登陆注册
4709000000029

第29章

Pepe Rey was disturbed and perplexed, enraged with himself and every one else; he tried in vain to imagine what could be the conflict that had arisen, in spite of himself, between his ideas and the ideas of his aunt's friends. Thoughtful and sad, foreseeing future discord, he remained for a short time sitting on the bench in the summer-house, his chin resting on his breast, his forehead gathered in a frown, his hands clasped. He thought himself alone.

Suddenly he heard a gay voice humming the refrain of a song from a zarzuela. He looked up and saw Don Jacinto sitting in the opposite corner of the summer-house.

"Ah, Senor de Rey!" said the youth abruptly, "one does not offend with impunity the religious sentiments of the great majority of a nation. If you doubt it, consider what happened in the first French revolution."

When Pepe heard the buzzing of this insect his irritation increased.

Nevertheless there was no anger in his soul toward the youthful doctor of laws. The latter annoyed him, as a fly might annoy him, but nothing more. Rey felt the irritation which every importunate being inspires, and with the air of one who brushes away a buzzing drone, he answered:

"What has the French revolution to do with the robe of the Virgin?"

He got up and walked toward the house, but he had not taken half a dozen steps before he heard again beside him the buzzing of the mosquito, saying:

"Senor Don Jose, I wish to speak to you about an affair in which you are greatly interested and which may cause you some trouble."

"An affair?" said the young man, drawing back. "Let us hear what affair is that."

"You suspect what it is, perhaps," said Jacinto, approaching Pepe, and smiling with the air of a man of business who has some unusually important matter on hand; "I want to speak to you about the lawsuit."

"The lawsuit! My friend, I have no lawsuits. You, as a good lawyer, dream of lawsuits and see stamped paper everywhere."

"What! You have not heard of your lawsuit?" exclaimed the youth, with amazement.

"Of my lawsuit! But I have no lawsuits, nor have I ever had any."

"Well, if you have not heard of it, I am all the better pleased to have spoken to you about it, so that you may be on your guard. Yes, senor, you are going to have a suit at law."

"And with whom?"

"With Uncle Licurgo and other land-owners whose property borders on the estate called The Poplars."

Pepe Rey was astounded.

"Yes, senor," continued the little lawyer. "To-day Uncle Licurgo and I had a long conference. As I am such a friend of the family, I wanted to let you know about it, so that, if you think well of it, you may hasten to arrange the matter."

"But what have I to arrange? What do those rascals claim from me?"

"It seems that a stream of water which rises in your property has changed its course and flows over some tile-works of the aforesaid Uncle Licurgo and the mill of another person, occasioning considerable damage. My client--for he is determined that I shall get him out of this difficulty--my client, as I said, demands that you shall restore the water to its former channel, so as to avoid fresh injuries, and that you shall indemnify him for the damage which his works have already sustained through the neglect of the superior proprietor."

"And I am the superior proprietor! If I engage in a lawsuit, that will be the first fruit that those famous Poplars, which were mine and which now, as I understand, belong to everybody, will have ever produced me, for Licurgo, as well as some of the other farmers of the district, have been filching from me, little by little, year after year, pieces of land, and it will be very difficult to re-establish the boundaries of my property."

"That is a different question."

"That is not a different question. The real suit," exclaimed the engineer, unable to control his anger, "will be the one that I will bring against that rabble who no doubt propose to themselves to tire me out and drive me to desperation--so that I may abandon every thing and let them continue in possession of what they have stolen. We shall see if there are lawyers and judges who will uphold the infamous conduct of those village legists, who are forever at law, and who waste and consume the property of others. I am obliged to you, young gentleman, for having informed me of the villanous intentions of those boors, who are more perverse than Satan himself. When I tell you that that very tile-yard and that very mill on which Licurgo bases his claim are mine--"

"The title-deeds of the property ought to be examined, to see if possession may not constitute a title in this case."

"Possession! Those scoundrels are not going to have the pleasure of laughing at me in that way. I suppose that justice is honestly and faithfully administered in the city of Orbajosa."

"Oh, as to that!" exclaimed the little lawyer, with an approving look, "the judge is an excellent person! He comes here every evening. But it is strange that you should have received no notice of Senor Licurgo's claims. Have you not yet been summoned to appear before the tribunal of arbitration?"

"No."

"It will be to-morrow, then. Well, I am very sorry that Senor Licurgo's precipitation has deprived me of the pleasure and honor of defending you, but what is to be done? Licurgo was determined that I should take him out of his troubles. I will study the matter with the greatest care. This vile slavery is the great drawback of jurisprudence."

Pepe entered the dining-room in a deplorable state of mind. Dona Perfecta was talking with the Penitentiary, as he entered, and Rosarito was sitting alone, with her eyes fixed on the door. She was no doubt waiting for her cousin.

"Come here, you rascal," said his aunt, smiling with very little spontaneity. "You have insulted us, you great atheist! but we forgive you. I am well aware that my daughter and myself are two rustics who are incapable of soaring to the regions of mathematics where you dwell, but for all that it is possible that you may one day get down on your knees to us and beg us to teach you the Christian doctrine."

同类推荐
  • 星变志

    星变志

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 咏雪应诏

    咏雪应诏

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 海语

    海语

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Rose in Bloom

    Rose in Bloom

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 蓱沙王五愿经

    蓱沙王五愿经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 董卓之子

    董卓之子

    一觉醒来,成了董卓之子,背负万千骂名,誓要逆天改命,打造董家王朝!
  • 大神与女神绯闻事件

    大神与女神绯闻事件

    女追男?男追女?都不是…这是一个女神倒卖,大神不爱的荒诞网游世界,可一旦发生了JQ事件,小菜鸟也会变成女神,也会迎来被大神宠溺到口吐白沫的春天!达子莫只是一个“卑鄙无耻外加一个上流”的小杀手,不就偷偷的毙了几个大神赢了几笔不义之财吗?怎么就跟大神给杠上了…在某大神威逼利诱之下,达子莫还真动了心,咳,结婚就结婚吧,来日方长,谁攻了谁还不一定呢。本文轻松搞笑,女王正太萝莉御姐大叔应有尽有当然也有一小点虐,心脏功率差的人慎入,笑点低者慎入。本文目前已经完成全部底稿,绝不断更。————大神摘录语:三千万银子是不可能的,杀你,绰绰有余。自娱自乐的听令,今后幻城是敌对帮会,谁敢骂我的夫人,见一个杀一个,不幸死亡的费用来我这里报销。我对你来说可能是大神是偶像,可是我现在必须告诉你木河,我对全世界的人不好,尤其对你不好,全部都是为了讨好我夫人。不是叫你等等我吗?总是一个人冲在前面,我是男人,为什么不给我表现一下?你这么保护你自己,那我保护什么…你跟我客气一分,我会对你不客气三分。————女神摘录语:没兴趣,我丢掉的东西没有再捡回来的道理。猿粪这种东西来了马桶都冲不走,加个好友提一下身份,今后有事可以找我帮忙,只要我能帮得上的。我可不在乎我相公对你有多好,只要他一刻不上线,你就只能给我虐到死为止。如果我抓不住你,你一定要抓紧我。反正我不管,宝宝有你一份,你不要我自己要。
  • 栖身星河之中

    栖身星河之中

    第一部小说,这部小说的风格是我很喜欢的,是各种短篇小说合集,应该会坚持下去,不会弃坑吧?我自己也说不上来,不过还是希望你们喜欢,比芯
  • 你和我两个人是有缘无分

    你和我两个人是有缘无分

    我说过,会去见你,会带你去玩,去嗨,去所有你没去过的地方,带你去转地球一圈又一圈。世界再大再美,也没人和我一起欣赏了。以后的日子你要自己熬了,没有我你也要好好的啊!答应我,好不好?当初我苦苦的哀求,那样卑微的样子真丑。我以为后来的你不再是当初的少年。原来是我编的一出偶像剧,只不过剧本改了而已,对不起,今生恐怕不是你。
  • 杂着

    杂着

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 鬼帝绝宠:皇叔你行不行

    鬼帝绝宠:皇叔你行不行

    前世她活的憋屈,做了一辈子的小白鼠,重活一世,有仇报仇!有怨报怨!弃之不肖!她是前世至尊,素手墨笔轻轻一挥,翻手为云覆手为雨,天下万物皆在手中画。纳尼?负心汉爱上她,要再求娶?当她什么?昨日弃我,他日在回,我亦不肖!花痴废物?经脉尽断武功全无?却不知她一只画笔便虐你成渣……王府下人表示王妃很闹腾,“王爷王妃进宫偷墨宝,打伤了贵妃娘娘…”“王爷王妃看重了,学仁堂的墨宝当场抢了起来,打伤了太子……”“爱妃若想抢随她去,旁边递刀可别打伤了手……”“……”夫妻搭档,她杀人他挖坑,她抢物他递刀,她打太子他后面撑腰……双重性格男主萌萌哒
  • 至尊傀儡师:冰山四小姐

    至尊傀儡师:冰山四小姐

    一朝穿越,成了沐府的痴傻四小姐,族中子弟的羞辱,三姐打骂,爷爷闭关,父亲失踪,只有二姐护她周全……一手医术活死人肉白骨,却独独救不了至亲的他……一场拍卖一次交易,却从此被他纠缠不休……他冷酷无情,却独独钟情于她,在他的意愿里只有宠她!再宠她!宠坏她!当有人问起和她的关系时“我是她未婚夫”拦腰抱着她,邪笑“有问题?嗯!”Ps:此文甜宠,欢迎入坑!
  • 走进微生物(生命百科)

    走进微生物(生命百科)

    缉拿传染病的元凶抗菌良药青霉素的发明走进微生物生物分界林耐研究分类系统时,将生物分成了两界:植物界和动物界。但当显微镜应用于生物学后,人们发现了更多新的生物,细胞间的一些微小差异也被一一识别。这样,两界系统也就不再适用。
  • 培养孩子优秀品质的108个好故事

    培养孩子优秀品质的108个好故事

    本书从生活的各个方面对孩子的成长进行了指导。它以故事的形式展现生话与人生中的点点滴滴,符合孩子的心理特点,让孩子更容易接受。“成长箴言”使故事得到升华,让孩子深切领悟做人、做事的道理。本书为其中一册,从多个不同的角度讲述了一个人应该具…
  • 终成眷属

    终成眷属

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。