The double sacrifice
Juan Valera
Gutiérrez Father to Don Pepito
My dear disciple: My sister, who has lived more than twenty years in that place, has been living for two in my house, since it was left widow and without children. Conserve many relations, receives letters frequently of and is there to the current of everything. By her I know things that trouble to me and grieve in end. How it is possible, I say, that a so honest and so afraid young person of God, and to who I taught Metaphysical it and the moral so well, when he went to hear my lessons in the Seminary, conducts myself now of a so sinful way? I horrify to think about the danger to that you expose yourself to incur the most frightful sins, to make bitter the old existence of a venerable one, being dishonored its grey hairs, and of being occasion, if noncause, of irremediable infortunios. I know that frenetically enamored with Doña Juana, legitim handcuffs of the rich farmer Don Gregorio, you persecute it with audacious imprudence and you try to prevail over the virtue and of the entereza whereupon she one resists to you. Engineer or skillful Fingiéndote agriculturist, you are there teaching to prepare wines and to enjertar the stocks in better vidueño; but the one that you enjertas is your vicious prank, and the one that you prepare is the shameful desolation of an excellent man, whose single fault is the one of to have married, already old, with a pretty girl and something coqueta. Ah, no, son mine! By love of God and your good, you the request. It stops from your criminal company and vuélvete to Malaga. If in something you consider my affection and the good concept in that always I had to you, and if you do not want to lose them, you do not disregard my reprimands.
Of Don Pepito to Gutiérrez Father
My masterful respected beloved and: The uncle Alpaca, that takes from here came and oil to that city, finishes giving me the letter of you of the 4, whom I hurry to answer so that you tranquilize yourself and forms better opinion of me. I am not enamored with Doña Juana nor persecute like her figure. Doña Juana is a singular woman and until certain dangerous point, I confess it. It will do six years, when it had near thirty managed to marry with the rich farmer Don Gregorio. Nobody accuses it of unfaithful, but of which embaucado has its husband, of which it commands to zapatazos and it brings to him and it takes to him like zarandillo. She is she so presumed and so vain, that it creates and it has made believe his husband who is no man who does not fall in love with her and who does not persecute it. If there am to say the truth, Doña Juana is not ugly, but she is not very pretty either; and neither by discharge, nor by loss, nor by very thin, nor by heavy it calls the attention of anybody. Llama, yes, the attention by its glances, their movements and because, perhaps without realizing it, one insists on calling it and in causing people. It is put carmine in the cheeks, one lies down in the forehead and the neck dusts of rice, and pinto of black the eyelids so that they shine plus his black eyes. It uses them of continuous, as if from them enherboladas arrows were the loves sending. In sum: Doña Juana, against which nothing must say the bad languages, goes without wanting exciting and removing from quicio to the mortals of strong sex, either of stroll, or in the social gatherings, or in the same church. Thus she makes and abundant conquests easy. Few men, mainly if they are foreign and they do not know it, do not imagine what they want, promise them happy, and they dare to requebrar it and until a to do moral proposals little to him. Then she dismisses them with disordered boxes. Immediately she is lamented herself jactanciosamente with all his friends of much whom the immorality spreads and of which it is so desventurada and has such attractiveness, that there is no man who not it requiebre, tries it, harasses it and puts ambushes to her honesty, without leaving it calm with her Don Gregorio.
The madness of Doña Juana has arrived at the end to suppose that until which nothing says to him they are enamored with her. In this number I count myself, by my misfortune. The last summer I saw and I knew Doña Juana in the baths of Carratraca. And like now I am here, she has armed in its mind the pipe from which I have come persecuting it. I do not find way to clear this illusion to him, that annoys to me not little, and cannot nor I want to leave this place and to return to Malaga, because there is a subject for me of great interest, that it retains to me here. I will already speak of him to you another day. Good bye for today.
Of the same one to the same one
My masterful respected beloved and: It is truth, crazy I am enamored; but nor by I think of Doña Juana. My fiancèe is called Isabelita. It is a beauty by his hermosura, discretion, candor and good raising. Impossible it seems that a so ordinary uncle so and gordinflón as Don Gregorio has had so distinguished and so so handsome a daughter esbelta. First woman had Don Gregorio of his. And today his madrastra Doña Juana watches over it, grinds it, it dominates it and it insists on which there is to marry it with his brother Don Ambrosio, that is grandísimo lost and to who is suitable east marriage to him, because Isabelita is inherited of its mother, and, for which usually it has in towns like this one, it is very good party. Doña Juana applies to Don Ambrosio, that to the aim is its blood, the criterion that with she herself she uses, and gives by insurance who Isabelita wants already of love to Don Ambrosio and is raging to marry with him. Thus has been said it to Don Gregorio, and Isabelita, flood of fear, dare to contradict it, neither the less to declare that it pleases of me, that I am its fiancè and that I have come to this place by her.
Doña Juana always walks done a lynx watching to Isabelita, to that never I have been able to speak and to who I do not have myself bold to write, because she would not receive my letters.
From Carratraca I was conceited, however, that the girl wanted to me, because involuntary and innocently she gave back with gratitude and love tender and the furtive ones to me watched that I used to direct to him.
Trusted only in this I came in this place with the pretext that already you know.
Doing the paper of stupid would be I, if me the most powerful aid had not deparado the luck. Is this one maid Ramoncica, old and distant relative of Don Gregorio, that lives in its house as master of keys, that servant to Isabelita are and he adores it, and that cannot suffer to Doña Juana, thus because he mistreats and he tyrannizes his girl, like because to her has cleared him the mangoneo that before it had. By the Ramoncica maid, who has put itself in relation with me, I know that Isabelita wants to me; but that timid and is so well sent, that she will not be my formal fiancèe, to neither will write me, nor allow in seeing me, nor will yield to speak with me by a grate, since it could do it, while they do not give to its consent its father and the one that it today has instead of mother. I have insisted with the Ramoncica maid to see if she obtained that Isabelita spoke with me by a grate; but the maid has explained to me who this is impossible. Isabelita to duer to me in a fourth interior, to leave which it would have to pass unavoidably by the alcove in which to duer his to me madrastra, and to seize in addition to the key, that his madrastra keeps after to have closed the door of the alcove.
In this situation I am, but I do not stop nor I lose the hope. The Ramoncica maid is very ladina and has grandísimo persistence in annoying Doña Juana. The Ramoncica maid I trust.
Of the same one to the same one
My masterful respected beloved and: The Ramoncica maid is the same demon, although, for me, beneficial and aided. I do not know how one has been made up them. The certain thing is that it has provided me for morning, to ten at night, an appointment with my fiancèe. The maid will open the door to me and she will enter to me the house. I ignore to where one will take to Doña Juana so that it does not surprise to us. The maid says that I must neglect, who all have it perfectly neat and who will be no the smaller mishap. In its ability and discretion I put my confidence. I hope that the maid will not have imagined anything that is bad; but in any case, the aim justifies means, and the aim that I set out cannot better be. There we will see what happens.
Of the same one to the same one
My masterful respected beloved and: I went to the appointment. Pícara of the maid fulfilled the fiance'. It opened the street door with much touch and I entered the house. Taking to me of the hand it made raise the stairs in the dark me and cross a running length and two rooms. Soon it penetrated with me in a great stay that was illuminated by velón of two burners, and from which the extensive contiguous alcove was discovered. The maid had used itself a infernal stratagem. If before she had trusted his project to me, never there was allowed I in making to him. We go... if it is not possible that you guess what there you happened. Don Gregorio had remained that night to sleep in casería, and the perverse Ramoncica maid, deceiving, finished to me introducing to me in the quarter of Doña Juana. What astonishment mine when I was of mouth hands with this lady! I let refer here, not to sin of tedious, the moans and complaints of this lady. The samples of pain and anger, combined with those of mercy, when believing to me victim of a desperate love by her, and the other ends that did, and to which all atortolado did not know I what to respond nor how to justify to me. But the worse thing was not this, nor was limited the badness of the Ramoncica maid so little. To Don Gregorio, Pacific man, but jealous of his honors, wrote an anonymous one to him revealing to him that her ten woman had to an appointment with me. Don Gregorio, although believed a calumny to it, by that trusted the virtue of its wife, went much with Don Ambrosio to make sure of everything.
It lowered of the horse, it entered the house and it raised the stairs without doing noise, followed of his brother-in-law. By said or providence of the maid, who all had fixed it very well, Don Gregorio encountered over the darkness over a bench that had crossed by means and gave costalazo, making enough noise and sending some reniegos.
Soon one rose without to have made damage and one went precipitadamente to the quarter of his woman. There we heard the noise and the reniegos, and the three, more or less criminal ones, we filled of consternation. Holy skies! - Doña Juana with drowned voice exclaimed -. you Flee, sálveme; my husband arrives. There was no means to leave there without being with Don Gregorio, hiding in the alcove or taking refuge in the quarter of Isabelita, that was contiguous. The Ramoncica maid, in that hardship, took hold me of an arm, she threw of me, and she took me to the quarter of Isabelita, with pleasant surprise by part mine. He so found Don Gregorio disturbed his woman, that increased their distrusts and wanted to register it everything, always followed of his brother-in-law. Thus both arrived at the quarter of Isabelita. This one, the Ramoncica maid like third and I eat fiancè, put myself humbly of knees, confessed our lack and declared that we wanted to remedy it everything by means of santo sacrament of the marriage. After the advisable explanations and of knowing Don Gregorio which is my family and the properties that I have, Don Gregorio, has not only allowed, but that has arranged that we marry as soon as possible. Doña Juana, grudgingly, has had to also allow, to which she understands to save her honor. And until to me it has been been thankful very, because I sacrifice myself to save it. And more been thankful it has been to Isabelita, that by the same reason is also sacrificed, in spite of the enamored thing that is of Don Ambrosio.
I, my masterful beloved do not have to deny, who the intrigue which it has used itself the Ramoncica maid has much of censureable; but grandísima has an advantage. Being I so enamored with Doña Juana and being Isabelita so enamored with Don Ambrosio, the four we would be in danger serious if my future and I we remained this way. Thus we are exceeded right to release to us of this place, the priest throws the blessing not well to us, and to flee from two so stinking personages as they are madrastra of Isabelita and his brother.
Of Doña Juana to Doña Micaela, sister of Gutiérrez Father
My kind friend: For relief of my heart, I have to tell you whatever you have happened. I have always been modest. Disto to believe to me much is contiguous and seducer. And nevertheless, I do not know of what she consists; without a doubt, without loving it I, and until without feeling it, a infernal fire escapes of my eyes that returns crazy furious to the men. I already said to you the vehement and criminal passion that by Carratraca I inspired to Don Pepito, and much that this one has solicitd to me, tormented and persecuted, coming to my town. You create who I have not given to that audacious young person enough reason for the step, or better I will say, for the precipice to that she was thrown some nights ago. Of rondón, and without saying oste nor moste, one entered my house and my room to assault my honesty, when he was my absent husband. In what danger I have been! What commitment mine and his! Don Gregorio arrived at least we prevented it. And thanks to that it encountered over a bench, it gave an ugly crash and it loosen some of palabrotas that it usually loosen. If it is not by this, it surprises to us. The presence of spirit of the Ramoncica maid saved to us of a scandal and perhaps of a bloody drama. What had been of my poor Don Gregorio, as heavy as it is and leaving to the field in challenge? to only think it the hair bristle to me. The maid, fortunately, took to Don Pepito to the quarter of Isabel. To thus she saved us. I to him have been been thankful very. But, still my gratitude is greater towards the enthusiastic Don Pepito, that, not to jeopardize to me, has pretended that was fiancè of Isabel, and towards my own political daughter, who has resigned to her love by Don Ambrosio and has said that malagueño was fiancèe of the young person. Both have completed a double sacrifice so that I do not lose my tranquillity nor my credit. They married yesterday and they went immediately for that city. Hopefully they forget there, far from us, the passion that my brother and I have inspired to them. Want the sky that, since not they have love very fervent, which is not possible when it has been loved with fogosidad other people, mutually receive that bellwether and lukewarm affection, that is the one that harder and the one than better agree to the married people. To me, meanwhile, the scare has still not passed me. And so I am learned lesson and distrust as much badly of this involuntary burning fire that appears sometimes of my eyes, that I set out not to watch anybody and to always go with the Vista nailed in the ground.
Consérvese you well, my kind friend, and pídale to God in its orations that the calmness gives back to me that so frightful sends had robbed to me.
Madrid, 1897.
Translated Version
Valera y Alcalá Galiano, Juan
(hwän väl
´rä 
älkälä´ gälyä´n
), 1824–1905, Spanish writer and diplomat. Of a
leading liberal family, Valera was a diplomat until 1858, and he later became a
senator and an ambassador. Among his major works are Cartas americanas (4
vol., 1889), on Spanish-American writers, and Florilegio de poesías
castellanas del siglo XIX (5 vol., 1902–3), an anthology of Spanish poetry.
His first novel, Pepita Jiménez (1874, tr. 1886), won international fame.
Other novels include El comendador Mendoza (1877, tr. Commander
Mendoza, 1893) and Juanita la Larga (1895).
The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-05.
http://www.bartleby.com/65/va/ValerayA.html
'Life > e—live—Library' 카테고리의 다른 글
| 《發心修行章》... <왜 사는가 1> ... 무량스님 수행기 (0) | 2006.05.15 |
|---|---|
| 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (2003) (0) | 2006.04.22 |
| El doble sacrificio by Juan Valera (0) | 2006.04.20 |
| LIGEIA - Edgar Allan Poe (0) | 2006.04.05 |
| The Story of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream (0) | 2006.03.07 |
