百年孤独(英文版)-第51部分
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e fireworks and music and the slaughtering of cattle went on； ？rsula remembered her own experience and wondered whether Fernanda might have a chastity belt too which would sooner or later provoke jokes in the town and give rise to a tragedy。 But Fernanda confessed to her that she was just letting two weeks go by before allowing the first contact with her husband。 Indeed； when the period was over； she opened her bedroom with a resignation worthy of an expiatory victim and Aureliano Segundo saw the most beautiful woman on earth； with her glorious eyes of a frightened animal and her long； copper…colored hair spread out across the pillow。 He was so fascinated with that vision that it took him a moment to realize that Fernanda was wearing a white nightgown that reached down to her ankles； with long sleeves and with a large； round buttonhole； delicately trimmed； at the level of her lower stomach。 Aureliano Segundo could not suppress an explosion of laughter。
“That’s the most obscene thing I’ve ever seen in my life；？he shouted with a laugh that rang through the house。 “I married a Sister of Charity。？
A month later； unsuccessful in getting his wife to take off her nightgown； he had the picture taken of Petra Cotes dressed as a queen。 Later on； when he succeeded in getting Fernanda to e back home； she gave in to his urges in the fever of reconciliation； but she could not give him the repose he had dreamed about when he went to fetch her in the city with the thirty…two belfries。 Aureliano Segundo found only a deep feeling of desolation in her。 One night； a short time before their first child was born； Fernanda realized that her husband had returned in secret to the bed of Petra Cotes。
“That’s what happened；？he admitted。 And he explained in a tone of prostrated resignation： “I had to do it so that the animals would keep on breeding。？
He needed a little time to convince her about such a strange expedient； but when he finally did so by means of proofs that seemed irrefutable； the only promise that Fernanda demanded from him was that he should not be surprised by death in his concubine’s bed。 In that way the three of them continued living without bothering each other。 Aureliano Segundo； punctual and loving with both of them。 Petra Cotes； strutting because of the reconciliation； and Fernanda； pretending that she did not know the truth。
The pact did not succeed； however； in incorporating Fernanda into the family。 ？rsula insisted in vain that she take off the woolen ruff which she would have on when she got up from making love and which made the neighbors whisper。 She could not convince her to use the bathroom or the night lavatory and sell the gold chamberpot to Colonel Aureliano Buendía so that he could convert it into little fishes。 Amaranta felt so unfortable with her defective diction and her habit of using euphemisms to designate everything that she would always speak gibberish in front of her。
“Thifisif。？she would say； “ifisif onefos ofosif thofosif whosufu cantantant statantand thefesef smufumellu ofosif therisir owfisown shifisifit。？
One day； irritated by the mockery； Fernanda wanted to know what Amaranta was saying； and she did not use euphemisms in answering her。
“I was saying；？she told her； “that you’re one of those people who mix up their ass and their ashes。？
From that time on they did not speak to each other again。 When circumstances demanded it they would send notes。 In spite of the visible hostility of the family； Fernanda did not give up her drive to impose the customs of her ancestors。 She put an end to the custom of eating in the kitchen and whenever anyone was hungry； and she imposed the obligation of doing it at regular hours at the large table in the dining room； covered with a linen cloth and with silver candlesticks and table service。 The solemnity of an act which ？rsula had considered the most simple one of daily life created a tense atmosphere against which the silent Jos？Arcadio Segundo rebelled before anyone else。 But the custom was imposed； the same as that of reciting the rosary before dinner； and it drew the attention of the neighbors； who soon spread the rumor that the Buendías did not sit down to the table like other mortals but had changed the act of eating into a kind of high mass。 Even ？rsula’s superstitions； with origins that came more from an inspiration of the moment than from tradition； came into conflict with those of Fernanda； who had inherited them from her parents and kept them defined and catalogued for every occasion。 As long as ？rsula had full use of her faculties some of the old customs survived and the life of the family kept some quality of her impulsiveness； but when she lost her sight and the weight of her years relegated her to a corner； the circle of rigidity begun by Fernanda from the moment she arrived finally closed pletely and no one but she determined the destiny of the family。 The business in pastries and small candy animals that Santa Sofía de la Piedad had kept up because of ？rsula’s wishes was considered an unworthy activity by Fernanda and she lost no time in putting a stop to it。 The doors of the house； wide open from dawn until bedtime； were closed during siesta time under the pretext that the sun heated up the bedrooms and in the end they were closed for good。 The aloe branch and loaf of bread that had been hanging over the door since the days of the founding were replaced by a niche with the Sacred Heart of Jesus。 Colonel Aureliano； Buendía became aware somehow of those changes and foresaw their consequences。 “We’re being people of quality；？he protested。 “At this rate we’ll end up fighting against the Conservative regime again； but this time to install a king in its place。？Fernanda very tactfully tried not to cross his path。 Within herself she was bothered by his independent spirit his resistance to all kinds of social rigidity。 She was exasperated by his mugs of coffee at five in the morning； the disorder of his workshop； his frayed blanket； and his custom of sitting in the street door at dusk。 But she had to tolerate that one loose piece in the family machinery because she was sure that the old colonel was an animal who had been tamed by the years and by disappointment and who； in a burst of senile rebellion； was quite capable of uprooting the foundations of the house。 When her husband decided to give their first son the name of his great…grandfather； she did not dare oppose him because she had been there only a year。 But when the first daughter was bom she expressed her unreserved determination to name her Renata after her mother。 ？rsula had decided to call her Remedios。 After a tense argument； in which Aureliano Segundo acted as the laughing go…between； they baptized her with the name Renata Remedios； but Fernanda went on calling her just Renata while her husband’s family and everyone in town called her Meme； a diminutive of Remedios。
At first Fernanda did not talk about her family； but in time she began to idealize her father。 She spoke of him at the table as an exceptional being who had renounced all forms of vanity and was on his way to being a saint。 Aureliano Segundo； startled at that unbridled glorification of his father…in…law； could not resist the temptation to make small jokes behind his wife’s back。 The rest of the family followed his example。 Even ？rsula； who was extremely careful to preserve family harmony and who suffered in secret from the domestic friction； once allowed herself the liberty of saying that her little great…great…grandson had his pontifical future assured because he was “the grandson of a saint and the son of a queen and a rustler。？In spite of that conspiracy of smiles； the children became accustomed to think of their grandfather as a legendary being who wrote them pious verses in his letters and every Christmas sent them a box of gifts that barely fitted through the outside door。 Actually they were the last remains of his lordly inheritance。 They used them to build an altar of life…size saints in the children’s bedroom； saints with glass eyes that gave them a disquietingly lifelike look； whose artistically embroidered clothing was better than that worn by any inhabitant of Macondo。 Li
