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comrades； and put it carefully inside my jacket。 That was my first folly。
〃Two or three hours later I was still thinking about her； when a panting；
terrified…looking porter rushed into the guard…room。 He told us a woman
had been stabbed in the great cigar…room； and that the guard must be sent
in at once。 The sergeant told me to take two men； and go and see to it。 I
took my two men and went upstairs。 Imagine； sir； that when I got into the
room； I found； to begin with； some three hundred women； stripped to their
shifts； or very near it； all of them screaming and yelling and gesticulating；
and making such a row that you couldn't have heard God's own thunder。
On one side of the room one of the women was lying on the broad of her
back； streaming with blood； with an X newly cut on her face by two
strokes of a knife。 Opposite the wounded woman； whom the best…natured
of the band were attending； I saw Carmen； held by five or six of her
comrades。 The wounded woman was crying out； 'A confessor； a confessor！
I'm killed！' Carmen said nothing at all。 She clinched her teeth and rolled
her eyes like a chameleon。 'What's this？' I asked。 I had hard work to find
out what had happened； for all the work…girls talked at once。 It appeared
that the injured girl had boasted she had money enough in her pocket to
buy a donkey at the Triana Market。 'Why；' said Carmen； who had a tongue
of her own； 'can't you do with a broom？' Stung by this taunt； it may be
because she felt herself rather unsound in that particular； the other girl
replied that she knew nothing about brooms； seeing she had not the honour
of being either a gipsy or one of the devil's godchildren； but that the
Senorita Carmen would shortly make acquaintance with her donkey； when
the /Corregidor/ took her out riding with two lackeys behind her to keep
the flies off。 'Well；' retorted Carmen； 'I'll make troughs for the flies to
drink out of on your cheeks； and I'll paint a draught…board on them！'* And
thereupon； slap； bank！ She began making St。 Andrew's crosses on the girl's
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face with a knife she had been using for cutting off the ends of the cigars。
* /Pintar un javeque/； 〃paint a xebec；〃 a particular type of ship。
Most Spanish vessels of this description have a checkered red and
white stripe painted around them。
〃The case was quite clear。 I took hold of Carmen's arm。 'Sister mine；' I
said civilly； 'you must come with me。' She shot a glance of recognition at
me； but she said； with a resigned look： 'Let's be off。 Where is my
mantilla？' She put it over her head so that only one of her great eyes was
to be seen； and followed my two men； as quiet as a lamb。 When we got to
the guardroom the sergeant said it was a serious job； and he must send her
to prison。 I was told off again to take her there。 I put her between two
dragoons； as a corporal does on such occasions。 We started off for the
town。 The gipsy had begun by holding her tongue。 But when we got to the
/Calle de la Serpiente/you know it； and that it earns its name by its many
windingsshe began by dropping her mantilla on to her shoulders； so as to
show me her coaxing little face； and turning round to me as well as she
could； she said：
〃 '/Oficial mio/； where are you taking me to？'
〃 'To prison； my poor child；' I replied； as gently as I could； just as any
kind…hearted soldier is bound to speak to a prisoner； and especially to a
woman。
〃 'Alack！ What will become of me！ Senor Oficial； have pity on me！
You are so young； so good…looking。' Then； in a lower tone； she said； 'Let
me get away； and I'll give you a bit of the /bar lachi/； that will make every
woman fall in love with you！'
〃The /bar lachi/； sir； is the loadstone； with which the gipsies declare
one who knows how to use it can cast any number of spells。 If you can
make a woman drink a little scrap of it； powdered； in a glass of white wine；
she'll never be able to resist you。 I answered； as gravely as I could：
〃 'We are not here to talk nonsense。 You'll have to go to prison。 Those
are my orders； and there's no help for it！'
〃We men from the Basque country have an accent which all Spaniards
easily recognise； on the other hand； not one of them can ever learn to say
/Bai； jaona/！*
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* Yes； sir。
〃So Carmen easily guessed I was from the Provinces。 You know； sir；
that the gipsies； who belong to no particular country； and are always
moving about； speak every language； and most of them are quite at home
in Portugal； in France； in our Provinces； in Catalonia； or anywhere else。
They can even make themselves understood by Moors and English people。
Carmen knew Basque tolerably well。
〃 '/Laguna ene bihotsarena/； comrade of my heart；' said she suddenly。
'Do you belong to our country？'
〃Our language is so beautiful； sir； that when we hear it in a foreign
country it makes us quiver。 I wish；〃 added the bandit in a lower tone； 〃I
could have a confessor from my own country。〃
After a silence； he began again。
〃 'I belong to Elizondo；' I answered in Basque； very much affected by
the sound of my own language。
〃 'I come from Etchalar；' said she （that's a district about four hours'
journey from my home）。 'I was carried off to Seville by the gipsies。 I was
working in the factory to earn enough money to take me back to Navarre；
to my poor old mother； who has no support in the world but me； besides
her little /barratcea/* with twenty cider…apple trees in it。 Ah！ if I were only
back in my own country； looking up at the white mountains！ I have been
insulted here； because I don't belong to this land of rogues and sellers of
rotten oranges； and those hussies are all banded together against me；
because I told them that not all their Seville /jacques/；** and all their
knives； would frighten an honest lad from our country； with his blue cap
and his /maquila/！ Good comrade； won't you do anything to help your own
countrywoman？'
* Field； garden。
** Bravos； boasters。
〃She was lying then； sir； as she has always lied。 I don't know that that
girl ever spoke a word of truth in her life； but when she did speak； I
believed herI couldn't help myself。 She mangled her Basque words； and I
believed she came from Navarre。 But her eyes and her mouth and her skin
were enough to prove she was a gipsy。 I was mad； I paid no more attention
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to anything； I thought to myself that if the Spaniards had dared to speak
evil of my country； I would have slashed their faces just as she had slashed
her comrade's。 In short； I was like a drunken man； I was beginning to say
foolish things； and I was very near doing them。
〃 'If I were to give you a push and you tumbled down； good fellow…
countryman；' she began again in Basque； 'those two Castilian recruits
wouldn't be able to keep me back。'
〃Faith； I forgot my orders； I forgot everything； and I said to her； 'Well；
then； my friend； girl of my country； try it； and may our Lady of the
Mountain help you through。'
〃Just at that moment we were passing one of the many narrow lanes
one sees in Seville。 All at once Carmen turned and struck me in the chest
with her fist。 I tumbled backward； purposely。 With a bound she sprang
over me； and ran off； showing us a pair of legs！ People talk about a pair of
Basque legs！ but hers were far betteras fleet as they were well…turned。 As
for me； I picked myself up at once； but I stuck out my lance* crossways
and barred the street； so that my comrades were checked at the very first
moment of pursuit。 Then I started to run myself； and they after mebut
how were we to catch her？ There was no fear of that； what with our spurs；
our swords； and our lances。
* All Spanish cavalry soldiers carry lances。
〃In less time than I have taken to tell you the story the prisoner had
disappeared。 And besides； every gossip in the quarter covered her flight；
poked