But you are always laying hold of my
words by the heels; and if I said anything at all about pip, it was
not the spotted hen, but the black cock with the twisted toe, I said
was likely to have it.'
"'To the devil with your cock and your hen!' I shouted, rising in haste
from my chair, for my patience was all gone and the woman was driving
me crazy with her story of a twisted toe and what neighbour Gumesinda
said. 'And may all the curses fall on that same woman, who is always
full as a gazette of her neighbours' affairs! I know well what the
parsley is she comes to gather in my garden. It is not enough that she
goes about the country giving importance to the couplets I sang to
Montenegro's daughter, when I danced with her at Cousin Teodoro's dance
after the cattle-marking, when, heaven knows, I never cared the blue
end of a finger-nail for that girl. But things have now come to a
pretty pass when even a chicken with a broken toe cannot be indisposed
in my house without neighbour Gumesinda thrusting her beak into the
matter!'
"Such anger did I feel at Pascuala when I remembered these things and
other things besides, for there is no end to that woman's tongue, that
I could have thrown the dish of meat at her head.
"Just then, while occupied with these thoughts, I fell asleep. Next
morning I got up, and without beating my head any more I bought the
horses and paid Manuel his price.
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