百年孤独(英文版)-第34部分

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　time　to　reflect。　Then　he　succeeded　in　getting　？rsula　to　give　him　the　rest　of　her　buried　inheritance　and　her　substantial　savings。　He　named　Colonel　Gerineldo　Márquez　civil　and　military　leader　of　Macondo　and　he　went　off　to　make　contact　with　the　rebel　groups　in　the　interior。
　　　Colonel　Gerineldo　Márquez　was　not　only　the　man　closest　to　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía；　but　？rsula　received　him　as　a　member　of　the　family。　Fragile；　timid；　with　natural　good　manners；　he　was；　however；　better　suited　for　war　than　for　government。　His　political　advisers　easily　entangled　him　in　theoretical　labyrinths；　But　he　succeeded　in　giving　Macondo　the　atmosphere　of　rural　peace　that　Colonel　Aureliano；　Buendía　dreamed　of　so　that　he　could　die　of　old　age　making　little　gold　fishes。　Although　he　lived　in　his　parents？house　he　would　have　lunch　at　？rsula’s　two　or　three　times　a　week。　He　initiated　Aureliano　Jos？in　the　use　of　firearms；　gave　him　early　military　instruction；　and　for　several　months　took　him　to　live　in　the　barracks；　with　？rsula’s　consent；　so　that　he　could　bee　a　man。　Many　years　before；　when　he　was　still　almost　a　child；　Gerineldo　Márquez　had　declared　his　love　for　Amaranta。　At　that　time　she　was　so　illusioned　with　her　lonely　passion　for　Pietro　Crespi　that　she　laughed　at　him。　Gerineldo　Márquez　waited。　On　a　certain　occasion　he　sent　Amaranta　a　note　from　jail　asking　her　to　embroider　a　dozen　batiste　handkerchiefs　with　his　father’s　initials　on　them。　He　sent　her　the　money。　A　week　later　Amaranta；　brought　the　dozen　handkerchiefs　to　him　in　jail　along　with　the　money　and　they　spent　several　hours　talking　about　the　past。　“When　I　get　out　of　here　I’m　going　to　marry　you；？Gerineldo　Márquez　told　her　when　she　left。　Amaranta　laughed　but　she　kept　on　thinking　about　him　while　she　taught　the　children　to　read　and　she　tried　to　revive　her　juvenile　passion　for　Pietro　Crespi。　On　Saturday；　visiting　days　for　the　prisoners；　she　would　stop　by　the　house　of　Gerineldo　Márquez’s　parents　and　acpany　them　to　the　jail。　On　one　of　those　Saturdays　？rsula　was　surprised　to　see　her　in　the　kitchen；　waiting　for　the　biscuits　to　e　out　of　the　oven　so　that　she　could　pick　the　best　ones　and　cap　them　in　a　napkin　that　she　had　embroidered　for　the　occasion。
　　　“Marry　him；？she　told　her。　“You’ll　have　a　hard　time　finding　another　man　like　him。？
　　　Amaranta　feigned　a　reaction　of　displeasure。
　　　“I　don’t　have　to　go　around　hunting　for　men；？she　answered。　“I’m　taking　these　biscuits　to　Gerineldo　because　I’m　sorry　that　sooner　or　later　they’re　going　to　shoot　him。？
　　　She　said　it　without　thinking；　but　that　was　the　time　that　the　government　had　announced　its　threat　to　shoot　Colonel　Gerineldo　Márquez　if　the　rebel　forces　did　not　surrender　Riohacha。　The　visits　stopped。　Amaranta　shut　herself　up　to　weep；　overwhelmed　by　a　feeling　of　guilt　similar　to　the　one　that　had　tormented　her　when　Remedios　died；　as　if　once　more　her　careless　words　had　been　responsible　for　a　death。　Her　mother　consoled　her。　She　inured　her　that　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía　would　do　something　to　prevent　the　execution　and　promised　that　she　would　take　charge　of　attracting　Gerineldo　Márquez　herself　when　the　war　was　over。　She　fulfilled　her　promise　before　the　imagined　time。　When　Gerineldo　Márquez　returned　to　the　house；　invested　with　his　new　dignity　of　civil　and　military　leader；　she　received　him　as　a　son；　thought　of　delightful　bits　of　flattery　to　hold　him　there；　and　prayed　with　all　her　soul　that　he　would　remember　his　plan　to　marry　Amaranta。　Her　pleas　seemed　to　be　answered。　On　the　days　that　he　would　have　lunch　at　the　house；　Colonel　Gerineldo　Márquez　would　linger　on　the　begonia　porch　playing　Chinese　checkers　with　Amaranta。　？rsula　would　bring　them　coffee　and　milk　and　biscuits　and　would　take　over　the　children　so　that　they　would　not　bother　them。　Amaranta　was　really　making　an　effort　to　kindle　in　her　heart　the　forgotten　ashes　of　her　youthful　passion。　With　an　anxiety　that　came　to　be　intolerable；　she　waited　for　the　lunch　days；　the　afternoons　of　Chinese　checkers；　and　time　flew　by　in　the　pany　of　the　warrior　with　a　nostalgic　name　whose　fingers　trembled　imperceptibly　as　he　moved　the　pieces。　But　the　day　on　which　Colonel　Gerineldo　Márquez　repeated　his　wish　to　marry　her；　she　rejected　him。
　　　“I’m　not　going　to　marry　anyone；？she　told　him；　“much　less　you。　You　love　Aureliano　so　much　that　you　want　to　marry　me　because　you　can’t　marry　him。？
　　　Colonel　Gerineldo　Márquez　was　a　patient　man。　“I’ll　keep　on　insisting；？he　said。　“Sooner　or　later　I’ll　convince　you。？He　kept　on　visiting　the　house。　Shut　up　in　her　bedroom　biting　back　her　secret　tears；　Amaranta　put　her　fingers　in　her　ears　so　as　not　to　bear　the　voice　of　the　suitor　as　he　gave　？rsula　the　latest　war　news；　and　in　spite　of　the　fact　that　she　was　dying　to　see　him　she　had　the　strength　not　to　go　out　and　meet　him。
　　　At　that　time　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía　took　the　time　to　send　a　detailed　account　to　Macondo　every　two　weeks。　But　only　once；　almost　eight　months　after　he　had　left；　did　he　write　to　？rsula。　A　special　messenger　brought　a　sealed　envelope　to　the　house　with　a　sheet　of　paper　inside　bearing　the　colonel’s　delicate　hand：　Take　good　care　of　Papa　because　he　is　going　to　die。　？rsula　became　alarmed。　“If　Aureliano　says　so　it’s　because　Aureliano　knows；？she　said。　And　she　had　them　help　her　take　Jos？Arcadio　Buendía　to　his　bedroom。　Not　only　was　he　as　heavy　as　ever；　but　during　his　prolonged　stay　under　the　chestnut　tree　he　had　developed　the　faculty　of　being　able　to　increase　his　weight　at　will；　to　such　a　degree　that　seven　men　were　unable　to　lift　him　and　they　had　to　drag　him　to　the　bed。　A　smell　of　tender　mushrooms；　of　wood…flower　fungus；　of　old　and　concentrated　outdoors　impregnated　the　air　of　the　bedroom　as　it　was　breathed　by　the　colossal　old　man　weather…beaten　by　the　sun　and　the　rain。　The　next　morning　he　was　not　in　his　bed。　In　spite　of　his　undiminished　strength；　Jos？Arcadio　Buendía　was　in　no　condition　to　resist。　It　was　all　the　same　to　him。　If　he　went　back　to　the　chestnut　tree　it　was　not　because　he　wanted　to　but　because　of　a　habit　of　his　body。　？rsula　took　care　of　him；　fed　him；　brought　him　news　of　Aureliano。　But　actually；　the　only　person　with　whom　he　was　able　to　have　contact　for　a　long　time　was　Prudencio　Aguilar。　Almost　pulverized　at　that　time　by　the　decrepitude　of　death；　Prudencio　Aguilar　would　e　twice　a　day　to　chat　with　him。　They　talked　about　fighting　cocks。　They　promised　each　other　to　set　up　a　breeding　farm　for　magnificent　birds；　not　so　much　to　enjoy　their　victories；　which　they　would　not　need　then；　as　to　have　something　to　do　on　the　tedious　Sundays　of　death。　It　was　Prudencio　Aguilar　who　cleaned　him　fed　him　and　brought　him　splendid　news　of　an　unknown　person　called　Aureliano　who　was　a　colonel　in　the　war。　When　he　was　alone；　Jos？Arcadio　Buendía　consoled　himself　with　the　dream　of　the　infinite　rooms。　He　dreamed　that　he　was　getting　out　of　bed；　opening　the　door　and　going　into　an　identical　room　with　the　same　bed　with　a　wrought…iron　head；　the　same　wicker　chair；　and　the　same　small　picture　of　the　Virgin　of　Help　on　the　back　wall。　From　that　room　he　would　go　into　another　that　was　just　the　same；　the　door　of　which　would　open　into　another　that　was　just　the　same；　the　door　of　which　would　open　into　another　one　just　the　same；　and　then　into　another　exactly　alike；　and　so　on　to　infinity。　He　liked　to　go　from　room　to　room。　As　in　a　gallery　of　parallel　mirrors；　until　Prudencio　Aguilar　would　touch　him　on　the　shoulder。　Then　he　would　go　back　from　room　to　room；　walking　in　reverse；　going　back　over　his　trail；　and　he　would　find　Prudencio　Aguilar　in　the　room　of　reality。　But　one　night；　two　weeks　after　they　took　him　to　his　bed；　Prudencio　Aguilar　touched　his　shoulder　in　an　intermediate　room　and　he　stayed　there　forever；　thinking　that　it　was　the　real　room。　On　the　following　morning　？rsula　was　bringing　him　his　breakfast　when　she　saw　a　man　ing　along　the　hall。　He　was　short　and　stocky；　with　a　black　suit　on　and　a　hat　that　was　also　black；　enormous；　pulled　down　to　his　taciturn　eyes。　“Good　Lord；？？rsula　thought；　“I　could　have　sworn　it　was　Melquíades。？It　was　Cataure；　Visitación’s　brother；　who　had　left　the　house　fleeing　from　the　insomnia　plague　and　of　whom　there　had　never　been　any　news。　Visitación　asked　him　why　he　had　e　back；　and　he　answered　her　in　their　solemn　language：
　　　“I　have　e