, , shehadonlyonebirthdayeveryyear, justlikethechildrenofquitepoorpeople, , likelongrowsofsoldiers, andlookeddefiantlyacrossthegrassattheroses, andsaid: “Wearequiteassplendidasyouarenow.” Thepurplebutterfliesflutteredaboutwithgolddustontheirwings, visitingeachflowerinturn; thelittlelizardscreptoutofthecrevicesofthewall, andlaybaskinginthewhiteglare; andthepomegranatessplitandcrackedwiththeheat, , thathunginsuchprofusionfromthemoulderingtrellisandalongthedimarcades, seemedtohavecaughtarichercolourfromthewonderfulsunlight, andthemagnoliatreesopenedtheirgreatglobe-likeblossomsoffoldedivory, , , soshehadalwaystoplayalone, butherbirthdaywasanexception, , theboyswiththeirlarge-plumedhatsandshortflutteringcloaks, thegirlsholdingupthetrainsoftheirlongbrocadedgowns, , andthemosttastefullyattired, , theskirtandthewidepuffedsleevesheavilyembroideredwithsilver, , andinherhair, whichlikeanaureoleoffadedgoldstoodoutstifflyroundherpalelittleface, , DonPedroofAragon, whomhehated, andhisconfessor, theGrandInquisitorofGranada, , forashelookedattheInfantabowingwithchildishgravitytotheassemblingcounters, orlaughingbehindherfanatthegrimDuchessofAlbuquerquewhoalwaysaccompaniedher, hethoughtoftheyoungQueen, hermother, whobutashorttimebefore--soitseemedtohim--hadcomefromthegaycountryofFrance, andhadwitheredawayinthesombresplendouroftheSpanishcourt, dyingjustsixmonthsafterthebirthofherchild, andbeforeshehadseenthealmondsblossomtwiceintheorchard, orpluckedthesecondyear’sfruitfromtheoldgnarledfig-treethatstoodinthecentreofthenowgrass- , whoinreturnforthisservicehadbeengrantedhislife, whichforheresyandsuspicionofmagicalpracticeshadbeenalreadyforfeited, mensaid, totheHolyOffice, andherbodywasstilllyingonitstapestriedbierintheblackmarblechapelofthePalace, , wrappedinadarkcloakandwithamuffledlanterninhishand, wentinandkneltbyhersidecallingout, “Mireina! Mireina!” andsometimesbreakingthroughtheformaletiquettethatinSpaingovernseveryseparateactionoflife, andsetslimitseventothesorrowofaKing, hewouldclutchatthepalejewelledhandsinawildagonyofgrief, -dayheseemedtoseeheragain, ashehadseenherfirstattheCastleofFontainebleau, whenhewasbutfifteenyearsofage, , andhehadreturnedtotheEscurialbearingwithhimalittleringletofyellowhair, , hastilyperformedatBurgos, asmalltownonthefrontierbetweenthetwocountries, andthegrandpublicentryintoMadridwiththecustomarycelebrationofhighmassattheChurchofLaAtocha, andamorethanusuallysolemnauto-da-fe, inwhichnearlythreehundredheretics, amongstwhomweremanyEnglishmen, , andtotheruin, manythought, ofhiscountry, ; forher, hehadforgotten, orseemedtohaveforgotten, allgraveaffairsofState; and, withthatterribleblindnessthatpassionbringsuponitsservants, , foratime, , thereisnodoubtbutthathewouldhaveformallyabdicatedandretiredtothegreatTrappistmonasteryatGranada, ofwhichhewasalreadytitularPrior, hadhenotbeenafraidtoleavethelittleInfantaatthemercyofhisbrother, whosecruelty, eveninSpain, wasnotorious, andwhowassuspectedbymanyofhavingcausedtheQueen’, hewouldneversufferhisministerstospeakaboutanynewalliance, andwhentheEmperorhimselfsenttohim, andofferedhimthehandofthelovelyArchduchessofBohemia, hisniece, inmarriage, hebadetheambassadorstelltheirmasterthattheKingofSpainwasalreadyweddedtoSorrow, andthatthoughshewasbutabarrenbridehelovedherbetterthanBeauty; ananswerthatcosthiscrowntherichprovincesoftheNetherlands, whichsoonafter, attheEmperor’sinstigation, , withitsfierce, fiery-colouredjoysandtheterribleagonyofitssuddenending, ’sprettypetulanceofmanner, thesamewilfulwayoftossingherhead, thesameproudcurvedbeautifulmouth, thesamewonderfulsmile--vraisouriredeFranceindeed--assheglancedupnowandthenatthewindow, , andthebrightpitilesssunlightmockedhissorrow, andadullodourofstrangespices, spicessuchasembalmersuse, seemedtotaint—orwasitfancy?—, andwhentheInfantalookedupagainthecurtainshadbeendrawn, , -affairsmatter? Orhadhegonetothatgloomychapel, wherethecandleswerealwaysburning, andwhereshewasneverallowedtoenter? Howsillyofhim, whenthesunwasshiningsobrightly, andeverybodywassohappy! Besides, hewouldmisstheshambull-fightforwhichthetrumpetwasalreadysounding, , , andtakingDonPedrobythehand, shewalkedslowlydownthestepstowardsalongpavilionofpurplesilkthathadbeenerectedattheendofthegarden, theotherchildrenfollowinginstrictorderofprecedence, , fantasticallydressedastoreadors, cameouttomeether, andtheyoungCountofTierra-Nueva, awonderfullyhandsomeladofaboutfourteenyearsofage, uncoveringhisheadwithallthegraceofabornhidalgoandgrandeeofSpain, , flutteringtheirbigfansandwhisperingtoeachother, --theCamerera-Mayorasshewascalled--athin, hard-featuredwomanwithayellowruff, didnotlookquitesobad-temperedasusual, -fight, andmuchnicer, theInfantathought, thantherealbull-fightthatshehadbeenbroughttoseeatSeville, - caparisonedhobby-horsesbrandishinglongjavelinswithgaystreamersofbrightribandsattachedtothem; otherswentonfootwavingtheirscarletcloaksbeforethebull, andvaultinglightlyoverthebarrierwhenhechargedthem; andasforthebullhimself, hewasjustlikealivebull, thoughhewasonlymadeofwicker- workandstretchedhide, andsometimesinsistedonrunningroundthearenaonhishindlegs, , andthechildrengotsoexcitedthattheystoodupuponthebenches, andwavedtheirlacehandkerchiefsandcriedout: Bravotoro! Bravotoro! , however, afteraprolongedcombat, duringwhichseveralofthehobby-horsesweregoredthroughandthrough, and, theirridersdismounted, theyoungCountofTierra-Nuevabroughtthebulltohisknees, andhavingobtainedpermissionfromtheInfantatogivethecoupdegrace, heplungedhiswoodenswordintotheneckoftheanimalwithsuchviolencethattheheadcamerightoff, anddisclosedthelaughingfaceoflittleMonsieurdeLorraine, , andthedeadhobbyhorsesdraggedsolemnlyawaybytwoMoorishpagesinyellowandblackliveries, andafterashortinterlude, duringwhichaFrenchposture-masterperformeduponthetightrope, , andtheirgesturesweresoextremelynatural, , andhadtobecomfortedwithsweetmeats, andtheGrandInquisitorhimselfwassoaffectedthathecouldnothelpsayingtoDonPedrothatitseemedtohimintolerablethatthingsmadesimplyoutofwoodandcolouredwax, andworkedmechanicallybywires, , whobroughtinalargeflatbasketcoveredwitharedcloth, andhavingplaceditinthecentreofthearena, hetookfromhisturbanacuriousreedpipe, , andasthepipegrewshrillerandshrillertwogreenandgoldsnakesputouttheirstrangewedge-shapedheadsandroseslowlyup, , however, wereratherfrightenedattheirspottedhoodsandquickdartingtongues, andweremuchmorepleasedwhenthejugglermadeatinyorange-treegrowoutofthesandandbearprettywhiteblossomsandclustersofrealfruit; andwhenhetookthefanofthelittledaughteroftheMarquessdeLas-Torres, andchangeditintoabluebirdthatflewallroundthepavilionandsang, , too, performedbythedancingboysfromthechurchofNuestraSenoraDelPilar, , andinherhonour; andindeednoneoftheroyalfamilyofSpainhadenteredthegreatcathedralofSaragossasinceamadpriest, supposedbymanytohavebeeninthepayofElizabethofEngland, “OurLady’sDance,” asitwascalled, -fashionedcourtdressesofwhitevelvet, andtheircuriousthree-corneredhatswerefringedwithsilverandsurmountedwithhugeplumesofostrichfeathers, thedazzlingwhitenessoftheircostumes, astheymovedaboutinthesunlight, , andbytheelaborategraceoftheirslowgestures, andstatelybows, andwhentheyhadfinishedtheirperformanceanddoffedtheirgreatplumedhatstotheInfanta, sheacknowledgedtheirreverencewithmuchcourtesy, --asthegipsiesweretermedinthosedays--thenadvancedintothearena, andsittingdowncross-legs, inacircle, begantoplaysoftlyupontheirzithers, movingtheirbodiestothetune, andhumming, almostbelowtheirbreath, , andsomeofthemlookedterrified, foronlyafewweeksbeforehehadhadtwooftheirtribehangedforsorceryinthemarket- placeatSeville, buttheprettyInfantacharmedthemassheleanedbackpeepingoverherfanwithhergreatblueeyes, , , withacrysoshrillthatallthechildrenwerestartledandDonPedro’shandclutchedattheagatepommelofhisdagger, theyleapttotheirfeetandwhirledmadlyroundtheenclosurebeatingtheirtambourines, , , theydisappearedforamomentandcamebackleadingabrownshaggybearbyachain, , andthewizenedapesplayedallkindsofamusingtrickswithtwogipsyboyswhoseemedtobetheirmasters, andfoughtwithtinyswords, andfiredoffguns, andwentthrougharegularsoldier’sdrilljustliketheKing’’sentertainment, , waddlingonhiscrookedlegsandwagginghishugemisshapenheadfromsidetoside, thechildrenwentoffintoaloudshoutofdelight, andtheInfantaherselflaughedsomuchthattheCamererawasobligedtoremindherthatalthoughthereweremanyprecedentsinSpainforaKing’sdaughterweepingbeforeherequals, , however, wasreallyquiteirresistible, andevenattheSpanishCourt, alwaysnotedforitscultivatedpassionforthehorrible, , , runningwildthroughtheforest, bytwoofthenobleswhohappenedtohavebeenhuntinginaremotepartofthegreatcork-woodthatsurroundedthetown, andhadbeencarriedoffbythemtothePalaceasasurprisefortheInfanta; hisfather, whowasapoorcharcoal- burner, , helaughedasfreelyandasjoyouslyasanyofthem, andatthecloseofeachdancehemadethemeachthefunniestofbows, smilingandnoddingatthemjustasifhewasreallyoneofthemselves, andnotalittlemisshapenthingthatNature, insomehumourousmood, , , andseemedtodanceforheralone, andwhenatthecloseoftheperformance, rememberinghowshehadseenthegreatladiesoftheCourtthrowbouquetstoCaffarelli, thefamousItaliantreble, whomthePopehadsentfromhisownchapeltoMadridthathemightcuretheKing’smelancholybythesweetnessofhisvoice, shetookoutofherhairthebeautifulwhiterose, andpartlyforajestandpartlytoteasetheCamerera, threwittohimacrossthearenawithhersweetestsmile, hetookthewholematterquiteseriously, andpressingtheflowertohisroughcoarselipsheputhishanduponhisheart, andsankononekneebeforeher, grinningfromeartoear, andwithhislittlebrighteyessparklingwithpleasure.
