XLVIII.
Gossip.
It was not yet dawn. The street in which were the barracks and tribunal was still deserted; none of its houses gave a sign of life. Suddenly the shutter of a window opened with a bang and a child’s head appeared, looking in all directions, the little neck stretched to its utmost—plas! It was the sound of a smart slap in contact with the fresh human skin. The child screwed up his face, shut his eyes, and disappeared from the window, which was violently closed again.
But the example had been given: the two bangs of the shutter had been heard. Another window opened, this time with precaution, and the wrinkled and toothless head of an old woman looked stealthily out. It was Sister Putá, the old dame who had caused such a commotion during Father Dámaso’s sermon. Children and old women are the representatives of curiosity in the world; the children want to know, the old women to live over again. The old sister stayed longer than the child, and gazed into the distance with contracted brows. Timidly a skylight opened in the house opposite, giving passage to the head and shoulders of sister Rufa. The two old women looked across at each other, smiled, exchanged gestures, and signed themselves.
“Since the sack of the pueblo by Bâlat I’ve not known such a night!” said Sister Putá.
“What a firing! They say it was the band of old Pablo.”
“Tulisanes? Impossible! I heard it was the cuadrilleros against the guards; that’s why Don Filipo was arrested.”
“They say at least fourteen are dead.”
Other windows opened and people were seen exchanging greetings and gossip.