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he¡¡accounts¡¡were¡¡bad¡£¡¡they¡¡wondered¡¡what¡¡had¡¡happened¡¡in¡¡the¡¡world¡¡for¡¡the¡¡animals¡¡not¡¡to¡¡breed¡¡with¡¡the¡¡same¡¡drive¡¡as¡¡before£»¡¡why¡¡money¡¡slipped¡¡through¡¡their¡¡fingers£»¡¡and¡¡why¡¡people¡¡who¡¡a¡¡short¡¡time¡¡before¡¡had¡¡burned¡¡rolls¡¡of¡¡bills¡¡in¡¡the¡¡carousing¡¡considered¡¡it¡¡highway¡¡robbery¡¡to¡¡charge¡¡twelve¡¡cents¡¡for¡¡a¡¡raffle¡¡of¡¡six¡¡hens¡£¡¡Aureliano¡¡Segundo¡¡thought¡¡without¡¡saying¡¡so¡¡that¡¡the¡¡evil¡¡was¡¡not¡¡in¡¡the¡¡world¡¡but¡¡in¡¡some¡¡hidden¡¡place¡¡in¡¡the¡¡mysterious¡¡heart¡¡of¡¡Petra¡¡Cotes£»¡¡where¡¡something¡¡had¡¡happened¡¡during¡¡the¡¡deluge¡¡that¡¡had¡¡turned¡¡the¡¡animals¡¡sterile¡¡and¡¡made¡¡money¡¡scarce¡£¡¡Intrigued¡¡by¡¡that¡¡enigma£»¡¡he¡¡dug¡¡so¡¡deeply¡¡into¡¡her¡¡sentiments¡¡that¡¡in¡¡search¡¡of¡¡interest¡¡he¡¡found¡¡love£»¡¡because¡¡by¡¡trying¡¡to¡¡make¡¡her¡¡love¡¡him¡¡he¡¡ended¡¡up¡¡falling¡¡in¡¡love¡¡with¡¡her¡£¡¡Petra¡¡Cotes£»¡¡for¡¡her¡¡part£»¡¡loved¡¡him¡¡more¡¡and¡¡more¡¡as¡¡she¡¡felt¡¡his¡¡love¡¡increasing£»¡¡and¡¡that¡¡was¡¡how¡¡in¡¡the¡¡ripeness¡¡of¡¡autumn¡¡she¡¡began¡¡to¡¡believe¡¡once¡¡more¡¡in¡¡the¡¡youthful¡¡superstition¡¡that¡¡poverty¡¡was¡¡the¡¡servitude¡¡of¡¡love¡£¡¡Both¡¡looked¡¡back¡¡then¡¡on¡¡the¡¡wild¡¡revelry£»¡¡the¡¡gaudy¡¡wealth£»¡¡and¡¡the¡¡unbridled¡¡fornication¡¡as¡¡an¡¡annoyance¡¡and¡¡they¡¡lamented¡¡that¡¡it¡¡had¡¡cost¡¡them¡¡so¡¡much¡¡of¡¡their¡¡lives¡¡to¡¡fund¡¡the¡¡paradise¡¡of¡¡shared¡¡solitude¡£¡¡Madly¡¡in¡¡love¡¡after¡¡so¡¡many¡¡years¡¡of¡¡sterile¡¡plicity£»¡¡they¡¡enjoyed¡¡the¡¡miracle¡¡of¡¡loving¡¡each¡¡other¡¡as¡¡much¡¡at¡¡the¡¡table¡¡as¡¡in¡¡bed£»¡¡and¡¡they¡¡grew¡¡to¡¡be¡¡so¡¡happy¡¡that¡¡even¡¡when¡¡they¡¡were¡¡two¡¡worn¡out¡¡old¡¡people¡¡they¡¡kept¡¡on¡¡blooming¡¡like¡¡little¡¡children¡¡and¡¡playing¡¡together¡¡like¡¡dogs¡£
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