e only one who really was concerned with him as he made him listen to his inprehensible texts and gave him lessons in the art of daguerreotype。 No one imagined how much he wept in secret and the desperation with which he tried to revive Melquíades with the useless study of his papers。 The school； where they paid attention to him and respected him； and then power； with his endless decrees and his glorious uniform； freed him from the weight of an old bitterness。 One night in Catarino’s store someone dared tell him； “you don’t deserve the last name you carry。？Contrary to what everyone expected； Arcadio did not have him shot。
“To my great honor；？he said； “I am not a Buendía。？
Those who knew the secret of his parentage thought that the answer meant that he too was aware of it； but he had really never been。 Pilar Ternera； his mother； who had made his blood boil in the darkroom； was as much an irresistible obsession for him as she had been first for Jos？Arcadio and then for Aureliano。 In spite of her having lost her charms and the splendor of her laugh； he sought her out and found her by the trail of her smell of smoke。 A short time before the war； one noon when she was later than usual in ing for her younger son at school； Arcadio was waiting for her in the room where he was accustomed to take his siesta and where he later set up the stocks。 While the child played in the courtyard； he waited in his hammock； trembling with anxiety； knowing that Pillar Ternera would have to pass through there。 She arrived。 Arcadio grabbed her by the wrist and tried to pull her into the hammock。 “I can’t； I can’t；？Pilar Ternera said in horror。 “You can’t imagine how much I would like to make you happy； but as God is my witness I can’t。？Arcadio took her by the waist with his tremendous hereditary strength and he felt the world disappear with the contact of her skin。 “Don’t play the saint；？he said。 “After all； everybody knows that you’re a whore。？Pilar overcame the disgust that her miserable fate inspired in her。
“The children will find out；？she murmured。 “It will be better if you leave the bar off the door tonight。？
Arcadio waited for her that night trembling with fever in his hammock。 He waited without sleeping； listening to the aroused crickets in the endless hours of early morning and the implacable telling of time by the curlews； more and more convinced that he had been deceived。 Suddenly； when anxiety had broken down into rage； the door opened。 A few months later； facing the firing squad； Arcadio would relive the wandering steps in the classroom； the stumbling against benches； and finally the bulk of a body in the shadows of the room and the breathing of air that was pumped by a heart that was not his。 He stretched out his hand and found another hand with two rings on the same finger about to go astray in the darkness。 He felt the structure of the veins； the pulse of its misfortune； and felt the damp palm with a lifeline cut off at the base of the thumb by the claws of death。 Then he realized that this was not the woman he was waiting for； because she did not smell of smoke but of flower lotion； and she had inflated； blind breasts with nipples like。 a man’s； a sex as stony and round as a nut； and the chaotic tenderness of excited inexperience。 She was a virgin and she had the unlikely name of Santa Sofía de la Piedad。 Pilar Ternera had paid her fifty pesos； half of her life savings； to do what she was doing。 Arcadio； had seen her many times working in her parents？small food store but he had never taken a good look at her because she had that rare virtue of never existing pletely except at the opportune moment。 But from that day on he huddled like a cat in the warmth of her armpit She would go to the school at siesta time with the consent of her parents； to whom Pilar Ternera hid paid the other half of her savings。 Later on； when the government troops dislodged them from the place where they had made love； they did it among the cans of lard and sacks of corn in the back of the store。 About the time that Arcadio was named civil and military leader they had a daughter。
The only relatives who knew about it were Jos？Arcadio and Rebeca； with whom Arcadio maintained close relations at that time； based not so much on kinship as on plicity。 Jos？Arcadio had put his neck into the marital yoke。 Rebeca’s firm character； the voracity of her stomach； her tenacious ambition absorbed the tremendous energy of her husband； who had been changed from a lazy； woman…chasing man into an enormous work animal。 They kept a clean and neat house。 Rebeca would open it wide at dawn and the wind from the graveyard would e in through the windows and go out through the doors to the yard and leave the whitewashed walls and furniture tanned by the saltpeter of the dead。 Her hunger for earth； the cloc…cloc of her parents？bones； the impatience of her blood as it faced Pietro Crespi’s passivity were relegated to the attic of her memory。 All day long she would embroider beside the window； withdrawn from the uneasiness of the war； until the ceramic pots would begin to vibrate in the cupboard and she would get up to warm the meal； much before the appearance； first； of the mangy hounds； and then of the colossus in leggings and spurs with a double…barreled shotgun； who sometimes carried a deer on his shoulder and almost always a string of rabbits or wild ducks。 One afternoon； at the beginning of his rule； Arcadio paid them a surprise visit。 They had not seen him since they had left the house； but he seemed so friendly and familiar that they invited him to share the stew。
Only when they were having coffee did Arcadio reveal the motive behind his visit： he had received a plaint against Jos？Arcadio。 It was said that he had begun by plowing his own yard and had gone straight ahead into neighboring lands； knocking down fences and buildings with his oxen until he took forcible possession of the best plots of land around。 On the peasants whom he had not despoiled because he was not interested in their lands； he levied a contribution which he collected every Saturday with his hunting dogs and his double…barreled shotgun。 He did not deny it。 He based his right on the fact that the usurped lands had been distributed by Jos？Arcadio Buendía at the time of the founding； and he thought it possible to prove that his father had been crazy ever since that time； for he had disposed of a patrimony that really belonged to the family。 It was an unnecessary allegation； because Arcadio had not e to do justice。 He simply offered to set up a registry office so that Jos？Arcadio could legalize his title to the usurped land； under the condition that he delegate to the local government the right to collect the contributions。 They made an agreement。 Years later； when Colonel Aureliano Buendía examined the titles to property； he found registered in his brother’s name all of the land between the hill where his yard was on up to the horizon； including the cemetery； and discovered that during the eleven months of his rule； Arcadio had collected not only the money of the contributions； but had also collected fees from people for the right to bury their dead in Jos？Arcadio’s land。
It took ？rsula several months to find out what was already public knowledge because people hid it from her so as not to increase her suffering。 At first she suspected it。 “Arcadio is building a house；？she confided with feigned pride to her husband as she tried to put a spoonful of calabash syrup into his mouth。 Nevertheless； she involuntarily sighed and said； “I don’t know why； but all this has a bad smell to me。？Later on； when she found out that Arcadio had not only built a house but had ordered some Viennese furniture； she confirmed her suspicion that he was using public funds。 “You’re the shame of our family name；？she shouted at him one Sunday after mass when she saw him in his new house playing cards with his officers。 Arcadio paid no attention to her。 Only then did ？rsula know that he had a six…month…old daughter and that Santa Sofía de la Piedad； with whom he was living outside of marriage； was pregnant again。 She decided to write to Colonel Aureliano Buendía； wherever he was； to bring him up to date on the situation。 But the fast…moving events of those days not only prevented her plans from being carried out； they made her regret having conceived them。 The war； which until then had been only a word to designate a vague and remote circumstance； became a concrete and dramatic reality。 Around the end of February an old woman with an ashen look arrived in Macondo riding a donkey loaded down with brooms。 She seemed so inoffensive that the sentries let her pass without any questions as another vendor； one of the many who often arrived from the towns in the swamp。 She went directly to the barracks。 Arcadio received her in the place where the classroom used to be and which at that time had been transformed into a kind of rearguard encampment； with roiled hammocks hanging on hooks and mats piled up in the corners； and rifles and carbines and even hunting shotguns scattered on the floor。 The old woman stiffened into a military salute before identifying herself：
“I am Colonel Gregorio Stevenson。？