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In the house they simply thought that her mind was wandering； especially since the time she had begun walking about with her right arm raised like the Archangel Gabriel。 Fernanda； however； realized that there was a sun of clairvoyance in the shadows of that wandering； for ？rsula could say without hesitation how much money had been spent in the house during the previous year。 Amaranta had a similar idea one day as her mother was stirring a pot of soup in the kitchen and said all at once without knowing that they were listening to her that the corn grinder they had bought from the first gypsies and that had disappeared during the time before Jos？Arcadio； had taken his sixty…five trips around the world was still in Pilar Ternera’s house。 Also almost a hundred years old； but fit and agile in spite of her inconceivable fatness； which frightened children as her laughter had frightened the doves in other times； Pilar Ternera was not surprised that ？rsula was correct because her own experience was beginning to tell her that an alert old age can be more keen than the cards。
Nevertheless； when ？rsula realized that she had not had enough time to consolidate the vocation of Jos？Arcadio； she let herself be disturbed by consternation。 She began to make mistakes； trying to see with her eyes the things that intuition allowed her to see with greater clarity。 One morning she poured the contents of an inkwell over the boy’s head thinking that it was rose water。 She stumbled so much in her insistence in taking part in everything that she felt herself upset by gusts of bad humor and she tried to get rid of the shadows that were beginning to wrap her in a straitjacket of cobwebs。 It was then that it occurred to her that her clumsiness was not the first victory of decrepitude and darkness but a sentence passed by time。 She thought that previously； when God did not make the same traps out of the months and years that the Turks used when they measured a yard of percale； things were different。 Now children not only grew faster； but even feelings developed in a different way。 No sooner had Remedios the Beauty ascended to heaven in body and soul than the inconsiderate Fernanda was going about mumbling to herself because her sheets had been carried off。 The bodies of the Aurelianos were no sooner cold in their graves than Aureliano Segundo had the house lighted up again； filled with drunkards playing the accordion and dousing themselves in champagne； as if dogs and not Christians had died； and as if that madhouse which had cost her so many headaches and so many candy animals was destined to bee a trash heap of perdition。 Remembering those things as she prepared Jos？Arcadio’s trunk； ？rsula wondered if it was not preferable to lie down once and for all in her grave and let them throw the earth over her； and she asked God； without fear； if he really believed that people were made of iron in order to bear so many troubles and mortifications； and asking over and over she was stirring up her own confusion and she felt irrepressible desires to let herself go and scamper about like a foreigner and allow herself at last an instant of rebellion； that instant yearned for so many times and so many times postponed； putting her resignation aside and shitting on everything once and for all and drawing out of her heart the infinite stacks of bad words that she had been forced to swallow over a century of conformity。
“Shit！？she shouted。
Amaranta； who was starting to put the clothes into the trunk； thought that she had been bitten by a scorpion。
“Where is it？？she asked in alarm。
“What？？
“The bug！？Amaranta said。
？rsula put a finger on her heart。
“Here；？she said。
On Thursday； at two in the afternoon； Jos？Arcadio left for the seminary。 ‘？rsula would remember him always as she said good…bye to him； languid and serious； without shedding a tear； as she had taught him； sweltering in the heat in the green corduroy suit with copper buttons and a starched bow around his neck。 He left the dining room impregnated with the penetrating fragrance of rose water that she had sprinkled on his head so that she could follow his tracks through the house。 While the farewell lunch was going on； the family concealed its nervousness with festive expressions and they celebrated with exaggerated enthusiasm the remarks that Father Antonio Isabel made。 But when they took out the trunk bound in velvet and with silver corners； it was as if they had taken a coffin out of the house。 The only one who refused to take part in the farewell was Colonel Aureliano Buendía。
“That’s all we need；？he muttered。 “A Pope！？
Three months later Aureliano Segundo and Fernanda took Meme to school and came back with a clavichord； which took the place of the pianola。 It was around that time that Amaranta started sewing her own shroud。 The banana fever had calmed down。 The old inhabitants of Macondo found themselves surrounded by newers and working hard to cling to their precarious resources of times gone by； but forted in any case by the sense that they had survived a shipwreck。 In the house they still had guests for lunch and the old routine was never really set up again until the banana pany left years later。 Nevertheless； there were radical changes in the traditional sense of hospitality because at that time it was Fernanda who imposed her rules。 With ？rsula relegated to the shadows and with Amaranta absorbed In the work of her winding cloth； the former apprentice queen had the freedom to choose the guests and impose on them the rigid norms that her parents had taught her。 Her severity made the house a redoubt of old customs in a town convulsed by the vulgarity with which the outsiders squandered their easy fortunes。 For her； with no further questions asked； proper people were those who had nothing to do with the banana pany。 Even Jos？Arcadio Segundo； her brother…in…law； was the victim of her discriminatory jealousy because during the excitement of the first days he gave up his stupendous fighting cocks again and took a job as foreman with the banana pany。
“He won’t ever e into this house again；？Fernanda said； “as long as he carries the rash of the foreigners。？
Such was the narrowness imposed in the house that Aureliano Segundo felt more fortable at Petra Cotes’s。 First； with the pretext of taking the burden off his wife； he transferred his parties。 Then； with the pretext that the animals were losing their fertility； he transferred his barns and stables。 Finally； with the pretext that it was cooler in his concubine’s house； he transferred the small office in which he handled his business。 When Fernanda realized that she was a widow whose husband had still not died； it was already too late for things to return to their former state。 Aureliano Segundo barely ate at home and the only appearances he put in； such as to sleep with his wife； were not enough to convince anyone。 One night； out of carelessness； morning found him in Petra Cotes’s bed。 Fernanda； contrary to expectations； did not reproach him in the least or give the slightest sigh of resentment； but on the same day she sent two trunks with his clothing to the house of his concubine。 She sent them in broad daylight and with instructions that they be carried through the middle of the street so that everyone could see them； thinking that her straying husband would be unable to bear the shame and would return to the fold with his head hung low。 But that heroic gesture was just one more proof of how poorly Fernanda knew not only the character of her husband but the character of a munity that had nothing to do with that of her parents； for everyone who saw the trunks pass by said that it was the natural culmination of a story whose intimacies were known to everyone； and Aureliano Segundo celebrated the freedom he had received with a party that lasted for three days。 To the greater disadvantage of his wife； as she was entering into a sad maturity with her somber long dresses； her old…fashioned medals； and her out…of…place pride； the concubine seemed to be bursting with a second youth； clothed in gaudy dresses of natural silk and with her eyes tiger…striped with a glow of vindication。 Aureliano Segundo gave himself over to her again with the fury of adolescence； as before； when Petra Cotes had not loved him for himself but because she had him mixed up with his twin brother and as she slept with both of them at the same time she thought that God had given her the good fortune of having a man who could make love like two。 The restored passion was so pressing that on more than one occasion they would look each other in the eyes as they were getting ready to eat and without saying anything they would cover their plates and go into the bedroom dying of hunger and of love。 Inspired by the things he had seen on his furtive visits to the French matrons； Aureliano Segundo bought Petra Cotes a bed with an archiepiscopal canopy； put velvet curtains on the windows； and covered the ceiling and the walls of the bedroom with large rock…crystal mirrors。 At the same time he was more of a carouser and spendthrift than ever。 On the train； which arrived every day at eleven o’clock； he would receive cases and more cases of champagne a