[The same, the goatherd, an archer. They enter at left]
AN ARCHER. (Dragging the goatherd) Go in! you beggar!
THE GOATHERD. (Obeying) Lord! have mercy!
THE ARCHER. (To Arias, out of breath) He attempted to flee, the fool!
He ran faster than his goats.
ENRIQUE. Is he a goatherd?
THE ARCHER. So he says.
RAMIRO. (Taking the goatherd by the collar and compelling him to fall
upon his knees before Enrique) Answer, villain, Don Enrique Palacios!
ENRIQUE. It is you, then, who stole the body?
THE GOATHERD. Me! my Sweet Deliverer!--touch a corpse!
ENRIQUE. Then why did you run?
THE GOATHERD. (Lowering his voice) For not speaking--and for fear she
would revenge herself upon me for exposing her!
ENRIQUE. And who--is she?
THE GOATHERD. (Looking nervously about) She who took the body.
ENRIQUE. A woman?
THE GOATHERD. (Half aloud) The Moorish woman!
THE OTHERS. (Seconding him) The Sorceress!--Yes!--Yes!--It was
she!--It was she!
ENRIQUE. The Sorceress?
THE GOATHERD. Certainly, my lord. I have often seen her at night
wandering on the heights and making conjurations to the moon, so
I was not surprised to see her up there at daybreak this morning
making curious gestures, in this way--I hurried my flock to avoid
her--when two nigger devils approached her along that path! I was
seized with a foolish fancy to know what these three were charming,
and I clambered and crawled over the rocks toward them. But she
pricked up her ears, the magician, and scrutinized the slope where I
was lying with such a terrible gaze that I rolled down and scampered
away, saying to myself: "I hope that her eyes have not changed me
into a brown owl, or into a bad beast!"
ENRIQUE. Then she is the guilty one?
THE PEASANTS. (Eagerly) It is she, your lordship; it is the Sorceress,
without a doubt.
ENRIQUE. And who among you believe she is a sorceress?
THE PEASANTS. Oh, all!
FIRST MAN. It is believed everywhere.
A WOMAN. She has caused enough misfortune with her deviltries!
SECOND MAN. It has been proved that words from her will give rot to
the sheep.