carmen-第8部分

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rather　a　bad　temper。

〃　'I　don't　like　people　who　have　to　be　pressed；'　she　said。　'You　did　me　a　much　greater　service　the　first　time；　without　knowing　you'd　gain　anything　by　it。　Yesterday　you　bargained　with　me。　I　don't　know　why　I've　come；　for　I　don't　care　for　you　any　more。　Here；　be　off　with　you。　Here's　a　douro　for　your　trouble。'

〃I　very　nearly　threw　the　coin　at　her　head；　and　I　had　to　make　a　violent　effort　to　prevent　myself　from　actually　beating　her。　After　we　had　wrangled　for　an　hour　I　went　off　in　a　fury。　For　some　time　I　wandered　about　the　town；　walking　hither　and　thither　like　a　madman。　At　last　I　went　into　a　church；　and　getting　into　the　darkest　corner　I　could　find；　I　cried　hot　tears。　All　at　once　I　heard　a　voice。

〃　'A　dragoon　in　tears。　I'll　make　a　philter　of　them！'

〃I　looked　up。　There　was　Carmen　in　front　of　me。

〃　'Well；　/mi　payllo/；　are　you　still　angry　with　me？'　she　said。　'I　must　care　for　you　in　spite　of　myself；　for　since　you　left　me　I　don't　know　what　has　been　the　matter　with　me。　Look　you；　it　is　I　who　ask　you　to　come　to　the　/Calle　del　Candilejo/；　now！'

〃So　we　made　it　up：　but　Carmen's　temper　was　like　the　weather　in　our　country。　The　storm　is　never　so　close；　in　our　mountains；　as　when　the　sun　is　at　its　brightest。　She　had　promised　to　meet　me　again　at　Dorotea's；　but　she　didn't　come。

〃And　Dorotea　began　telling　me　again　that　she　had　gone　off　to　Portugal　about　some　gipsy　business。

〃As　experience　had　already　taught　me　how　much　of　that　I　was　to　believe；　I　went　about　looking　for　Carmen　wherever　I　thought　she　might　be；　and　twenty　times　in　every　day　I　walked　through　the　/Calle　del　Candilejo/。　One　evening　I　was　with　Dorotea；　whom　I　had　almost　tamed　by　giving　her　a　glass　of　anisette　now　and　then；　when　Carmen　walked　in；　followed　by　a　young　man；　a　lieutenant　in　our　regiment。

〃　'Get　away　at　once；'　she　said　to　me　in　Basque。　I　stood　there；　dumfounded；　my　heart　full　of　rage。

〃　'What　are　you　doing　here？'　said　the　lieutenant　to　me。　'Take　yourself　offget　out　of　this。'

〃I　couldn't　move　a　step。　I　felt　paralyzed。　The　officer　grew　angry；　and　seeing　I　did　not　go　out；　and　had　not　even　taken　off　my　forage　cap；　he　caught　me　by　the　collar　and　shook　me　roughly。　I　don't　know　what　I　said　to　him。　He　drew　his　sword；　and　I　unsheathed　mine。　The　old　woman　caught　hold　of　my　arm；　and　the　lieutenant　gave　me　a　wound　on　the　forehead；　of　which　I　still　bear　the　scar。　I　made　a　step　backward；　and　with　one　jerk　of　my　elbow　I　threw　old　Dorotea　down。　Then；　as　the　lieutenant　still　pressed　me；　I　turned　the　point　of　my　sword　against　his　body　and　he　ran　upon　it。　Then　Carmen　put　out　the　lamp　and　told　Dorotea；　in　her　own　language；　to　take　to　flight。　I　fled　into　the　street　myself；　and　began　running　along；　I　knew　not　whither。　It　seemed　to　me　that　some　one　was　following　me。　When　I　came　to　myself　I　discovered　that　Carmen　had　never　left　me。

〃　'Great　stupid　of　a　canary…bird！'　she　said；　'you　never　make　anything　but　blunders。　And；　indeed；　you　know　I　told　you　I　should　bring　you　bad　luck。　But　come；　there's　a　cure　for　everything　when　you　have　a　Fleming　from　Rome*　for　your　love。　Begin　by　rolling　this　handkerchief　round　your　head；　and　throw　me　over　that　belt　of　yours。　Wait　for　me　in　this　alleyI'll　be　back　in　two　minutes。

*　　　/Flamenco　de　Roma/；　a　slang　term　for　the　gipsies。　Roma　does　not　　　　　stand　for　the　Eternal　City；　but　for　the　nation　of　the　/romi/；　or　　　　　the　married　folka　name　applied　by　the　gipsies　to　themselves。　The　　　　　first　gipsies　seen　in　Spain　probably　came　from　the　Low　Countries；　　　　　hence　their　name　of　/Flemings/。

〃She　disappeared；　and　soon　came　back　bringing　me　a　striped　cloak　which　she　had　gone　to　fetch；　I　knew　not　whence。　She　made　me　take　off　my　uniform；　and　put　on　the　cloak　over　my　shirt。　Thus　dressed；　and　with　the　wound　on　my　head　bound　round　with　the　handkerchief；　I　was　tolerably　like　a　Valencian　peasant；　many　of　whom　come　to　Seville　to　sell　a　drink　they　make　out　of　'/chufas/。'*　Then　she　took　me　to　a　house　very　much　like　Dorotea's；　at　the　bottom　of　a　little　lane。　Here　she　and　another　gipsy　woman　washed　and　dressed　my　wounds；　better　than　any　army　surgeon　could　have　done；　gave　me　something；　I　know　not　what；　to　drink；　and　finally　made　me　lie　down　on　a　mattress；　on　which　I　went　to　sleep。

*　　　A　bulbous　root；　out　of　which　rather　a　pleasant　beverage　is　　　　　manufactured。

〃Probably　the　woman　had　mixed　one　of　the　soporific　drugs　of　which　they　know　the　secret　in　my　drink；　for　I　did　not　wake　up　till　very　late　the　next　day。　I　was　rather　feverish；　and　had　a　violent　headache。　It　was　some　time　before　the　memory　of　the　terrible　scene　in　which　I　had　taken　part　on　the　previous　night　came　back　to　me。　After　having　dressed　my　wound；　Carmen　and　her　friend；　squatting　on　their　heels　beside　my　mattress；　exchanged　a　few　words　of　'/chipe　calli/；'　which　appeared　to　me　to　be　something　in　the　nature　of　a　medical　consultation。　Then　they　both　of　them　assured　me　that　I　should　soon　be　cured；　but　that　I　must　get　out　of　Seville　at　the　earliest　possible　moment；　for　that；　if　I　was　caught　there；　I　should　most　undoubtedly　be　shot。

〃　'My　boy；'　said　Carmen　to　me；　'you'll　have　to　do　something。　Now　that　the　king　won't　give　you　either　rice　or　haddock*　you'll　have　to　think　of　earning　your　livelihood。　You're　too　stupid　for　stealing　/a　pastesas/。**　But　you　are　brave　and　active。　If　you　have　the　pluck；　take　yourself　off　to　the　coast　and　turn　smuggler。　Haven't　I　promised　to　get　you　hanged？　That's　better　than　being　shot；　and　besides；　if　you　set　about　it　properly；　you'll　live　like　a　prince　as　long　as　the　/minons/***　and　the　coast…guard　don't　lay　their　hands　on　your　collar。'

*　　　The　ordinary　food　of　a　Spanish　soldier。

**　　/Ustilar　a　pastesas/；　to　steal　cleverly；　to　purloin　without　　　　　violence。

***　A　sort　of　volunteer　corps。

〃In　this　attractive　guise　did　this　fiend　of　a　girl　describe　the　new　career　she　was　suggesting　to　me；the　only　one；　indeed；　remaining；　now　I　had　incurred　the　penalty　of　death。　Shall　I　confess　it；　sir？　She　persuaded　me　without　much　difficulty。　This　wild　and　dangerous　life；　it　seemed　to　me；　would　bind　her　and　me　more　closely　together。　In　future；　I　thought；　I　should　be　able　to　make　sure　of　her　love。

〃I　had　often　heard　talk　of　certain　smugglers　who　travelled　about　Andalusia；　each　riding　a　good　horse；　with　his　mistress　behind　him　and　his　blunderbuss　in　his　fist。　Already　I　saw　myself　trotting　up　and　down　the　world；　with　a　pretty　gipsy　behind　me。　When　I　mentioned　that　notion　to　her；　she　laughed　till　she　had　to　hold　her　sides；　and　vowed　there　was　nothing　in　the　world　so　delightful　as　a　night　spent　camping　in　the　open　air；　when　each　/rom/　retired　with　his　/romi/　beneath　their　little　tent；　made　of　three　hoops　with　a　blanket　thrown　across　them。

〃　'If　I　take　to　the　mountains；'　said　I　to　her；　'I　shall　be　sure　of　you。　There'll　be　no　lieutenant　there　to　go　shares　with　me。'

〃　'Ha！　ha！　you're　jealous！'　she　retorted；　'so　much　the　worse　for　you。　How　can　you　be　such　a　fool　as　that？　Don't　you　see　I　must　love　you；　because　I　have　never　asked　you　for　money？'

〃When　she　said　that　sort　to　thing　I　could　have　strangled　her。

〃To　shorten　the　story；　sir；　Carmen　procured　me　civilian　clothes；　disguised　in　which　I　got　out　of　Seville　without　being　recognised。　I　went　to　Jerez；　with　a　letter　from　Pastia　to　a　dealer　in　anisette　whose　house　was　the　smugglers'　meeting…place。　I　was　introduced　to　them；　and　their　leader；　surnamed　/El　Dancaire/；　enrolled　me　in　his　gang。　We　started　for　Gaucin；　where　I　found　Carmen；　who　had　told　me　she　would　meet　me　there。　In　all　these　expeditions　she　acted　as　spy　for　our　gang；　and　she　was　the　best　that　ever　was　seen。　She　had　now　just　returned　from　Gibraltar；　and　had　already　arranged　with　the　captain　of　a　ship　for　a　cargo　of　English　goods　which　we　were　to　receive　on　the　coast。　We　went　to　meet　it　near　Estepona。　We　hid　part　in　the　mountains；　and　laden　with　the　rest；　we　proceeded　to　Ronda。　Carmen　had　gone　there　before　us。　It　was　she　again　who　warned　us　when　we　had　better　enter　the　town。　This　first　journey；　and　several　subsequent　ones；　turned　out　well。　I　found　the　smuggler's　life　pleasanter　than　a　soldier's：　I　could　give　presents　to　Carmen；　I　had　money；　and　I　had　a　mistress。　I　felt　little　or　no　remorse；　for；　as　the　gipsies　say；　'The　happy　man　never　longs　to　scratch　his　itch。'　We　were　made　welcome　everywhere；　my　comrades　treated　me　well；　and　even　showed　me　a　certain　respect。　The　reason　of　this　was　that　I　had　killed　my　man；　and　that　some　of　them　had　no　exploit　of　that　description　on　their　conscience。　But　what　I　valued　most　in　my　new　life　was　that　I　often　saw　Carmen。　She　showed　me　more　affection　than　ever；　nevertheless；　she　would　never　admit；　before　my　comrades；　that　she　was　my　mistress；　and　she　had　even　made　me　swear　all　sorts　of　oaths　that　I　would　not　say　anything　about　her　to　them。　I　was　so　weak　in　that　creature's　hands；　that　I　obeyed　all　her　whims。　And　besides；　this　was　the　first　time　she　had　revealed　herself　as　possessing　any　of　the　reserve　of　a　well…conducted　woman；　and　I　was　simple　enough　to　believe　she　had　really　cast　off　her　former　habits。

〃Our　gang；　which　consisted　of　eight　or　ten　men；　was　hardly　ever　together　except　at　decisive　moments；　and　we　were　usually　scattered　by　twos　and　threes　about　the　towns　and　villages。　Each　one　of　us　pretended　to　have　some　trade。　One　was　a　tinker；　another　was　a　groom；　I　was　supposed　to　peddle　haberdashery；　but　I　hardly　ever　showed　myself　in　large　places；　on　account　of　my　unlucky　business　at　Seville。　One　day；　or　rather　one　night；　we　were　to　meet　below　Veger。　/El　Dancaire/　and　I　got　there　before　the　others。

〃　'We　shall　soon　have　a　new　comrade；'　said　he。　'Carmen　has　just　managed　one　of　her　best　tricks。　She　has　contrived　the　escape　of　her　/rom/；　who　was　in　the　/presidio/　at　Tarifa。'

〃I　was　already　beginning　to　understand　the　gipsy　language；　which　nearly　all　my　comrades　spoke；　and　this　word　/rom/　startled　me。

〃What！　her　husband？　Is　she　married；　then？'　said　I　to　the　captain。

〃　'Yes！'　he　replied；　'married　to　Garcia　/el　Tuerto/*as　cunning　a　gipsy　as　she　is　herself。　The　poor　fellow　has　been　at　the　galleys。　Carmen　has　wheedled　the　surgeon　of　the　/presidio/　to　such　good　purpose　that　she　has　managed　to　get　her　/rom/　out　of　prison。　Faith！　that　girl's　worth　her　weight　in　gold。　For　two　years　she　has　been　trying　to　contrive　his　escape；　but　sh