A SPANISH CHAPTER
His removal snapped a chain. These two persons became themselves.
Manuela with eyes ablaze strode over to Esteban. "Well," she said.
"You have found me. What is your pleasure?"
He sat very still on his donkey, watching her. He rolled himself a
cigarette, still watching, and as he lighted it, looked at her over the
flame.
"Speak, Esteban," she said, quivering; but he took two luxurious
inhalations first, discharged in dense columns through his nose. Then
he said, breathing smoke, "I have come to kill you, Manuelita--from
Pobledo in a day and a half."
She had folded her arms, and now nodded. "I know it. I have expected
you."
"Of course," said Esteban, inhaling enormously. He shot the smoke
upwards towards the light, where it floated and spread out in radiant
bars of blue. Manuela was tapping her foot.
"Well, I am here," she said. "I might have left you, but I have not.
Why don't you do what you intend?"
"There is plenty of time," said Esteban, and continued to smoke. He
began to make another cigarette.
"Do you know why I chose to stay with you?" she asked him softly. "Do
you know, Esteban?"
He raised his eyebrows. "Not at all."
"It was because I had a bargain to make with you."
He looked at her inquiringly; but he shrugged. "It will be a hard
bargain for you, my girl," he told her.
"I believe you will agree to it," she said quickly, "seeing that of my
own will I have remained here. I will let you kill me as you
please--on a condition."
"Name your condition," said Esteban. "I will only say now that it is
my wish to strangle you with my hands."
She put both hers to her throat. "Good," she said. "That shall be
your affair. But let the caballero go free. He has done you no harm."
"On the contrary," said Esteban, "I shall certainly kill him when he
returns. Have no doubt of that. Then I shall have his horse."
Immediately, without fear, she went up to him where he sat his donkey.
She saw the knife in his _faja_, but had no fear at all. She came
quite close to him, with an ardent face, with eyes alight. She
stretched out her arms like a man on a cross.
"Kill, kill, Esteban! But listen first. You shall spare that
gentleman's life, for he has done you no wrong."
He laughed her down. "Wrong! And you come to me to swear that on the
Cross of Christ? Daughter of swine, you lie."
Tears were in her eyes, which made her blink and shake her head--but
she came closer yet in a passion of entreaty. She was so close that
her bosom touched him. "Kill, Esteban, kill--but love me first!" Her
arms were about him now, as if she must have love of him or die.
"Esteban, Esteban!" she was whispering as if she hungered and thirsted
for him. He shivered at a memory. "Love me once, love me once,
Esteban!" Closer and closer she clung to him; her eyes implored a kiss.
"Loose me, you jade," he said, less sharply, but she clove the closer
to him, and one hand crept downwards from his shoulder, as if she would
embrace him by the middle. "Too late, Manuelita, too late," he said
again, but he was plainly softening. She drew his face towards hers as
if to kiss him, then whipped the long knife out of his girdle and drove
it with all her sobbing force into his neck. Esteban uttered a thick
groan, threw his head up and rocked twice. Then his head dropped, and
he fell sideways off his donkey.
She stood staring at what she had done.