eted himself with him in the sacristy to hear his confession with the help of a dictionary of sins。 It was such a long list that the aged priest； used to going to bed at six o’clock； fell asleep in his chair before it was over。 The interrogation was a revelation for Jos？Arcadio Segundo。 It did not surprise him that the priest asked him if he had done bad things with women； and he honestly answered no； but he was upset with the question as to whether he had done them with animals。 The first Friday in May he received munion； tortured by curiosity。 Later on he asked Petronio； the sickly sexton who lived in the belfry and who； according to what they said； fed himself on bats； about it； and Petronio； answered him： “There are some corrupt Christians who do their business with female donkeys。？Jos？Arcadio Segundo still showed so much curiosity and asked so many questions that Petronio lost his patience。
“I go Tuesday nights；？he confessed。 “if you promise not to tell anyone I’ll take you next Tuesday。？
Indeed； on the following Tuesday Petronio came down out of the tower with a wooden stool which until then no one had known the use of； and he took Jos？Arcadio Segundo to a nearby pasture。 The boy became so taken with those nocturnal raids that it was a long time before he was seen at Catarino’s。 He became a cockfight man。 “Take those creatures somewhere else；？？rsula ordered him the first time she saw him e in with his fine fighting birds。 “Roosters have already brought too much bitterness to this house for you to bring us any more。？Jos？Arcadio Segundo took them away without any argument； but he continued breeding them at the house of Pilar Ternera； his grandmother； who gave him everything he needed in exchange for having him in her house。 He soon displayed in the cockpit the wisdom that Father Antonio Isabel had given him； and he made enough money not only to enrich his brood but also to look for a man’s satisfactions。 ？rsula pared him with his brother at that time and could not understand how the twins； who looked like the same person in childhood； had ended up so differently。 Her perplexity did not last very long； for quite soon Aureliano Segundo began to show signs of laziness and dissipation。 While he was shut up in Melquíades？room he was drawn into himself the way Colonel Aureliano Buendía had been in his youth。 But a short time after the Treaty of Neerlandia； a piece of chance took him out of his withdrawn self and made him face the reality of the world。 A young woman who was selling numbers for the raffle of an accordion greeted him with a great deal of familiarity。 Aureliano Segundo was not surprised； for he was frequently confused with his brother。 But he did not clear up the mistake； not even when the girl tried to soften his heart with sobs； and she ended taking him to her room。 She liked him so much from that first meeting that she fixed things so that he would win the accordion in the raffle。 At the end of two weeks Aureliano Segundo realized that the woman had been going to bed alternately with him and his brother； thinking that they were the same man； and instead of making things clear； he arranged to prolong the situation。 He did not return to Melquíades？room。 He would spend his afternoons in the courtyard； learning to play the accordion by ear over the protests of ？rsula； who at that time had forbidden music in the house because of the mourning and who； in addition； despised the accordion as an instrument worthy only of the vagabond heirs of Francisco the Man。 Nevertheless； Aureliano Segundo became a virtuoso on the accordion and he still was after he had married and had children and was one of the most respected men in Macondo。
For almost two months he shared the woman with his brother。 He would watch him； mix up his plans； and when he was sure that Jos？Arcadio Segundo was not going to visit their mon mistress that night； he would go and sleep with her。 One morning he found that he was sick。 Two days later he found his brother clinging to a beam in the bathroom； soaked in sweat and with tears pouring down； and then he understood。 His brother confessed to him that the woman had sent him away because he had given her what she called a low…life sickness。 He also told him how Pilar Ternera had tried to cure him。 Aureliano Segundo submitted secretly to the burning baths of permanganate and to diuretic waters； and both were cured separately after three months of secret suffering。 Jos？Arcadio Segundo did not see the woman again。 Aureliano Segundo obtained her pardon and stayed with her until his death。
Her name was Petra Cotes。 She had arrived in Macondo in the middle of the war with a chalice husband who lived off raffles； and when the man died she kept up the business。 She was a clean young mulatto woman with yellow almond…shaped eyes that gave her face the ferocity of a panther； but she had a generous heart and a magnificent vocation for love。 When ？rsula realized that Jos？Arcadio Segundo was a cockfight man and that Aureliano Segundo played the accordion at his concubine’s noisy parties； she thought she would go mad with the bination。 It was as if the defects of the family and none of the virtues had been concentrated in both。 Then she decided that no one again would be called Aureliano or Jos？Arcadio。 Yet when Aureliano Segundo had his first son she did not dare go against his will。
“All right；？？rsula said； “but on one condition： I will bring him up。？
Although she was already a hundred years old and on the point of going blind from cataracts； she still had her physical dynamism； her integrity of character； and her mental balance intact。 No one would be better able than she to shape the virtuous man who would restore the prestige of the family； a man who would never have heard talk of war； fighting cocks； bad women； or wild undertakings； four calamities that； according to what ？rsula thought； had determined the downfall。 of their line。 “This one will be a priest；？she promised solemnly。 “And if God gives me life he’ll be Pope someday。？They all laughed when they heard her； not only in the bedroom but all through the house； where Aureliano Segundo’s rowdy friends were gathered。 The war； relegated to the attic of bad memories； was momentarily recalled with the popping of champagne bottles。
“To the health of the Pope；？Aureliano Segundo toasted。
The guests toasted in a chorus。 Then the man of the house played the accordion； fireworks were set off； and drums celebrated the event throughout the town。 At dawn the guests； soaked in champagne； sacrificed six cows and put them in the street at the disposal of the crowd。 No one was scandalized。 Since Aureliano Segundo had taken charge of the house those festivities were a mon thing； even when there was no motive as proper as the birth of a Pope。 In a few years； without effort； simply by luck； he had accumulated one of the largest fortunes in the swamp thanks to the supernatural proliferation of his animals。 His mares would bear triplets； his hens laid twice a day； and his hogs fattened with such speed that no one could explain such disorderly fecundity except through the use of black magic。 “Save something now；？？rsula would tell her wild