Сто лет одиночества
Chapter 3
Thatdedicationtohiswork,thegoodjudgmentwithwhichhedirectedhisattention,hadallowedAurelianotoearninashorttimemoremoneythanúrsulahadwithherdeliciouscandyfauna,buteverybodythoughtitstrangethathewasnowafullgrownmanandhadnotknownawoman.Itwastruethathehadneverhadone.
SeveralmonthslatersawthereturnofFranciscotheMan,asancientvagabondwhowasalmosttwohundredyearsoldandwhofrequentlypassedthroughMacondodistributingsongsthathecomposedhimself.InthemFranciscotheMantoldingreatdetailthethingsthathadhappenedinthetownsalonghisroute,fromManauretotheedgeoftheswamp,sothatifanyonehadamessagetosendoraneventtomakepublic,hewouldpayhimtwocentstoincludeitinhisrepertory.Thatwashowúrsulalearnedofthedeathofhermother,asasimpleconsequenceoflisteningtothesongsinthehopethattheywouldsaysomethingabouthersonJoséArcadio.FranciscotheMan,calledthatbecausehehadoncedefeatedthedevilinaduelofimprovisation,andwhoserealnamenooneknew,disappearedfromMacondoduringtheinsomniaplagueandonenightheappearedsuddenlyinCatarino’sstore.Thewholetownwenttolistentohimtofindoutwhathadhappenedintheworld.OnthatoccasiontherearrivedwithhimawomanwhowassofatthatfourIndianshadtocarryherinarockingchair,andanadolescentmulattogirlwithaforlornlookwhoprotectedherfromthesunwithanumbrella.AurelianowenttoCatarino’sstorethatnight.
