Love of Lady Liana.

by Alvarez y Losada

  The face of Rogan did not demonstrate how much him it attracted the proposal of Liana. A day dedicated to the diversion...

  -- I cannot appear disarmed before the campe­sinos. They...

  -- they will not recognize to you, in addition half to habitan­tes of the village is children of your father... or yours.

  It said this last one with certain repulsion. Rogan felt made an impression before the insolencia of Liana. It would have had to lock up it minutes after the marriage.

  -- and you do not think that either you they will identify?

  -- I do not know how I will disguise myself. I will use patch on an eye. The farmers never will imagine that the gentleman and his es­posa they are with them. A day, Rogan, please...

  One inclined towards him and Rogan smelled lavanda that des­prendía of articles of its wife. It heard its own voice that it said:

  -- Yes -- and he himself pu­do not to believe it.

  Liana threw the arms to him to the neck and it filled of kisses. It did not reach to see the expression of astonishment of Rogan, a reaction that little by little it was smoothed. During momen­to, a little while very brief, he also it embraced it and only one manifestation was not a sexual caress but of to please.

  It was come off her immediately.

  -- I must go to me -- it murmured, separating little --. And you quédate here, do not interfere in the operation of my court.

  She tried to seem victim, but dema­siado felt happy to obtain it.

  -- Of course, I will not make such thing, I am a obedient wife bue­na and, and I am put under my husband in everything. Only in­tento to obtain that my life is more pleasant.

  Rogan did not know very well if it were making fun of or no; really, it needed to restrain as much insolencia.

  -- I must go to me -- it repeated and when she him it offered the hand and Rogan discovered that it vacillated, almost fled from the room. While it descended quickly the stairs thought: It would go with her to the fair and later it would send it definitively to Bevan. And it would order that its Days they returned, yes, that would do. This espo­sa was desbocando completely e interfering with its life.

  But even while it thought about to dispatch it, tam­bién contemplated the possibility of taking to that night his cas­co to the dormitory.

  10

  Liana contemplated the profile of its husband slept to the light the early morning and it smiled. It did not have to sonreir to him, pe­ro it did. The night preceding had waited for whole hours laid down, but he to it no it appeared. Finally, the la­bios tightened, a torch in the hand, she was to buscar­lo to the low floor.

  It did not need to go very far, was in great hall exac­tamente underneath its dormitory, single with Severn, both total and absolutely drunk.

  Severn raised the head of the table and it watched.

  -- Soli'amos to emborrachar to us -- it said, with voice estropajo­sa --. My brother and I used to be always together, but now he has wife.

  -- But still they are emborrachan together -- she with intention said --. We go -- it said to its husband --. Pásame the arm so­bre the shoulders, and we go to the bed.

  -- the spouses change the things -- masculló behind the voice of Severn.

  Liana had to appeal to all his forces to ayu­dar it to raise the stairs.

  -- Your brother needs a wife -- he said to Rogan --. Perhaps it leaves us peacefully if it has its own woman.

  -- Tendra' to be one with much money -- Rogan said, while it unloaded all his weight on Liana and concentra­ba attention in the zooming and narrows stairs in espi­ral --. Very many money and very many hair.

  Liana smiled when hearing this and opened door of ] dormito­rio. Rogan advanced trastabillando until the bed and it fell asleep instantaneously. She thought: Consecrated night goes to the love and it was curled up against the dirty body of Rogan. Yes, it was right. Apparently, to her not him it absolutely concerned the stench that dismissed Rogan.

  , now early to the morning and smiling to dormi­do, it felt cheers and happy, because it was the day that am­bos they would happen together. During a whole day he him perte­necía.

  -- My lady? -- the voice arrived from Joice a traverse of the door.

  -- Yes -- Liana answered and mucama entered, avoiding that the door crujiese.

  Joice threw a glance to the sleepy Rogan and frunció entrecejo.

  -- they are not quick? The others they will raise in awhile more and they will see them.

  Its voice expressed all the dispproval caused by the plan of its master.

  -- Rogan -- Liana said, inclining on its husband and murmuring to him smoothly to the ear:-- Rogan, love mine, tie­nes that to wake up, today is the fair.

  It raised the hand and it touched the cheek of Liana.

  -- Ah, Thursday -- it murmured --. Today it is your day.

  — ¡Thursday! -- she exclaimed, and unloaded blow in the ribs of Rogan --. ¡It wakes up, pile of dung borra­cho I am your wife, not one of your women.

  Rogan took a hand to the ear and it returned pes­tañeando to watch it.

  -- Why outcries? Happens something?

  -- Acabas calling to me with the name of another woman. -- When he watched it inexpressive, because tapeworm does not devise of which it bothered, Liana sighed.-- Tienes levantar­te, today is the fair.

  -- What fair?

  — ¡Men! -- Liana protested between teeth --. The fair where you promised to take to me. You remember the bet? Ten­go prepared clothes of farmers and we must leave cas­tillo so soon are opened the doors. My doncella will ence­rrará in this quarter the whole day, I I have given to understand that what desire of you is a day in the bed, nobody will know that us we have gone.

  Rogan seated.

  -- you have taken many attributions -- it said, fruncien­do entrecejo --. My men must always know where I am.

  -- If they know it, they will speak of the subject and all the campesi­nos will know who you are. You regret to have given your pa­labra?

  Rogan thought that the women who spoke of honor and to fulfill the word pawned they belonged to the same category that the pigs with wings. They did not have to exist and if they existed they were the condemned annoyance, because they do not acepta­ban to remain in his pocilgas.

  Liana inclined towards him and its beautiful ones hair were spilled on the arms of Rogan.

  -- a day of pleasing -- it said in low voice --, we will not make another thing that to eat, to drink and to dance. It will not be necessary to preo­cupar itself by the soldiers, will not be necessary to worry about anything. -- Sonrio', like responding a an inspiration.-- and you will be able to listen if the farmers know something of the ac­tividades of the Howard.

  Rogan reflected about this.

  -- Where they are the clothes?

  Once he was decided, Liana could to induce it to ac­tuar quickly. When they were dressed, it had certainty that nobody would identify them... whenever Rogan remembered that it had to sink shoulders and to maintain the ca­beza, the farmers slightly inclined no they walked like made the gentleman of the place.

  They left the dormitory and they arrived at entrance at the same moment at which the men of Rogan were le­vantando rake. Nobody watched them and when already they were crossing the drawbridge, on the empty pit, Rogan stopped.

  -- Where they are the horses? -- it asked.

  -- the farmers do not mount horses, they walk.

  Rogan frunció entrecejo. It remained of foot, there immovable. The first thought of Liana was to remember that he to him it used to walk with Jeanne Howard, but it was controlled.

  -- Vamos -- it exhorted it --. We will lose ourselves the tea­tral piece if we do not hurry. Or perhaps bu­rro can buy that old that is there. I imagine that by few currencies he

  -- it is not necessary to spend money, I can to walk as much as a man any.

  The six kilometers walked that they separated of the village; around them there was much people: strangers who they arrived to sell mercha
ndise, travellers, relatives of other places. When they already came near to the village, Liana noticed that Rogan began a to tranquilize itself. Its glance still was cautious, because he was soldier and it observed with mistrust to people, but as it seemed that all laughed and it waited expectant the events of the day, leave from their distrust dissipated.

  -- Mira that -- Liana said to him, indicating the standards that flamed in the superior end of the levan­tadas stores by the merchants visitors --. Desayunare­mos what?

  -- Tendri'amos to have eaten before to leave -- Rogan said solemnly.

  Liana outlined a face and sheltered hope of which it would not force it to spend the whole day without eating to aho­rrar few currencies. The fair in a desert field had been organized, in front a the walls of the village.

  -- This field never will return to produce grain -- mas­culló Rogan --. Mainly after all this people are it pisoteado.

  Liana squeaked the teeth and it was asked if in definiti­va to take to Rogan to the fair brillan­te had been an idea so. Yes it dedicated all, day to observe what the farmers made bad, later he would have many things by cua­les to punish them.

  — ¡The theater piece! -- it exclaimed, Liana indicating a great wood scene raised in an end of the field --. Some actors have come from London and all the village was working in this the last week. We go, because if we were delayed we will not have seat.

  Liana took the hand from Rogan and began a arrastrar­lo, taking it up to one of the banks, in the center of the public. Close, a woman with a po­dridas vegetable basket, 'que would throw to actors if she did not please to him what they did.

  Liana made signs to Rogan so that it watched the ver­duras.

  -- We could have brought some.

  -- That means to squander the food -- gruñó Rogan and Liana was asked again if its idea had been good.

  There was a spotted and dirty drop curtain on escena­rio and now a man dressed in clothes arlequín, a red leg and the other black, the arm of the opposite side ro­jo, and the other black, with one túnica with equal colors, sa­lió to announce that the name of the piece was The taming of lord Vulture.

  For some reason, this announcement caused glad riso­tadas of the people who were around Rogan and Liana.

  -- Imagino that it is a comedy -- said Liana, and added, seeing the severe expression of Rogan:-- Hopefully is one come­dia.

  The drop curtain retired and revealed a scene shady place: the bottom were several naked trees in flowerpots covering and first ugly plane an old one squatting on a pile of straw dyed of red so that it seemed a fire. It maintained on the straw a twig of which hung three rats.

  -- Vamos, daughter, the supper is almost ready -- the man shouted.

  Behind the drop curtain it appeared towards right a woman -- or what it seemed to be it. One became towards the public but in reality was a horrible man. The public howled. In the arms of the supposed one woman was a heavy straw wrist and when the woman inclined she stops to deposit the "boy" and was gotten up, the public saw that it had a bust enormous, so enormous that its weight forced to double it the body. It watched the rats.

  -- Father, seems delicious -- he said with acute voice and was squat as opposed to the old one.

  Liana smiled to Rogan and saw that he hardly it paid attention to the piece, watched the people who were around, as if it tried to discover enemies.

  By the left of the scene it arrived another actor, a high man, the raised trunk, high the affluent head, one pe­luca of red wool and on its nose a tip of paper similar to the one of a hawk.

  - - What you do you here? -- it asked the high actor -- I am lord Vulture and you are eating my cattle.

  -- But, my gentleman -- the father moaned --, they are only rats.

  -- But they are my rats -- it said arrogant lord Vulture.

  Liana began to feel a little nervous, this pie­za would not be one parodia of Rogan truth?

  In scene, lord Vulture grasped by neck to the old one and forced it to approach the face the straw fire.

  -- No, my gentleman -- the horrible one exclaimed daughter who incor­poró, while the abraded layer fell of its abundant bust.

  — ¡Aha! -- Vulture with a gesture said lord sensual --. They see here, beauty.

  The reference to the man dressed woman cali­ficando it of beauty it caused the laughter of the public.

  The daughter backed down a step, while lord Vulture approached her. It unloaded a kick on the straw boy sending it by the air through the scene.

  Then lord Vulture opened its long one it castrates. Hanging of the tied waist and to the legs they appeared genita­les enormous. They were of quilted straw, forty and five centimeters in length and twenty of thickness and underneath colga­ban two enormous round pumpkins.

  Liana felt a deep depression.

  -- Salgamos -- it said to Rogan, almost shouting, because the public howled of laughter.

  But now the eyes of Rogan were fixed in esce­na. It tightened a hand on the shoulder of Liana and it forced a to remain in its site. It did not have more alternative than to continue watching.

  In scene, lord Vulture, with the layer opened, it crossed the scene after the ugly woman, until both desa­parecieron. Instantaneously, one of the pelirrojos children of Rogan, appeared before public and did one reveren­cia, was without a doubt the product of the union of lord Vulture with the woman.

  By the left of the scene it appeared a old one bringing a dark bulk, that deposited in the center, nonle­jos of where the father lay on the straw fire.

  -- Now, daughter, to the aim we will be able to warm up to us -- it said, and by the right very ugly dress appeared another man of woman. Only that this man excelled behind and not by delan­te: it had quilted buttock that had been able to be used like a shelf and a chest absolutely smooth.

  While the hearing observed this, another one of the pelirrojos hi­jos of Rogan crossed running the scene and public broke to laugh again.

  Liana did not dare to watch Rogan, was probable that on the following day it ordered to devastate the village and to carve up to his inhabitants.

  In scene, while the mother and her daughter of been bulky back the hands were warmed up on the coal battery, lord Vulture reappeared, its tip of paper seemed great still more.

  -- they are robbing my fuel -- it shouted lord Vulture.

  -- But it is not more than cow dung -- ancia­na moaned --. We are congealing to us.

  -- Quere'is fire, I will ignite to you -- it said lord Vulture --. Aprésenla and quémenla.

  By the left they appeared two men, gross, corpulentos of fierce aspect, with scars painted in faces, so that they seemed monsters more than hom­bres. They grasped by arms to the old one while it moaned and shouted, dragged it until there bottom of the scene, tied it to one of the trees and deposited to his feet dyed straw handfuls of red.

  Meanwhile, lord Vulture watched at daughter.

  -- Ah, sees with me, beautiful -- it said.

  The very ugly man who represented daughter vol­vió towards the public, and put a face so horrible, advanced inferior lip to touch the end of the nose that inclu­so Liana had to laugh. Again lord Vulture retired its layer to reveal the genital grotescos and it persecuted to "mucha­cha" and both left the scene, while behind ma­dre shouted. Two pelirrojos children entered running, one to each side of the scene and hit in the center.

  -- Of the place of where we come there is more -- it ale­gremente announced public one of the children.

  Liana was prepared to insist to Rogan that they left, when still underwent a more intense impression. By iz­quierda a very pretty young person left dressing one long white túnica, with a wig blonde and braids that llega­ban to him until the feet. Liana included/understood that this actress re­presentaba to she herself. And how they would portray those crue­les beings?

  By the right they appeared lord Vulture and a man dressed priest. This it initiated the ceremony of matrimo­nio: lord Vulture, without a doubt boring, not even watched the pretty
young person of target. In change, represented for the public, sent kisses to the girls, yawed the eyes and of as much in as much opened the layer to show what had. target girl maintained the united head and hands inclined.

  When the priest declared them married, lord Bui­tre grasped shoulders of the girl, it raised and it began to shake it it. Of the clothes of the young person currencies fell, and the men of lord Vulture they went running and they hurried to gather them. When no longer it was given off more money of the target lady, he deposited it in sue­lo, gave the back him and it left windy the scene, always coqueteando with the public and opening and closing ca­pa. The lady walked towards the bottom of the scene with the ca­beza inclined.

  Immediately a man entered leading one he is vacant. Lord Vulture met with him in the center of the scene.

  -- What is this? -- Vulture asked lord.

  -- My gentleman -- the man said --, this cow he ate your vegetables.

  Lord Vulture slapped the head of the cow.

  -- the cows need to eat. -- Comenzo' a to move away, but later became and watched suspicaz to the man.-- and you, ate some of my vegetables?

  -- Comi' a small piece of nabo that fell of the mouth of the cow -- the man said.

  — ¡Ahórquenlo! -- Vulture ordered lord and their ferocious ca­balleros entered running.

  The man knelt down.

  -- But, my gentleman, I must feed a six children. Please, compadeceos.

  Lord Vulture watched its men.

  -- Colgad to all the family, will be less mouths that to ali­mentar.

  The horsemen dragged the man until the bottom of the scene and they put a rope to him to the neck. The farmer he remained of foot next to the man burned by the fire, to the old one tied to pyre and to the target lady. This watched that people and wagged with sadness head.

  Suddenly, two pretty young people entered and regordetas to those who Liana identified like two of the Days. Públi­co, and mainly the men, vivó and whistled and the Days were esti­raron and they inclined e they did all the possible one to exhibit its voluptuosos bodies. Liana watched of reojo to Rogan: es­taba seated, immovable like a statue, the eyes and the aten­ción concentrated in the scene.