El Comendador Mendoza Obras Completas Tomo VII

El Comendador Mendoza Obras Completas Tomo VII

Juan Valera

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El Comendador Mendoza Obras Completas Tomo VII by Juan Valera

El Comendador Mendoza Obras Completas Tomo VII Chapter 1 No.1

á pesar de los quehaceres y cuidados que me retienen en Madrid casi de continuo, todavía suelo ir de vez en cuando á Villabermeja y á otros lugares de Andalucía, á pasar cortas temporadas de uno á dos meses.

La última vez que estuve en Villabermeja ya habían salido á luz Las

Ilusiones del Doctor Faustino.

D. Juan Fresco me mostró en un principio algún enojo de que yo hubiese sacado á relucir su vida y las de varios parientes suyos en un libro de entretenimiento; pero al cabo, conociendo que yo no lo había hecho á mal hacer, me perdonó la falta de sigilo. Es más: D. Juan aplaudió la idea de escribir novelas fundadas en hechos reales, y me animó á que siguiese cultivando el género. Esto nos movió á hablar del Comendador Mendoza.

-?El vulgo -dije yo,- cree aún que el Comendador anda penando, durante la noche, por los desvanes de la casa solariega de los Mendozas, con su manto blanco del hábito de Santiago?

-Amigo mío -contestó D. Juan,- el vulgo lee ya El Citador y otros libros y periódicos librepensadores. En la incredulidad, además, está como impregnado el aire que se respira. No faltan jornaleros escépticos; pero las mujeres, por lo común, siguen creyendo á pie juntillas. Los mismos jornaleros escépticos niegan de día y rodeados de gente, y de noche, á solas, tienen más miedo que antes de lo sobrenatural, por lo mismo que lo han negado durante el día. Resulta, pues, que, á pesar de que vivimos ya en la edad de la razón y se supone que la de la fe ha pasado, no hay mujer bermejina que se aventure á subir á los desvanes de la casa de los Mendozas sin bajar gritando y afirmando á veces que ha visto al Comendador, y apenas hay hombre que suba solo á dichos desvanes sin hacer un grande esfuerzo de voluntad para vencer ó disimular el miedo. El Comendador, por lo visto, no ha cumplido aún su tiempo de purgatorio, y eso que murió al empezar este siglo. Algunos entienden que no está en el purgatorio, sino en el infierno; pero no parece natural que, si está en el infierno, se le deje salir de allí para que venga á mortificar á sus paisanos. Lo más razonable y verosímil es que esté en el purgatorio, y esto cree la generalidad de las gentes.

-Lo que se infiere de todo, ora esté el Comendador en el infierno, ora en el purgatorio, es que sus pecados debieron de ser enormes.

-Pues, mire V. -replicó D. Juan Fresco,- nada cuenta el vulgo de terminante y claro con relación al Comendador. Cuenta, sí, mil confusas patra?as. En Villabermeja se conoce que hirió más la imaginación popular por su modo de ser y de pensar que por sus hechos. Sus hechos conocidos, salvo algún extravío de la mocedad, más le califican de buena que de mala persona.

-De todos modos, ?V. cree que el Comendador era una persona notable?

-Y mucho que lo creo. Yo contaré á V. lo que sé de él, y V. juzgará.

Don Juan Fresco me contó entonces lo que sabía acerca del Comendador

Mendoza. Yo no hago más que ponerlo ahora por escrito.

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