“I’m going to talk to the girl；？she told him； “and you’ll see what I’ll serve her on the tray。？
She kept her promise。 But it was a bad moment； because the house had lost its peace of former days。 When she discovered Rebeca’s passion； which was impossible to keep secret because of her shouts； Amaranta suffered an attack of fever。 She also suffered from the barb of a lonely love。 Shut up in the bathroom； she would release herself from the torment of a hopeless passion by writing feverish letters； which she finally hid in the bottom of her trunk。 ？rsula barely had the strength to take care of the two sick girls。 She was unable； after prolonged and insidious interrogations； to ascertain the causes of Amaranta’s prostration。 Finally； in another moment of inspiration； she forced the lock on the trunk and found the letters tied with a pink ribbon； swollen with fresh lilies and still wet with tears； addressed and never sent to Pietro Crespi。 Weeping with rage； she cursed the day that it had occurred to her to buy the pianola； and she forbade the embroidery lessons and decreed a kind of mourning with no one dead which was to be prolonged until the daughters got over their hopes。 Useless was the intervention of Jos？Arcadio Buendía； who had modified his first impression of Pietro Crespi and admired his ability in the manipulation of musical machines。 So that when Pilar Ternera told Aureliano that Remedios had decided on marriage； he could see that the news would only give his parents more trouble。 Invited to the parlor for a formal interview； Jos？Arcadio Buendía and ？rsula listened stonily to their son’s declaration。 When he learned the name of the fiancée； however； Jos？Arcadio Buendía grew red with indignation。 “Love is a disease；？he thundered。 “With so many pretty and decent girls around； the only thing that occurs to you is to get married to the daughter of our enemy。？But ？rsula agreed with the choice。 She confessed her affection for the seven Moscote sisters。 for their beauty； their ability for work； their modesty； and their good manners； and she celebrated her son’s prudence。 Conquered by his wife’s enthusiasm； Jos？Arcadio Buendía then laid down one condition： Rebeca； who was the one he wanted； would marry Pietro Crespi。 ？rsula would take Amaranta on a trip to the capital of the province when she had time； so that contact with different people would alleviate her disappointment。 Rebeca got her health back just as soon as she heard of the agreement； and she wrote her fianc？a jubilant letter that she submitted to her parents？approval and put into the mail without the use of any intermediaries。 Amaranta pretended to accept the decision and little by little she recovered from her fevers； but she promised herself that Rebeca would marry only over her dead body。
The following Saturday Jos？Arcadio Buendía put on his dark suit； his celluloid collar； and the deerskin boots that he had worn for the first time the night of the party； and went to ask for the hand of Remedios Moscote。 The magistrate and his wife received him； pleased and worried at the same time； for they did not know the reason for the unexpected visit； and then they thought that he was confused about the name of the intended bride。 In order to remove the mistake； the mother woke Remedios up and carried her into the living room； still drowsy from sleep。 They asked her if it was true that she had decided to get married； and she answered； whimpering； that she only wanted them to let her sleep。 Jos？Arcadio Buendía； understanding the distress of the Moscotes； went to clear things up with Aureliano。 When he returned； the Moscotes had put on formal clothing； had rearranged the furniture and put fresh flowers in the vases； and were waiting in the pany of their older daughters。 Overwhelmed by the unpleasantness of the occasion and the bothersome hard collar； Jos？Arcadio Buendía confirmed the fact that Remedios； indeed； was the chosen one。 “It doesn’t make sense；？Don Apolinar Moscote said with consternation。 “We have six other daughters； all unmarried； and at an age where they deserve it； who would be delighted to be the honorable wife of a gentleman as serious and hard…working as your son； and Aurelito lays his eyes precisely on the one who still wets her bed。？His wife； a well…preserved woman with afflicted eyelids and expression； scolded his mistake。 When they finished the fruit punch； they willingly accepted Aureliano’s decision。 Except that Se？ora Moscote begged the favor of speaking to ？rsula alone。 Intrigued； protesting that they were involving her in men’s affairs； but really feeling deep emotion； ？rsula went to visit her the next day。 A half hour later she returned with the news that Remedios had not reached puberty。 Aureliano did not consider that a serious barrier。 He had waited so long that he could wait as long as was necessary until his bride reached the age of conception。
The newfound harmony was interrupted by the death of Melquíades。 Although it was a foreseeable event； the circumstances were not。 A few months after his return； a process of aging had taken place in him that was so rapid and critical that soon he was treated as one of those useless great…grandfathers who wander about the bedrooms like shades； dragging their feet； remembering better times aloud； and whom no one bothers about or remembers really until the morning they find them dead in their bed。 At first Jos？Arcadio Buendía helped him in his work； enthusiastic over the novelty of the daguerreotypes and the predictions of Nostradamus。 But little by little he began abandoning him to his solitude； for munication was being Increasingly difficult。 He was losing his sight and his hearing； he seemed to confuse the people he was speaking to with others he had known in remote epochs of mankind； and he would answer questions with a plex hodgepodge of languages。 He would walk along groping in the air； although he passed between objects with an inexplicable fluidity； as if be were endowed with some instinct of direction based on an immediate prescience。 One day he forgot to put in his false teeth； which at night he left in a glass of water beside his bed； and he never put them in again。 When ？rsula undertook the enlargement of the house； she had them build him a special room next to Aureliano’s workshop； far from the noise and bustle of the house； with a window flooded with light and a bookcase where she herself put in order the books that were almost destroyed by dust and moths； the flaky stacks of paper covered with indecipherable signs； and the glass with his false teeth； where some aquatic plants with tiny yellow flowers had taken root。 The new place seemed to please Melquíades； because he was never seen any more； not even in the dining room； He only went to Aureliano’s workshop； where he would spend hours on end scribbling his enigmatic literature on the parchments that he had brought with him and that seemed to have been made out of some dry material that crumpled like puff paste。 There he ate the meals that Visitación brought him twice a day； although in the last days he lost his appetite and fed only on vegetables。 He soon acquired the forlorn look that one sees in vegetarians。 His skin became covered with a thin moss； similar to that which flourished on the antique vest that he never took off； and his breath exhaled the odor of a sleeping animal。 Aureliano ended up forgetting about him； absorbed in the position of his poems； but on one occasion he thought he understood something of what Melquíades was saying in his groping monologues； and he paid attention。 In reality； the only thing that could be isolated in the rocky paragraphs was the insistent hammering on the word equinox； equinox； equinox； and the name of Alexander von Humboldt。 Arcadio got a little closer to him when he began to help Aureliano in his silverwork。 Melquíades answered that effort at munication at times by giving forth with phrases in Spanish that had very little to do with reality。 One afternoon； however； he seemed to be illuminated by a sudden emotion。 Years later； facing the firing squad； Arcadio would remember the trembling with which Melquíades made him listen to several pages of his impenetrab