THE BIRTHDAY OF THE INFANTAWord文档格式.docx
- 文档编号:18058626
- 上传时间:2022-12-13
- 格式:DOCX
- 页数:23
- 大小:32.21KB
THE BIRTHDAY OF THE INFANTAWord文档格式.docx
《THE BIRTHDAY OF THE INFANTAWord文档格式.docx》由会员分享,可在线阅读,更多相关《THE BIRTHDAY OF THE INFANTAWord文档格式.docx(23页珍藏版)》请在冰豆网上搜索。
eachflowerinturn;
thelittlelizardscreptoutofthecrevices
ofthewall,andlaybaskinginthewhiteglare;
andthe
pomegranatessplitandcrackedwiththeheat,andshowedtheir
bleedingredhearts.Eventhepaleyellowlemons,thathungin
suchprofusionfromthemoulderingtrellisandalongthedim
arcades,seemedtohavecaughtarichercolourfromthewonderful
sunlight,andthemagnoliatreesopenedtheirgreatglobe-like
blossomsoffoldedivory,andfilledtheairwithasweetheavy
perfume.
ThelittlePrincessherselfwalkedupanddowntheterracewithher
companions,andplayedathideandseekroundthestonevasesand
theoldmoss-grownstatues.Onordinarydaysshewasonlyallowed
toplaywithchildrenofherownrank,soshehadalwaystoplay
alone,butherbirthdaywasanexception,andtheKinghadgiven
ordersthatshewastoinviteanyofheryoungfriendswhomshe
likedtocomeandamusethemselveswithher.Therewasastately
graceabouttheseslimSpanishchildrenastheyglidedabout,the
boyswiththeirlarge-plumedhatsandshortflutteringcloaks,the
girlsholdingupthetrainsoftheirlongbrocadedgowns,and
shieldingthesunfromtheireyeswithhugefansofblackand
silver.ButtheInfantawasthemostgracefulofall,andthemost
tastefullyattired,afterthesomewhatcumbrousfashionoftheday.
Herrobewasofgreysatin,theskirtandthewidepuffedsleeves
heavilyembroideredwithsilver,andthestiffcorsetstuddedwith
rowsoffinepearls.Twotinyslipperswithbigpinkrosettes
peepedoutbeneathherdressasshewalked.Pinkandpearlwasher
greatgauzefan,andinherhair,whichlikeanaureoleoffaded
goldstoodoutstifflyroundherpalelittleface,shehada
beautifulwhiterose.
FromawindowinthepalacethesadmelancholyKingwatchedthem.
Behindhimstoodhisbrother,DonPedroofAragon,whomhehated,
andhisconfessor,theGrandInquisitorofGranada,satbyhis
side.SaddereventhanusualwastheKing,forashelookedatthe
Infantabowingwithchildishgravitytotheassemblingcounters,or
laughingbehindherfanatthegrimDuchessofAlbuquerquewho
alwaysaccompaniedher,hethoughtoftheyoungQueen,hermother,
whobutashorttimebefore-soitseemedtohim-hadcomefrom
thegaycountryofFrance,andhadwitheredawayinthesombre
splendouroftheSpanishcourt,dyingjustsixmonthsafterthe
birthofherchild,andbeforeshehadseenthealmondsblossom
twiceintheorchard,orpluckedthesecondyear'
sfruitfromthe
oldgnarledfig-treethatstoodinthecentreofthenowgrass-
growncourtyard.Sogreathadbeenhisloveforherthathehad
notsufferedeventhegravetohideherfromhim.Shehadbeen
embalmedbyaMoorishphysician,whoinreturnforthisservicehad
beengrantedhislife,whichforheresyandsuspicionofmagical
practiceshadbeenalreadyforfeited,mensaid,totheHolyOffice,
andherbodywasstilllyingonitstapestriedbierintheblack
marblechapelofthePalace,justasthemonkshadborneherinon
thatwindyMarchdaynearlytwelveyearsbefore.Onceeverymonth
theKing,wrappedinadarkcloakandwithamuffledlanterninhis
hand,wentinandkneltbyhersidecallingout,'
MIREINA!
MI
REINA!
'
andsometimesbreakingthroughtheformaletiquettethatin
Spaingovernseveryseparateactionoflife,andsetslimitseven
tothesorrowofaKing,hewouldclutchatthepalejewelledhands
inawildagonyofgrief,andtrytowakebyhismadkissesthe
coldpaintedface.
To-dayheseemedtoseeheragain,ashehadseenherfirstatthe
CastleofFontainebleau,whenhewasbutfifteenyearsofage,and
shestillyounger.Theyhadbeenformallybetrothedonthat
occasionbythePapalNunciointhepresenceoftheFrenchKingand
alltheCourt,andhehadreturnedtotheEscurialbearingwithhim
alittleringletofyellowhair,andthememoryoftwochildish
lipsbendingdowntokisshishandashesteppedintohiscarriage.
Lateronhadfollowedthemarriage,hastilyperformedatBurgos,a
smalltownonthefrontierbetweenthetwocountries,andthegrand
publicentryintoMadridwiththecustomarycelebrationofhigh
massattheChurchofLaAtocha,andamorethanusuallysolemn
AUTO-DA-FE,inwhichnearlythreehundredheretics,amongstwhom
weremanyEnglishmen,hadbeendeliveredovertotheseculararmto
beburned.
Certainlyhehadlovedhermadly,andtotheruin,manythought,of
hiscountry,thenatwarwithEnglandforthepossessionofthe
empireoftheNewWorld.Hehadhardlyeverpermittedhertobe
outofhissight;
forher,hehadforgotten,orseemedtohave
forgotten,allgraveaffairsofState;
and,withthatterrible
blindnessthatpassionbringsuponitsservants,hehadfailedto
noticethattheelaborateceremoniesbywhichhesoughttoplease
herdidbutaggravatethestrangemaladyfromwhichshesuffered.
Whenshediedhewas,foratime,likeonebereftofreason.
Indeed,thereisnodoubtbutthathewouldhaveformallyabdicated
andretiredtothegreatTrappistmonasteryatGranada,ofwhichhe
wasalreadytitularPrior,hadhenotbeenafraidtoleavethe
littleInfantaatthemercyofhisbrother,whosecruelty,evenin
Spain,wasnotorious,andwhowassuspectedbymanyofhaving
causedtheQueen'
sdeathbymeansofapairofpoisonedglovesthat
hehadpresentedtoherontheoccasionofhervisitinghiscastle
inAragon.Evenaftertheexpirationofthethreeyearsofpublic
mourningthathehadordainedthroughouthiswholedominionsby
royaledict,hewouldneversufferhisministerstospeakaboutany
newalliance,andwhentheEmperorhimselfsenttohim,andoffered
himthehandofthelovelyArchduchessofBohemia,hisniece,in
marriage,hebadetheambassadorstelltheirmasterthattheKing
ofSpainwasalreadyweddedtoSorrow,andthatthoughshewasbut
abarrenbridehelovedherbetterthanBeauty;
ananswerthatcost
hiscrowntherichprovincesoftheNetherlands,whichsoonafter,
attheEmperor'
sinstigation,revoltedagainsthimunderthe
leadershipofsomefanaticsoftheReformedChurch.
Hiswholemarriedlife,withitsfierce,fiery-colouredjoysand
theterribleagonyofitssuddenending,seemedtocomebacktohim
to-dayashewatchedtheInfantaplayingontheterrace.Shehad
alltheQueen'
sprettypetulanceofmanner,thesamewilfulwayof
tossingherhead,thesameproudcurvedbeautifulmouth,thesame
wonderfulsmile-VRAISOURIREDEFRANCEindeed-assheglancedup
nowandthenatthewindow,orstretchedoutherlittlehandfor
thestatelySpanishgentlementokiss.Buttheshrilllaughterof
thechildrengratedonhisears,andthebrightpitilesssunlight
mockedhissorrow,andadullodourofstrangespices,spicessuch
asembalmersuse,seemedtotaint-orwasitfancy?
-theclear
morningair.Heburiedhisfaceinhishands,andwhentheInfanta
lookedupagainthecurtainshadbeendrawn,andtheKinghad
retired.
ShemadealittleMOUEofdisappointment,andshruggedher
shoulders.Surelyhemighthavestayedwithheronherbirthday.
WhatdidthestupidState-affairsmatter?
Orhadhegonetothat
gloomychapel,wherethecandleswerealwaysburning,andwhereshe
wasneverallowedtoenter?
Howsillyofhim,whenthesunwas
shiningsobrightly,andeverybodywassohappy!
Besides,hewould
misstheshambull-fightforwhichthetrumpetwasalready
sounding,tosaynothingofthepuppet-showandtheotherwonderful
things.HeruncleandtheGrandInquisitorweremuchmore
sensible.Theyhadcomeoutontheterrace,andpaidhernice
compliments.Soshetossedherprettyhead,andtakingDonPedro
bythehand,shewalkedslowlydownthestepstowardsalong
pavilionofpurplesilkthathadbeenerectedattheendofthe
garden,theotherchildrenfollowinginstrictorderofprecedence,
thosewhohadthelongestnamesgoingfirst.
Aprocessionofnobleboys,fantasticallydressedasTOREADORS,
cameouttomeether,andtheyoungCountofTierra-Nueva,a
wonderfullyhandsomeladofaboutfourteenyearsofage,uncovering
hisheadwithallthegraceofabornhidalgoandgrandeeofSpain,
ledhersolemnlyintoalittlegiltandivorychairthatwas
placedonaraiseddaisabovethearena.Thechildrengrouped
themselvesallround,flutteringtheirbigfansandwhisperingto
eachother,andDonPedroandtheGrandInquisitorstoodlaughing
attheentrance.EventheDuchess-theCamerera-Mayorasshewas
called-athin,hard-featuredwomanwithayellowruff,didnot
lookquitesobad-temperedasusual,andsomethinglikeachill
smileflittedacrossherwrinkledfaceandtwitchedherthin
bloodlesslips.
Itcertainlywasamarvellousbull-fight,andmuchnicer,the
Infantathought,thantherealbull-fightthatshehadbeenbrought
toseeatSeville,ontheoccasionofthevisitoftheDukeof
- 配套讲稿:
如PPT文件的首页显示word图标,表示该PPT已包含配套word讲稿。双击word图标可打开word文档。
- 特殊限制:
部分文档作品中含有的国旗、国徽等图片,仅作为作品整体效果示例展示,禁止商用。设计者仅对作品中独创性部分享有著作权。
- 关 键 词:
- THE BIRTHDAY OF INFANTA