We accompanied them to the end of the valley and watched them for a long time as they rode off. On the way back it struck me that someone was missing from the caravan. I then remembered the girl who had been found at the foot of the accursed gallows of Los Hermanos. I asked the chief what had become of her and if it wasn’t a matter of another extraordinary adventure, or perhaps a trick of damned spirits from hell who had so often made a sport of us.

The gypsy smiled mockingly and said, ‘This time you are mistaken, Señor Alphonse, but it is part of human nature to relate even the most ordinary events of life to the supernatural once one has had a taste of it.’

Velásquez broke in and said, ‘You are right. One can apply to these notions the theory of geometric progression, the first term being represented by a believer in some dark superstition, the last by the alchemist or astrologer. Between the two there is room for a mass of prejudices which oppress humanity.’

‘I can’t contradict this argument,’ I said. ‘But it doesn’t tell me who the girl was.’

‘I sent one of my men to find out about the young girl,’ replied the gypsy. ‘He reported to me that she happened to be a poor orphan who had lost her reason after the death of her lover, and, not having anywhere to go, lives on the charity of travellers and the sympathy of shepherds. She is always by herself, wanders in the mountains and sleeps wherever night overtakes her. The day before yesterday she certainly was under the gallows of Los Hermanos and, not noticing how horrible the place was, must have peacefully fallen asleep. The marqués, overcome by pity, had her looked after but, as the demented girl had recovered her strength, she fled and disappeared in the mountains. I’m surprised that you haven’t yet met her. The poor girl will end up by falling from some cliff and dying a pitiable death. But I must confess that I would think it mad to shed tears for so miserable a life. At night when the shepherds light their fires they sometimes see her approaching. Then Dolorita – that’s the name of the unfortunate girl – calmly sits down, stares at one of them with a piercing gaze, throws her arms round his neck and calls him by the name of her dead lover. At first they fled from her but then the shepherds got used to her, and now they let her wander about wherever she wants to and even give her food.’

As soon as the gypsy had finished, Velásquez began to elaborate a theory of opposing forces which consume each other: passion, which after a long struggle with reason ends up by overcoming it, snatching the sceptre and reigning tyrannically over the brain. As for me, I was amazed as I listened to the gypsy’s words, for I had thought that he would seize the opportunity of telling us yet another long story. Perhaps he had only abridged the adventures of Dolorita because the Wandering Jew was in sight. He was striding down the mountainside, and the cabbalist began to murmur terrible imprecations but in vain – for the Wandering Jew took no notice of them. At last he came close as if out of simple courtesy towards our company and nothing more. He said to Uzeda, ‘Your reign is over. You have lost the power which you have shown yourself unworthy to possess. A terrifying future awaits you.’

The cabbalist roared with laughter. But his laugh did not seem to come from his heart, for he spoke to the Jew in an unknown language, entreating him, almost begging him.

‘Very well,’ replied Ahasuerus, ‘today as well but for the last time. You will not see me again.’

‘Well,’ said Uzeda, ‘we will see what will happen, but today take advantage of our journey, you old wretch, and continue your story. We will see whether the Sheikh of Taroudant possesses more power than I do. Besides, I know very well why you are avoiding us and you may be sure that I will reveal your reason to everyone.’

The unhappy wanderer shot a murderous glance at the cabbalist but, seeing that he could not refuse, he positioned himself as usual between Velásquez and myself, remained silent for a moment and then continued his story as follows:

‘Enough,’ cried the Pharisee, and, turning to the crowd, he shouted, ‘Enough. This unworthy Sadducee is deceiving you. He has spread a false rumour to make himself rich at your expense. He is taking advantage of your credulity. It’s high time to tear his mask from his face. To prove to you the truth of what I say, I will offer twice as much gold for your silver as he does.’

In this way the Pharisee was still profiting by twenty-five per cent but the people, drunk with cupidity, pressed round him in a crowd, called him the benefactor of the city and insulted me in the most hateful way. Gradually tempers became heated, actions succeeded words and suddenly there was such an uproar in the temple that one could no longer hear oneself speak. Seeing that something awful was about to happen, I had all the gold and silver that I could muster transported to our house, but before the servants had taken all of it away, the people, now out of control, threw themselves on the tables and began to carry off the money. I defended it as best I could but my efforts were in vain; my adversaries were stronger. In an instant the temple was transformed into a battlefield. I have no idea what the outcome would have been. I might not have come away alive from it because my head was already bloody, but at that moment the prophet from Nazareth came into the temple with his disciples.

I shall never forget that severe, solemn voice, which stilled the noise in a moment. We waited to find out whose side he would take. The Pharisee was sure of having won his case, but the prophet turned in indignation against both sides and reproached us for polluting the temple, for dishonouring the house of God and spurning the creator for the goods of the devil. His words had a profound effect on the assembled crowd. The temple gradually filled up with the common people, among whom were many disciples of the new sect. Both sides realized that the prophet’s intervention would have disastrous consequences for them and we were not wrong, for soon the cry rang out as from one breast, ‘Out of the temple.’

This time the mass of the people did not think about their own advantage, but in the grip of a fanatical passion began to throw out the tables and drive us out too. Once we were in the street the crowd became denser but the mass paid more attention to the prophet than to us, and so I was thus able in the general confusion to return home by slipping along little alley-ways. At our door I noticed our servants fleeing with the money which had been saved.

A glance at the money-bags allowed me to see that my hopes of profit had not been realized but that we hadn’t made any losses either. I breathed a sigh of relief at this thought. Sedekias had already been told about everything. Sara had uneasily awaited my return. When she saw me covered with blood, she threw herself in my arms. The old man stared at me for a long time in silence and eventually said:

‘I promised to give you Sara if you doubled the sum which was entrusted to you. What have you done with it?’

‘It isn’t my fault,’ I replied, ‘if an unforeseen event destroyed my plans. I have defended your money at the risk of my life. You can count your money. You have lost nothing, quite the contrary. But what there is in comparison with what we were hoping for isn’t worth speaking about.’

Then suddenly I had a happy inspiration. I decided to throw everything into fortune’s scales, and said, ‘If, however, you want me to stay to bring you profit I can compensate for your loss in another manner.’

‘How?’ cried Sedekias. ‘I think I see. It must be another plan which will be as successful as this one.’

‘Not at all,’ I replied, ‘you will be convinced yourself that what I am giving you has a very real value.’

Having said this, I quickly went out, and soon came back with my bronze casket under my arm. Sedekias observed me, and a smile of hope came about Sara’s lips. I opened the casket, brought out the document which was inside, tore it in half and handed it to the old man. Then Sedekias recognized what it was, convulsively screwed up the document and a terrible rage contorted his features. He half-rose, and tried to say something but the words stuck in his throat. My destiny was about to be decided. I fell at the old man’s feet and bathed them with my tears.

Seeing all this, Sara knelt next to me and, without knowing why, wept and began to kiss her grandfather’s hands. The old man let his head drop on to his breast. A thousand emotions struggled with each other in his heart and wordlessly he ripped the documents up in a thousand pieces. Then he jumped to his feet and rushed out of the room. We remained alone, a prey to painful uncertainty. I must confess that I had lost all hope. I realized that after all that had happened I could no longer remain in Sedekias’s house. I looked back one last time at the weeping figure of Sara and went out, but suddenly noticed a commotion in the corridor. I asked what had caused it and was smilingly told that it was less appropriate for me than for anyone else to ask such a question.

‘It’s to you that Sedekias has decided to give his granddaughter in marriage. He has commanded that preparations for a lavish wedding should be made as quickly as possible.’

You can well imagine how I passed from the deepest despair to indescribable joy. A fortnight later I married Sara. All that was missing was my friend, who ought to have had a share in this brilliant turning-point in my fortunes. But Germanus was fully imbued with the doctrine of the prophet from Nazareth and was among those who had driven us out from the temple. So I was obliged, in spite of my friendship, to break off all relations with him and I have lost sight of him since.

After knowing many adversities, I thought that I had a peaceful life in front of me – all the more so because I had abandoned money-changing, which had led me to undertake such dangerous ventures. I wanted to live off my fortune, but so as not to remain idle I decided to lend money. And indeed, as there was no shortage of people having need of money, I made considerable profits. Sara was daily making my life more and more pleasant when an unforeseen event suddenly changed this state of affairs.

But the sun is already going down and it will soon be time for you to rest. As for me, a powerful form of incantation which I cannot resist is calling me away. My heart is filled with a strange foreboding. Might the end of my suffering be nigh? Farewell!

‘I don’t think that we will ever hear the end of the Wandering Jew’s story. That wretch disappears whenever he reaches the time when he was condemned for ever to wander for having insulted the prophet. And no power in the world can then call him back. His last words do not surprise me. For some time I have noticed that he has aged a great deal, but this will probably not lead to his death, for what would then become of your legend?’

As I realized that the cabbalist intended to speak about topics not suitable for the ears of a good Catholic, I broke off the conversation, left the company and returned alone to my tent. Soon others came too, but apparently they didn’t go to bed at once, for I could hear for a long time Velásquez’s voice explaining to Rebecca some geometric formula.