"my friend telesforo," gabriel went on, after having drained another glass of wine, "also rested a moment when he reached this point, and then he proceeded as follows:
"'if my story ended here, perhaps you would not find anything extraordinary or supernatural in it. you would say to me the same thing that men of good judgment said to me at that time: that every one who has a lively imagination is subject to some impulse of fear or other; that mine came from belated, solitary women, and that the old creature of jardines street was only some homeless waif who was going to beg of me when i screamed and ran.
"'for my part, i tried to believe that it was so. i even came to believe it at the end of several months. still, i would have given years of my life to be sure that i was not again to encounter the tall woman. but, to-day, i would give every drop of my blood to be able to meet her again.'
"'what for?'
"'to kill her on the spot.'
"'i do not understand you.'
"'you will understand me when i tell you that i did meet her again, three weeks ago, a few hours before i had the fatal news of my poor joaquina's death.'
"'tell me about it, tell me about it!'
"'there is little more to tell. it was five o'clock in the morning. it was not yet fully light, though the dawn was visible from the streets looking towards the east. the street-lamps had just been put out, and the policemen had withdrawn. as i was going through prado street, so as to get to the other end of lobo street, the dreadful woman crossed in front of me. she did not look at me, and i thought she had not seen me.
"'she wore the same dress and carried the same fan as three years before. my trepidation and alarm were greater than ever. i ran rapidly across prado street as soon as she had passed, although i did not take my eyes off her, so as to make sure that she did not look back, and, when i had reached the other end of lobo street, i panted as if i had just swum an impetuous stream. then i pressed on with fresh speed towards home, filled now with gladness rather than fear, for i thought that the hateful witch had been conquered and shorn of her power, from the very fact that i had been so near her and yet that she had not seen me.
"'but soon, and when i had almost reached this house, a rush of fear swept over me, in the thought that the crafty old hag had seen and recognized me, that she had made a pretence of not knowing me so as to let me get into lobo street, where it was still rather dark, and where she might set upon me in safety, that she would follow me, that she was already over me.
"'upon this, i looked around—and there she was! there at my shoulder, almost touching me with her clothes, gazing at me with her horrible little eyes, displaying the gloomy cavern of her mouth, fanning herself in a mocking manner, as if to make fun of my childish alarm.
"'i passed from dread to the most furious anger, to savage and desperate rage. i dashed at the heavy old creature. i flung her against the wall. i put my hand to her throat. i felt of her face, her breast, the straggling locks of her gray hair until i was thoroughly convinced that she was a human being—a woman.
"'meanwhile she had uttered a howl which was hoarse and piercing at the same time. it seemed false and feigned to me, like the hypocritical expression of a fear which she did not really feel. immediately afterwards she exclaimed, making believe cry, though she was not crying, but looking at me with her hyena eyes:
"'"why have you picked a quarrel with me?"
"'this remark increased my fright and weakened my wrath.
"'"then you remember," i cried, "that you have seen me somewhere else."
"'"i should say so, my dear," she replied, mockingly. "saint eugene's night, in jardines street, three years ago."
"'my very marrow was chilled.
"'"but who are you?" i asked, without letting go of her. "why do you follow me? what business have you with me?"
"'"i am a poor weak woman," she answered, with a devilish leer. "you hate me, and you are afraid of me without any reason. if not, tell me, good sir, why you were so frightened the first time you saw me."
"'"because i have loathed you ever since i was born. because you are the evil spirit of my life."
"'"it seems, then, that you have known me for a long time. well, look, my son, so have i known you."
"'"you have known me? how long?"
"'"since before you were born! and when i saw you pass by me, three years ago, i said to myself, that's the one."
"'"but what am i to you? what are you to me?"
"'"the devil!" replied the hag, spitting full in my face, freeing herself from my grasp, and running away with amazing swiftness. she held her skirts higher than her knees, and her feet did not make the slightest noise as they touched the ground.
"'it was madness to try to catch her. besides, people were already passing through the carrera de san jeronimo, and in prado street, too. it was broad daylight. the tall woman kept on running, or flying, as far as huertas street, which was now lighted up by the sun. there she stopped to look back at me. she waved her closed fan at me once or twice, threateningly, and then disappeared around a corner.
"'wait a little longer, gabriel. do not yet pronounce judgment in this case, where my life and soul are concerned. listen to me two minutes longer.
"'when i entered my house i met colonel falcon, who had just come to tell me that my joaquina, my betrothed, all my hope and happiness and joy on earth, had died the day before in santa agueda. the unfortunate father had telegraphed falcon to tell me—me, who should have divined it an hour before, when i met the evil spirit of my life! don't you understand, now, that i must kill that born enemy of my happiness, that vile old hag, who is the living mockery of my destiny?
"'but why do i say kill? is she a woman? is she a human being? why have i had a presentiment of her ever since i was born? why did she recognize me when she first saw me? why do i never see her except when some great calamity has befallen me? is she satan? is she death? is she life? is she antichrist? who is she? what is she?'"
