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previous months and what little he had received from the sale of the pianola； the clavichord； and other junk that had fallen into disrepair。 According to his calculations； that sum would be enough for her studies； so that all that was lacking was the price of her fare back home。 Fernanda was against the trip until the last moment； scandalized by the idea that Brussels was so close to Paris and its perdition； but she calmed down with the letter that Father Angel gave her addressed to a boardinghouse run by nuns for Catholic young ladies where Amaranta ？rsula promised to stay until her studies were pleted。 Furthermore； the parish priest arranged for her to travel under the care of a group of Franciscan nuns who were going to Toledo； where they hoped to find dependable people to acpany her to Belgium。 While the urgent correspondence that made the coordination possible went forward； Aureliano Segundo； aided by Petra Cates； prepared Amaranta ？rsula’s baggage。 The night on which they were packing one of Fernanda’s bridal trunks； the things were so well anized that the schoolgirl knew by heart which were the suits and cloth slippers she could wear crossing the Atlantic and the blue cloth coat with copper buttons and the cordovan shoes she would wear when she landed。 She also knew how to walk so as not to fall into the water as she went up the gangplank； that at no time was she to leave the pany of the nuns or leave her cabin except to eat； and that for no reason was she to answer the questions asked by people of any sex while they were at sea。 She carried a small bottle with drops for seasickness and a notebook written by Father Angel in his own hand containing six prayers to be used against storms。 Fernanda made her a canvas belt to keep her money in； and she would not have to take it off even to sleep。 She tried to give her the chamberpot； washed out with lye and disinfected with alcohol； but Amaranta ？rsula refused it for fear that her schoolmates would make fun of her。 A few months later； at the hour of his death； Aureliano Segundo would remember her as he had seen her for the last time as she tried unsuccessfully to lower the window of the secondclass coach to hear Fernanda’s last piece of advice。 She was wearing a pink silk dress with a corsage of artificial pansies pinned to her left shoulder； her cordovan shoes with buckles and low heels； and sateen stockings held up at the thighs with elastic garters。 Her body was slim； her hair loose and long； and she had the lively eyes that ？rsula had had at her age and the way in which she said goodbye； without crying but without smiling either； revealed the same strength of character。 Walking beside the coach as it picked up speed and holding Fernanda by the arm so that she would not stumble； Aureliano scarcely had time to wave at his daughter as she threw him a kiss with the tips of her fingers。 The couple stood motionless under the scorching sun； looking at the train as it merged with the black strip of the horizon； linking arms for the first time since the day of their wedding。
On the ninth of August； before they received the first letter from Brussels； Jos？Arcadio Segundo was speaking to Aureliano in Melquíades？room and； without realizing it； he said：
“Always remember that they were more than three thousand and that they were thrown into the sea。？
Then he fell back on the parchments and died with his eyes open。 At that same instant； in Fernanda’s bed； his twin brother came to the end of the prolonged and terrible martyrdom of the steel crabs that were eating his throat away。 One week previously he had returned home； without any voice； unable to breathe； and almost skin and bones； with his wandering trunks and his wastrel’s accordion； to fulfill the promise of dying beside his wife。 Petra Cotes helped him pack his clothes and bade him farewell without shedding a tear； but she fot to give him the patent leather shoes that he wanted to wear in his coffin。 So when she heard that he had died； she dressed in black； wrapped the shoes up in a newspaper； and asked Fernanda for permission to see the body。 Fernanda would not let her through the door。
“Put yourself in my place；？Petra Cotes begged。 “Imagine how much I must have loved him to put up with this humiliation。？
“There is no humiliation that a concubine does not deserve；？Fernanda replied。 “So wait until another one of your men dies and put the shoes on him。？
In fulfillment of her promise； Santa Sofía de la Piedad cut the throat of Jos？Arcadio Segundo’s corpse with a kitchen knife to be sure that they would not bury him alive。 The bodies were placed in identical coffins； and then it could be seen that once more in death they had bee as Identical as they had been until adolescence。 Aureliano Segundo’s old carousing rades laid on his casket a wreath that had a purple ribbon with the words： Cease； cows； life is short。 Fernanda was so indignant with such irreverence that she had the wreath thrown onto the trash heap。 In the tumult of the last moment； the sad drunkards who carried them out of the house got the coffins mixed up and buried them in the wrong graves。
Chapter 18
AURELIANO DID NOT leave Melquíades？room for a long time。 He learned by heart the fantastic legends of the crumbling books； the synthesis of the studies of Hermann the Cripple； the notes on the science of demonology； the keys to the philosopher’s stone； the Centuries of Nostradamus and his research concerning the plague； so that he reached adolescence without knowing a thing about his own time but with the basic knowledge of a medieval man。 Any time that Santa Sofía de la Piedad would go into his room she would find him absorbed in his reading。 At dawn she would bring him a mug of coffee without sugar and at noon a plate of rice and slices of fried plantain； which were the only things eaten in the house since the death of Aureliano Segundo。 She saw that his hair was cut； picked off the nits； took in to his size the old clothing that she found in fotten trunks； and when his mustache began to appear the brought him Colonel Aureliano Buendía’s razor and the small gourd he had used as a shaving mug。 None of the latter’s children had looked so much like him； not even Aureliano Jos？ particularly in respect to the prominent cheekbones and the firm and rather pitiless line of the lips。 As had happened to ？rsula with Aureliano Segundo when the latter was studying in the room； Santa Sofía de la Piedad thought that Aureliano was talking to himself。 Actually； he was talking to Melquíades。 One burning noon； a short time after the death of the twins； against the light of the window he saw the gloomy old man with his crow’swing hat like the materialization of a memory that had been in his head since long before he was born。 Aureliano had finished classifying the alphabet of the parchments； so that when Melquíades asked him if he had discovered the language in which they had been written he did not hesitate to answer。
“Sanskrit；？he said。
Melquíades revealed to him that his opportunities to return to the room were limited。 But he would go in peace to the meadows of the ultimate death because Aureliano would have time to learn Sanskrit during the years remaining until the parchments became one hundred years old； when they could be deciphered。 It was he who indicated to Aureliano that on the narrow street going down to the river； where dreams had been interpreted during the time of the banana pany； a wise Catalonian had a bookstore where there was a Sanskrit primer； which would be eaten by the moths within six years if he did not hurry to buy it。 For the first time in her long life Santa Sofía de la Piedad let a feeling show through； and it was a feeling of wonderment when Aureliano asked her to bring him the book that could be found between Jerusalem Delivered and Milton’s poems on the extreme righthand side of the second shelf of the bookcases。 Since she could not read； she memorized what he had said and got some money by selling one of the seventeen little gold fishes left in the workshop； the whereabouts of which； after being hidden the night the soldiers searched the house； was known only by her and Aureliano。
Aureliano made p