Juan's energy did not diminish with age; he kept on being as barbarous
and brutal as when he was young. His barbarity did not prevent his being
very fine and polite, because he was under the conviction that his life
was a well-nigh exemplary life.



TENDER-HEARTED VICENTA

Of the highwayman's children, the eldest son studied for the priesthood,
and the youngest daughter, Vicenta, got ruined.

"I should prefer to have her a man and in the penitentiary," Guillen
used to say. Which was not at all strange, because for the highwayman
the penitentiary was like a school of determination and manhood.

Vicenta, the highwayman's youngest daughter, was a blond girl, noisy
and restless, of a violent character that was proof against advice,
reprimands, and beatings.

Vicenta had various beaux, all gentlemen, in spite of her father's
opposition and his cane. None of these young gentlemen beaux dared to
carry the girl off to Valencia, which was what she wanted, for fear of
the highwayman and his blunderbuss.

So she made arrangements with an old woman, a semi-Celestina who turned
up in town, and in her company ran off to Valencia.

The father roared like a wounded lion and swore by all the saints in
heaven to take a terrible revenge; he went to the capital several times