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orld in him。 In order to be sure that she would not lose him in the shadows； she had assigned him a corner of the bedroom； the only one where he would be safe from the dead people who wandered through the house after sundown。 “If you do anything bad；？？rsula would tell him； “the saints will let me know。？The terrorfilled nights of his childhood were reduced to that corner where he would remain motionless until it was time to go to bed； perspiring with fear on a stool under the watchful and glacial eyes of the tattletale saints。 It was useless torture because even at that time he already had a terror of everything around him and he was prepared to be frightened at anything he met in life： women on the street； who would ruin his blood； the women in the house； who bore children with the tail of a pig； fighting cocks； who brought on the death of men and remorse for the rest of one’s life； firearms； which with the mere touch would bring down twenty years of war； uncertain ventures； which led only to disillusionment and madness—everything； in short； everything that God had created in His infinite goodness and that the devil had perverted。 When he awakened； pressed in the vise of his nightmares； the light in the window and the caresses of Amaranta in the bath and the pleasure of being powdered between the legs with a silk puff would release him from the terror。 Even ？rsula was different under the radiant light in the garden because there she did not talk about fearful things but would brush his teeth with charcoal powder so that he would have the radiant smile of a Pope； and she would cut and polish his nails so that the pilgrims who came to Rome from all over the world would be startled at the beauty of the Pope’s hands as he blessed them； and she would b his hair like that of a Pope； and she would sprinkle his body and his clothing with toilet water so that his body and his clothes would have the fragrance of a Pope。 In the courtyard of Castel Gandolfo he had seen the Pope on a balcony making the same speech in seven languages for a crowd of pilgrims and the only thing； indeed； that had drawn his attention was the whiteness of his hands； which seemed to have been soaked in lye； the dazzling shine of his summer clothing； and the hidden breath of cologne。
Almost a year after his return home； having sold the silver candlesticks and the heraldic chamberpot—which at the moment of truth turned out to have only a little gold plating on the crest—in order to eat； the only distraction of Jos？Arcadio was to pick up children in town so that they could play in the house。 He would appear with them at siesta time and have them skip rope in the garden； sing on the porch； and do acrobatics on the furniture in the living room while he would go among the groups giving lessons in good manners。 At that time he had finished with the tight pants and the silk shirts and was wearing an ordinary suit of clothing that he had bought in the Arab stores； but he still maintained his languid dignity and his papal air。 The children took over the house just as Meme’s schoolmates had done in the past。 Until well into the night they could be heard chattering and singing and tapdancing； so that the house resembled a boarding school where there was no discipline。 Aureliano did not worry about the invasion as long as they did not bother him in Melquíades？room。 One morning two children pushed open the door and were startled at the sight of a filthy and hairy man who was still deciphering the parchments on the worktable。 They did not dare go in； but they kept on watching the room。 They would peep in through the cracks； whispering； they threw live animals in through the transom； and on one occasion they nailed up the door and the window and it took Aureliano half a day to force them open。 Amused at their unpunished mischief； four of the children went into the room one morning while Aureliano was in the kitchen； preparing to destroy the parchments。 But as soon as they laid hands on the yellowed sheets an angelic force lifted them off the ground and held them suspended in the air until Aureliano returned and took the parchments away from them。 From then on they did not bother him。
The four oldest children； who wore short pants in spite of the fact that they were on the threshold of adolescence； busied themselves with Jos？Arcadio’s personal appearance。 They would arrive earlier than the others and spend the morning shaving him； giving him massages with hot towels； cutting and polishing the nails on his hands and feet； and perfuming him with toilet water。 On several occasions they would get into the pool to soap him from head to toe as he floated on his back thinking about Amaranta。 Then they would dry him； powder his body； and dress him。 One of the children； who had curly blond hair and eyes of pink glass like a rabbit； was accustomed to sleeping in the house。 The bonds that linked him to Jos？Arcadio were so strong that he would acpany him in his asthmatic insomnia； without speaking； strolling through the house with him in the darkness。 One night in the room where ？rsula had slept they saw a yellow glow ing through the crumbling cement as if an underground sun had changed the floor of the room into a pane of glass。 They did not have to turn on the light。 It was sufficient to lift the broken slabs in the corner where ？rsula’s bed had always stood and where the glow was most intense to find the secret crypt that Aureliano Segundo had worn himself out searching for during the delirium of his excavations。 There were the three canvas sacks closed with copper wire； and inside of them the seven thousand two hundred fourteen pieces of eight； which continued glowing like embers in the darkness。
The discovery of the treasure was like a deflagration。 Instead of returning to Rome with the sudden fortune； which had been his dream maturing in misery； Jos？Arcadio converted the house into a decadent paradise。 He replaced the curtains and the canopy of the bed with new velvet； and he had the bathroom floor covered with paving stones and the walls with tiles。 The cupboard in the dining room was filled with fruit preserves； hams； and pickles； and the unused pantry was opened again for the storage of wines and liqueurs which Jos？Arcadio himself brought from the railroad station in crates marked with his name。 One night he and the four oldest children had a party that lasted until dawn。 At six in the morning they came out naked from the bedroom； drained the pool； and filled it with champagne。 They jumped in en masse； swimming like birds flying through a sky gilded with fragrant bubbles； while Jos？Arcadio； floated on his back on the edge of the festivities； remembering Amaranta with his eyes open。 He remained that way； wrapped up in himself； thinking about the bitterness of his equivocal pleasures until after the children had bee tired and gone in a troop to the bedroom。 where they tore down the curtains to dry themselves； and in the disorder they broke the rock crystal mirror into four pieces and destroyed the canopy of the bed in the tumult of lying down。 When Jos？Arcadio came back from the bathroom； he found them sleeping in a naked heap in the shipwrecked bedroom。 Inflamed； not so much because of the damage as because of the disgust and pity that he felt for himself in the emptiness of the saturnalia； he armed himself with an ecclesiastical catoninetails that he kept in the bottom of his trunk along with a hairshirt and other instruments of mortification and penance； and drove the children out of the house； howling like a madman and whipping them without mercy as a person would not even have done to a pack of coyotes。 He was done in； with an attack of asthma that lasted for several days and that gave him the look of a man on his deathbed。 On the third night of torture； overe by asphyxiation； he went to Aureliano’s room to ask him the favor of buying some powders to inhale at a nearby drugstore。 So it was that Aureliano； went out for a second time。 He had to go only two blocks to reach the small pharmacy with dusty windows and ceramic bottles with labels in Latin where a girl with the stealthy beauty of a serpent of the Nile gave him the medicine the name of which Jos？Arcadio had