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ios the Beauty and offered her the solitary rose。 She took it with a natural gesture； as if she had been prepared for that homage； and then she uncovered her face and gave her thanks with a smile。 That was all she did。 Not only for the gentleman； but for all the men who had the unfortunate privilege of seeing her； that was an eternal instant。
From then on the gentleman had a band of musicians play beside the window of Remedios the Beauty； sometimes until dawn。 Aureliano Segundo was the only one who felt a cordial passion for him and he tried to break his perseverance。 “Don’t waste your time any more；？he told him one night。 “The women in this house are worse than mules。？He offered him his friendship； invited him to bathe in champagne； tried to make him understand that the females of his family had insides made of flint； but he could not weaken his obstinacy。 Exasperated by the interminable nights of music； Colonel Aureliano Buendía threatened to cure his affliction with a few pistol shots。 Nothing made him desist except his own lamentable state of demoralization。 From a welldressed and neat individual he became filthy and ragged。 It was rumored that he had abandoned power and fortune in his distant nation； although his origins were actually never known。 He became argumentative； a barroom brawler； and he would wake up rolling in his own filth in Catarino’s store。 The saddest part of his drama was that Remedios the Beauty did not notice him not even when he appeared in church dressed like a prince。 She accepted the yellow rose without the least bit of malice； amused； rather； by the extravagance of the act； and she lifted her shawl to see his face better； not to show hers。
Actually； Remedios the Beauty was not a creature of this world。 Until she was well along in puberty Santa Sofía de la。 Piedad had to bathe and dress her； and even when she could take care of herself it was necessary to keep an eye on her so that she would not paint little animals on the walls with a stick daubed in her own excrement。 She reached twenty without knowing how to read or write； unable to use the silver at the table； wandering naked through the house because her nature rejected all manner of convention。 When the young mander of the guard declared his love for her； she rejected him simply because his frivolity startled her。 “See how simple he is；？she told Amaranta。 “He says that he’s dying because of me； as if I were a bad case of colic。？When； indeed； they found him dead beside her window； Remedios the Beauty confirmed her first impression。
“You see；？she mented。 “He was a plete Simpleton。？
It seemed as if some penetrating lucidity permitted her to see the reality of things beyond any formalism。 That at least was the point of view of Colonel Aureliano Buendía； for whom Remedios the Beauty was in no way mentally retarded； as was generally believed； but quite the opposite。 “It’s as if she’s e back from twenty years of war；？he would say。 ？rsula； for her part； thanked God for having awarded the family with a creature of exceptional purity； but at the same time she was disturbed by her beauty； for it seemed a contradictory virtue to her； a diabolical trap at the center of her innocence。 It was for that reason that she decided to keep her away from the world； to protect her from all earthly temptation； not knowing that Remedios the Beauty； even from the time when she was in her mother’s womb； was safe from any contagion。 It never entered her head that they would elect her beauty queen of the carnival pandemonium。 But Aureliano； Segundo； excited at the caprice of disguising himself as a tiger； brought Father Antonio Isabel to the house in order to convince ？rsula that the carnival was not a pagan feast； as she said； but a Catholic tradition。 Finally convinced； even though reluctantly； she consented to the coronation。
The news that Remedios Buendía was going to be the sovereign ruler of the festival went beyond the limits of the swamp in a few hours； reached distant places where the prestige of her beauty was not known； and it aroused the anxiety of those who still thought of her last name as a symbol of subversion。 The anxiety was baseless。 If anyone had bee harmless at that time it was the aging and disillusioned Colonel Aureliano Buendía； who was slowly losing all contact with the reality of the nation。 Enclosed in his workshop； his only relationship with the rest of the world was his business in little gold fishes。 One of the soldiers who had guarded his house during the first days of peace would go sell them in the villages of the swamp and return loaded down with coins and news。 That the Conservative government； he would say； with the backing of the Liberals； was reforming the calendar so that every president could remain in power for a hundred years。 That the concordat with the Holy See had finally been signed and a cardinal had e from Rome with a crown of diamonds and a throne of solid gold； and that the Liberal ministers had had their pictures taken on their knees in the act of kissing his ring。 That the leading lady of a Spanish pany passing through the capital had been kidnapped by a band of masked highwaymen and on the following Sunday she had danced in the nude at the summer house of the president of the republic。 “Don’t talk to me about politics；？the colonel would tell him。 “Our business is selling little fishes。？The rumor that he did not want to hear anything about the situation in the country because he was growing rich in his workshop made ？rsula laugh when it reached her ears。 With her terrible practical sense she could not understand the colonel’s business as he exchanged little fishes for gold coins and then converted the coins into little fishes； and so on； with the result that he had to work all the harder with the more he sold in order to satisfy an exasperating vicious circle。 Actually； what interested him was not the business but the work。 He needed so much concentration to link scales； fit minute rubies into the eyes； laminate gills； and put on fins that there was not the smallest empty moment left for him to fill with his disillusionment of the war。 So absorbing was the attention required by the delicacy of his artistry that in a short time he had aged more than during all the years of the war； and his position had twisted his spine and the close work had used up his eyesight； but the implacable concentration awarded him with a peace of the spirit。 The last time he was seen to take an interest in some matter related to the war was when a group of veterans from both parties sought his support for the approval of lifetime pensions； which had always been promised and were always about to be put into effect。 “Fet about it；？he told them。 “You can see how I refuse my pension in order to get rid of the torture of waiting for it until the day I died。？At first Colonel Gerineldo Márquez would visit him at dusk and they would both sit in the street door and talk about the past。 But Amaranta could not bear the memories that that man； whose baldness had plunged him into the abyss of premature old age； aroused in her； and she would torment him with snide remarks until he did not e back except on special occasions and he finally disappeared； extinguished by paralysis。 Taciturn； silent； insensible to the new breath of vitality that was shaking the house； Colonel Aureliano Buendía could understand only that the secret of a good old age is simply an honorable pact with solitude。 He would get up at five in the morning after a light sleep； have his eternal mug of bitter coffee in the kitchen； shut himself up all day in the workshop； and at four in the afternoon he would go along the porch dragging a stool； not even noticing the fire of the rose bushes or the brightness of the hour or the persistence of Amaranta； whose melancholy made the noise of a boiling pot； which was perfectly perceptible at dusk； and he would sit in the street door as long as the mosquitoes would allow him to。 Someone dared to disturb his solitude once。
“How are you； Colonel？？he asked in passing。
“Right here；？he answered。 “Waiting for my funeral procession to pass。？
So that the anxiety caused by the public reappearance of his fami