百年孤独(英文版)-第100部分
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ace for me； because I don’t expect ever to see him again。？
That night he was captured when he tried to escape from Macondo； after writing a long letter to Colonel Aureliano Buendía in which he reminded him of their mon aim to humanize the war and he wished him a final victory over the corruption of the militarists and the ambitions of the politicians in both parties。 On the following day Colonel Aureliano Buendía had lunch with him in ？rsula’s house； where he was being held until a revolutionary court…martial decided his fate。 It was a friendly gathering。 But while the adversaries forgot the war to remember things of the past； ？rsula had the gloomy feeling that her son was an intruder。 She had felt it ever since she saw him e in protected by a noisy military retinue； which turned the bedrooms inside out until they were convinced there was no danger。 Colonel Aureliano Buendía not only accepted it but he gave strict orders that no one should e closer than ten feet； not even ？rsula； while the members of his escort finished placing guards about the house。 He was wearing an ordinary denim uniform with no insignia of any kind and high boots with spurs that were caked with mud and dried blood。 On his waist he wore a holster with the flap open and his hand； which was always on the butt of the pistol； revealed the same watchful and resolute tension as his look。 His head； with deep recessions in the hairline now； seemed to have been baked in a slow oven。 His face； tanned by the salt of the Caribbean； had acquired a metallic hardness。 He was preserved against imminent old age by a vitality that had something to do with the coldness of his insides。 He was taller than when he had left； paler and bonier； and he showed the first symptoms of resistance to nostalgia。 “Good Lord；？？rsula said to herself。 “Now he looks like a man capable of anything。？He was。 The Aztec shawl that he brought Amaranta； the remembrances he spoke of at lunch； the funny stories her told were simple leftovers from his humor of a different time。 As soon as the order to bury the dead in a mon grave was carried out； he assigned Colonel Roque Carnicero the minion of setting up courts…martial and he went ahead with the exhausting task of imposing radical reforms which would not leave a stone of the reestablished Conservative regime in place。 “We have to get ahead of the politicians in the party；？he said to his aides。 “When they open their eyes to reality they’ll find acplished facts。？It was then that he decided to review the titles to land that went back a hundred years and he discovered the legalized outrages of his brother； Jos？Arcadio。 He annulled the registrations with a stroke of the pen。 As a last gesture of courtesy； he left his affairs for an hour and visited Rebeca to bring her up to date on what he was determined to do。
In the shadows of her house； the solitary widow who at one time had been the confidante of his repressed loves and whose persistence had saved his life was a specter out of the past。 Encased in black down to her knuckles； with her heart turned to ash； she scarcely knew anything about the war。 Colonel Aureliano Buendía had the impression that the phosphorescence of her bones was showing through her skin and that she moved in an atmosphere of Saint Elmo’s fire； in a stagnant air where one could still note a hidden smell of gunpowder。 He began by advising her to moderate the rigor of her mourning； to ventilate the house； to forgive the world for the death of Jos？Arcadio。 But Rebeca was already beyond any vanity。 After searching for it uselessly in the taste of earth； in； the perfumed letters from Pietro Crespi； in the tempestuous bed of her husband； she had found peace in that house where memories materialized through the strength of implacable evocation and walked like human beings through the cloistered rooms； Leaning back in her wicker rocking chair； looking at Colonel Aureliano Buendía as if he were the one who looked like a ghost out of the past； Rebeca was not even upset by the news that the lands usurped by Jos？Arcadio would be returned to their rightful owners。
“Whatever you decide will be done； Aureliano；？she sighed。 “I always thought and now I have the proof that you’re a renegade。？
The revision of the deeds took place at the same time as the summary courts…martial presided over by Colonel Gerineldo Márquez； which ended with the execution of all officers of the regular army who had been taken prisoner by the revolutionaries。 The last court…martial was that of Jos？Raquel Moncada。 ？rsula intervened。 ‘”His government was the best we’ve ever had in Macondo；？she told Colonel Aureliano Buendía。 “I don’t have to tell you anything about his good heart； about his affection for us； because you know better than anyone。？Colonel Aureliano Buendía gave her a disapproving look。
“I can’t take over the job of administering justice；？he replied。 “If you have something to say； tell it to the court…martial。？
？rsula not only did that she also brought all of the mothers of the revolutionary officers who lived in Macondo to testify。 One by one the old women who had been founders of the town； several of whom had taken part in the daring crossing of the mountains； praised the virtues of General Moncada。 ？rsula was the last in line。 Her gloomy digni
