carmen-第12部分

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〃After　we　had　gone　a　little　distance　I　said　to　her；　'So；　my　Carmen；　you　are　quite　ready　to　follow　me；　isn't　that　so？'

〃She　answered；　'Yes；　I'll　follow　you；　even　to　deathbut　I　won't　live　with　you　any　more。'

〃We　had　reached　a　lonely　gorge。　I　stopped　my　horse。

〃　'Is　this　the　place？'　she　said。

〃And　with　a　spring　she　reached　the　ground。　She　took　off　her　mantilla　and　threw　it　at　her　feet；　and　stood　motionless；　with　one　hand　on　her　hip；　looking　at　me　steadily。

〃　'You　mean　to　kill　me；　I　see　that　well；'　said　she。　'It　is　fate。　But　you'll　never　make　me　give　in。'

〃I　said　to　her：　'Be　rational；　I　implore　you；　listen　to　me。　All　the　past　is　forgotten。　Yet　you　know　it　is　you　who　have　been　my　ruinit　is　because　of　you　that　I　am　a　robber　and　a　murderer。　Carmen；　my　Carmen；　let　me　save　you；　and　save　myself　with　you。'

〃　'Jose；'　she　answered；　'what　you　ask　is　impossible。　I　don't　love　you　any　more。　You　love　me　still；　and　that　is　why　you　want　to　kill　me。　If　I　liked；　I　might　tell　you　some　other　lie；　but　I　don't　choose　to　give　myself　the　trouble。　Everything　is　over　between　us　two。　You　are　my　/rom/；　and　you　have　the　right　to　kill　your　/romi/；　but　Carmen　will　always　be　free。　A　/calli/　she　was　born；　and　a　/calli/　she'll　die。'

〃　'Then；　you　love　Lucas？'　I　asked。

〃　'Yes；　I　have　loved　himas　I　loved　youfor　an　instantless　than　I　loved　you；　perhaps。　But　now　I　don't　love　anything；　and　I　hate　myself　for　ever　having　loved　you。'

〃I　cast　myself　at　her　feet；　I　seized　her　hands；　I　watered　them　with　my　tears；　I　reminded　her　of　all　the　happy　moments　we　had　spent　together；　I　offered　to　continue　my　brigand's　life；　if　that　would　please　her。　Everything；　sir；　everythingI　offered　her　everything　if　she　would　only　love　me　again。

〃She　said：

〃　'Love　you　again？　That's　not　possible！　Live　with　you？　I　will　not　do　it！'

〃I　was　wild　with　fury。　I　drew　my　knife；　I　would　have　had　her　look　frightened；　and　sue　for　mercybut　that　woman　was　a　demon。

〃I　cried；　'For　the　last　time　I　ask　you。　Will　you　stay　with　me？'

〃　'No！　no！　no！'　she　said；　and　she　stamped　her　foot。

〃Then　she　pulled　a　ring　I　had　given　her　off　her　finger；　and　cast　it　into　the　brushwood。

〃I　struck　her　twice　overI　had　taken　Garcia's　knife；　because　I　had　broken　my　own。　At　the　second　thrust　she　fell　without　a　sound。　It　seems　to　me　that　I　can　still　see　her　great　black　eyes　staring　at　me。　Then　they　grew　dim　and　the　lids　closed。

〃For　a　good　hour　I　lay　there　prostrate　beside　her　corpse。　Then　I　recollected　that　Carmen　had　often　told　me　that　she　would　like　to　lie　buried　in　a　wood。　I　dug　a　grave　for　her　with　my　knife　and　laid　her　in　it。　I　hunted　about　a　long　time　for　her　ring；　and　I　found　it　at　last。　I　put　it　into　the　grave　beside　her；　with　a　little　crossperhaps　I　did　wrong。　Then　I　got　upon　my　horse；　galloped　to　Cordova；　and　gave　myself　up　at　the　nearest　guard…room。　I　told　them　I　had　killed　Carmen；　but　I　would　not　tell　them　where　her　body　was。　That　hermit　was　a　holy　man！　He　prayed　for　herhe　said　a　mass　for　her　soul。　Poor　child！　It's　the　/calle/　who　are　to　blame　for　having　brought　her　up　as　they　did。〃



CHAPTER　IV

Spain　is　one　of　the　countries　in　which　those　nomads；　scattered　all　over　Europe；　and　known　as　Bohemians；　Gitanas；　Gipsies；　Ziegeuner；　and　so　forth；　are　now　to　be　found　in　the　greatest　numbers。　Most　of　these　people　live；　or　rather　wander　hither　and　thither；　in　the　southern　and　eastern　provinces　of　Spain；　in　Andalusia；　and　Estramadura；　in　the　kingdom　of　Murcia。　There　are　a　great　many　of　them　in　Catalonia。　These　last　frequently　cross　over　into　France　and　are　to　be　seen　at　all　our　southern　fairs。　The　men　generally　call　themselves　grooms；　horse　doctors；　mule…clippers；　to　these　trades　they　add　the　mending　of　saucepans　and　brass　utensils；　not　to　mention　smuggling　and　other　illicit　practices。　The　women　tell　fortunes；　beg；　and　sell　all　sorts　of　drugs；　some　of　which　are　innocent；　while　some　are　not。　The　physical　characteristics　of　the　gipsies　are　more　easily　distinguished　then　described；　and　when　you　have　known　one；　you　should　be　able　to　recognise　a　member　of　the　race　among　a　thousand　other　men。　It　is　by　their　physiognomy　and　expression；　especially；　that　they　differ　from　the　other　inhabitants　of　the　same　country。　Their　complexion　is　exceedingly　swarthy；　always　darker　than　that　of　the　race　among　whom　they　live。　Hence　the　name　of　/cale/　（blacks）　which　they　frequently　apply　to　themselves。*　Their　eyes；　set　with　a　decided　slant；　are　large；　very　black；　and　shaded　by　long　and　heavy　lashes。　Their　glance　can　only　be　compared　to　that　of　a　wild　creature。　It　is　full　at　once　of　boldness　and　shyness；　and　in　this　respect　their　eyes　are　a　fair　indication　of　their　national　character；　which　is　cunning；　bold；　but　with　〃the　natural　fear　of　blows；〃　like　Panurge。　Most　of　the　men　are　strapping　fellows；　slight　and　active。　I　don't　think　I　ever　saw　a　gipsy　who　had　grown　fat。　In　Germany　the　gipsy　women　are　often　very　pretty；　but　beauty　is　very　uncommon　among　the　Spanish　gitanas。　When　very　young；　they　may　pass　as　being　attractive　in　their　ugliness；　but　once　they　have　reached　motherhood；　they　become　absolutely　repulsive。　The　filthiness　of　both　sexes　is　incredible；　and　no　one　who　has　not　seen　a　gipsy　matron's　hair　can　form　any　conception　of　what　it　is；　not　even　if　he　conjures　up　the　roughest；　the　greasiest；　and　the　dustiest　heads　imaginable。　In　some　of　the　large　Andalusian　towns　certain　of　the　gipsy　girls；　somewhat　better　looking　than　their　fellows；　will　take　more　care　of　their　personal　appearance。　These　go　out　and　earn　money　by　performing　dances　strongly　resembling　those　forbidden　at　our　public　balls　in　carnival　time。　An　English　missionary；　Mr。　Borrow；　the　author　of　two　very　interesting　works　on　the　Spanish　gipsies；　whom　he　undertook　to　convert　on　behalf　of　the　Bible　Society；　declares　there　is　no　instance　of　any　gitana　showing　the　smallest　weakness　for　a　man　not　belonging　to　her　own　race。　The　praise　he　bestows　upon　their　chastity　strikes　me　as　being　exceedingly　exaggerated。　In　the　first　place；　the　great　majority　are　in　the　position　of　the　ugly　woman　described　by　Ovid；　〃/Casta　quam　nemo　rogavit/。〃　As　for　the　pretty　ones；　they　are；　like　all　Spanish　women；　very　fastidious　in　choosing　their　lovers。　Their　fancy　must　be　taken；　and　their　favour　must　be　earned。　Mr。　Borrow　quotes；　in　proof　of　their　virtue；　one　trait　which　does　honour　to　his　own；　and　especially　to　his　simplicity：　he　declares　that　an　immoral　man　of　his　acquaintance　offered　several　gold　ounces　to　a　pretty　gitana；　and　offered　them　in　vain。　An　Andalusian；　to　whom　I　retailed　this　anecdote；　asserted　that　the　immoral　man　in　question　would　have　been　far　more　successful　if　he　had　shown　the　girl　two　or　three　piastres；　and　that　to　offer　gold　ounces　to　a　gipsy　was　as　poor　a　method　of　persuasion　as　to　promise　a　couple　of　millions　to　a　tavern　wench。　However　that　may　be；　it　is　certain　that　the　gitana　shows　the　most　extraordinary　devotion　to　her　husband。　There　is　no　danger　and　no　suffering　she　will　not　brave；　to　help　him　in　his　need。　One　of　the　names　which　the　gipsies　apply　to　themselves；　/Rome/；　or　〃the　married　couple；〃　seems　to　me　a　proof　of　their　racial　respect　for　the　married　state。　Speaking　generally；　it　may　be　asserted　that　their　chief　virtue　is　their　patriotismif　we　may　thus　describe　the　fidelity　they　observe　in　all　their　relations　with　persons　of　the　same　origin　as　their　own；　their　readiness　to　help　one　another；　and　the　inviolable　secrecy　which　they　keep　for　each　other's　benefit；　in　all　compromising　matters。　And　indeed　something　of　the　same　sort　may　be　noticed　in　all　mysterious　associations　which　are　beyond　the　pale　of　the　law。

*　　　It　has　struck　me　that　the　German　gipsies；　though　they　thoroughly　　　　　understand　the　word　/cale/；　do　not　care　to　be　called　by　that　name。　　　　　Among　themselves　they　always　use　the　designation　/Romane　tchave/。

Some　months　ago；　I　paid　a　visit　to　a　gipsy　tribe　in　the　Vosges　country。　In　the　hut　of　an　old　woman；　the　oldest　member　of　the　tribe；　I　found　a　gipsy；　in　no　way　related　to　the　family；　who　was　sick　of　a　mortal　disease。　The　man　had　left　a　hospital；　where　he　was　well　cared　for；　so　that　he　might　die　among　his　own　people。　For　thirteen　weeks　he　had　been　lying　in　bed　in　their　encampment；　and　receiving　far　better　treatment　than　any　of　the　sons　and　sons…in…law　who　shared　his　shelter。　He　had　a　good　bed　made　of　straw　and　moss；　and　sheets　that　were　tolerably　white；　whereas　all　the　rest　of　the　family；　which　numbered　eleven　persons；　slept　on　planks　three　feet　long。　So　much　for　their　hospitality。　This　very　same　woman；　humane　as　was　her　treatment　of　her　guest　said　to　me　constantly　before　the　sick　man：　〃/Singo；　singo；　homte　hi　mulo/。〃　〃Soon；　soon　he　must　die！〃　After　all；　these　people　live　such　miserable　lives；　that　a　reference　to　the　approach　of　death　can　have　no　terrors　for　them。

One　remarkable　feature　in　the　gipsy　character　is　their　indifference　about　religion。　Not　that　they　are　strong…minded　or　sceptical。　They　have　never　made　any　profession　of　atheism。　Far　from　that；　indeed；　the　religion　of　the　country　which　they　inhabit　is　always　theirs；　but　they　change　their　religion　when　they　change　the　country　of　their　residence。　They　are　equally　free　from　the　superstitions　which　replace　religious　feeling　in　the　minds　of　the　vulgar。　How；　indeed；　can　superstition　exist　among　a　race　which；　as　a　rule；　makes　its　livelihood　out　of　the　credulity　of　others？　Nevertheless；　I　have　remarked　a　particular　horror　of　touching　a　corpse　among　the　Spanish　gipsies。　Very　few　of　these　could　be　induced　to　carry　a　dead　man　to　his　grave；　even　if　they　were　paid　for　it。

I　have　said　that　most　gipsy　women　undertake　to　tell　fortunes。　They　do　this　very　successfully。　But　they　find　a　much　greater　source　of　profit　in　the　sale　of　charms　and　love…philters。　Not　only　do　they　supply　toads'　claws　to　hold　fickle　hearts；　and　powdered　loadstone　to　kindle　love　in　cold　ones；　but　if　necessity　arises；　they　can　use　mighty　incantations；　which　force　the　devil　to　lend　them　his　aid。　Last　year　the　following　story　was　related　to　me　by　a　Spanish　lady。　She　was　walking　one　day　along　the　/Calle　d'Alcala/；　feeling　very　sad　and　anxious。　A　gipsy　woman　who　was　squatting　on　the　pavement　called　out　to　her；　〃My　pretty　lady；　your　lover　has　played　you　false！〃　（It　was　quite　true。）　〃Shall　I　get　him　back　for　you？〃　My　readers　will　imag