At length, after a good while, Don Teobaldo, with his tongue hanging out, arrived at a kind of cave, in the black depths of which he lost sight of the hare.
"Well, now, I have to find you even if you are the devil himself in person."
"Your servant," said a voice of rare quality; and a man with a strange face and eyes of fire presented himself before Don Teobaldo, saluting him with burlesque courtesy.
"Caramba!" exclaimed Don Teobaldo, without being frightened, because he was a very valorous man. "If I must tell the truth, I wished to know you personally."
"And do you not feel afraid?"
"Not at all. And since you are so familiar with me, I shall treat you in the same way. I want to make an arrangement with you."
"Speak."
"First answer me: are you the hare that I pursued?"
"The same. I knew that you were engaged in an affair and wished to speak to me, and brought you to my house so that we could talk comfortably."
And the devil started laughing, flames shooting out of his mouth. It was a sign that he was happy.