--you and Dona Perfecta."

  "Let Dona Perfecta order him to do it if she wishes, then. I will neveradvise the employment of violent and brutal measures. Will you believethat when Caballuco and some of his followers were talking of risingup in arms they could not draw a single word from me inciting them tobloodshed. No, not that. If Dona Perfecta wishes to do it--"

  "She will not do it, either. I talked with her for two hours thisafternoon and she said that she would preach war, and help it by everymeans in her power; but that she would not bid one man stab another inthe back. She would be right in opposing it if anything serious wereintended, but I don't want any wounds; all I want is to give him afright."

  "Well, if Dona Perfecta doesn't want to order a fright to be given tothe engineer, I don't either, do you understand? My conscience is beforeevery thing."

  "Very well," returned his niece. "Tell Caballuco to come with meto-night--that is all you need say to him."

  "Are you going out to-night?"

  "Yes, senor, I am going out. Why, didn't I go out last night too?"

  "Last night? I didn't know it; if I had known it I should have beenangry; yes, senora."

  "All you have to say to Caballuco is this: 'My dear Ramos, I will begreatly obliged to you if you will accompany my niece on an errandwhich she has to do to-night, and if you will protect her, if she shouldchance to be in any danger.'"

  "I can do that. To accompany you, to protect you. Ah, rogue! you want todeceive me and make me your accomplice in some piece of villany."

  "Of course--what do you suppose?" said Maria Remedios ironically."Between Ramos and me we are going to slaughter a great many peopleto-night."

  "Don't jest! I tell you again that I will not advise Ramos to do anything that has the appearance of evil--I think he is outside."

  A noise at the street-door was heard, then the voice of Caballucospeaking to the servant, and a little later the hero of Orbajosa enteredthe room.

  "What is the news? Give us the news, Senor Ramos," said the priest."Come! If you don't give us some hope in exchange for your supper andour hospitality----What is going on in Villahorrenda?"

  "Something," answered the bravo, seating himself with signs of fatigue."You shall soon see whether we are good for anything or not."

  Like all persons who wish to make themselves appear important, Caballucomade a show of great reserve.

  "To-night, my friend, you shall take with you, if you wish, the moneythey have given me for--"

  "There is good need of it. If the soldiers should get scent of it,however, they won't let me pass," said Ramos, with a brutal laugh.

  "Hold your tongue, man. We know already that you pass whenever youplease. Why, that would be a pretty thing! The soldiers are notstrait-laced gentry, and if they should become troublesome, with acouple of dollars, eh? Come, I see that you are not badly armed. All youwant now is an eight-pounder. Pistols, eh? And a dagger too."

  "For any thing that might happen," said Caballuco, taking the weaponfrom his belt and displaying its horrible blade.

  "In the name of God and of the Virgin!" exclaimed Maria Remedios,closing her eyes and turning her face in terror, "put away that thing.The very sight of it terrifies me."

  "If you won't take it ill of me," said Ramos, shutting the weapon, "letus have supper."

  Maria Remedios prepared every thing quickly, in order that the heromight not become impatient.

  "Listen to me a moment, Senor Ramos," said Don Inocencio to hisguest, when they had sat down to supper. "Have you a great deal to doto-night?"

  "Something there is to be done," responded the bravo. "This is the lastnight I shall come to Orbajosa--the last. I have to look up someboys who remained in the town, and we are going to see how we can getpossession of the saltpetre and the sulphur that are in the house ofCirujeda."

  "I asked you," said the curate amiably, filling his friend's plate,"because my niece wishes you to accompany her a short distance. She hassome business or other to attend to, and it is a little late to be outalone."

  "Is she going to Dona Perfecta's?" asked Ramos. "I was there a fewmoments ago, but I did not want to make any delay."

  "How is the senora?"

  "A little frightened. To-night I took away the six young men I had inthe house."

  "Why! don't you think they will be wanted there?" said Remedios, withalarm.

  "They are wanted more in Villahorrenda. Brave men chafe at being kept inthe house; is it not so, Senor Canon?"

  "Senor Ramos, that house ought not to be left unprotected," said thePenitentiary.

  "The servants are enough, and more than enough. But do you suppose,Senor Don Inocencio, that the brigadier employs himself in attacking thepeople's houses?"

  "Yes, but you know very well that that diabolical engineer----"

  "For that--there are not wanting brooms in the house," said Cristobaljovially. "For in the end, there will be no help for it but to marrythem. After what has passed----"

  "Senor Ramos," said Remedios, with sudden anger, "I imagine that all youknow about marrying people is very little."

  "I say that because a little while ago, when I was at the house, themother and daughter seemed to be having a sort of reconciliation. DonaPerfecta was kissing Rosarito over and over again, and there was no endto their caresses and endearments."

  "Reconciliation! With all these preparations for the war you have lostyour senses. But, finally, are you coming with me or not?"

  "It is not to Dona Perfecta's she wants to go," said the priest, "but tothe hotel of the widow De Cuzco. She was saying that she does not dareto go alone, because she is afraid of being insulted."

  "By whom?"

  "It is easily understood. By that infernal engineer. Last night my niecemet him there, and she gave him some plain talk; and for that reasonshe is not altogether easy in her mind to-night. The young fellow isrevengeful and insolent."

  "I don't know whether I can go," said Caballuco. "As I am in hiding nowI cannot measure my strength against Don Jose Poquita Cosa. If I werenot as I am--with half my face hidden, and the other half uncovered--Iwould have broken his back for him already twenty times over. But whathappens if I attack him? He discovers who I am, he falls upon me withthe soldiers, and good-bye to Caballuco. As for giving him a treacherousblow, that is something I couldn't do; nor would Dona Perfecta consentto it, either. For a stab in the dark Cristobal Ramos is not the man."

  "But are you crazy, man? What are you thinking about?" said thePenitentiary, with unmistakable signs of astonishment. "Not even inthought would I advise you to do an injury to that gentleman. I wouldcut my tongue out before I would advise such a piece of villany. Thewicked will fall, it is true; but it is God who will fix the moment,not I. And the question is not to give a beating, either. I would ratherreceive a hundred blows myself than advise the administration of such amedicine to any Christian. One thing only will I say to you," he ended,looking at the bravo over his spectacles, "and that is, that as myniece is going there; and as it is probable, very probable, is it not,Remedios? that she may have to say a few plain words to that man,I recommend you not to leave her unprotected, in case she should beinsulted."

  "I have something to do to-night," answered Caballuco, laconically anddryly.

  "You hear what he says, Remedios. Leave your business for to-morrow."

  "I can't do that. I will go alone."

  "No, you shall not go alone, niece. Now let us hear no more about thematter. Senor Ramos has something to do, and he cannot accompany you.Fancy if you were to be insulted by that rude man!"

  "Insulted! A lady insulted by that fellow!" exclaimed Caballuco. "Comethat must not be."

  "If you had not something to do--bah! I should be quite easy in my mind,then."

  "I have something to do," said the Centaur, rising from the table, "butif you wish it----"

  There was a pause. The Penitentiary had closed his eyes and wasmeditating.

  "I wi
sh it, Senor Ramos," he said at last.

  "There is no more to be said then. Let us go, Senora Dona Maria."

  "Now, my dear niece," said Don Inocencio, half seriously, halfjestingly, "since we have finished supper bring me the basin."

  He gave his niece a penetrating glance, and accompanying it with thecorresponding action, pronounced these words:

  "I wash my hands of the matter."