Interrumpido mi relato ayer, lo continúo hoy.
Al cabo de un rato, Rizal me dijo:–Voy a contar a Vd. una historia.
–Veamos.
–Era una muchacha a la que hacían el amor dos. Ella tenía relaciones con uno; y el otro la decía: Fulano quiere hacerla a Vd. el amor, y cuando ese se marchaba, ella se reía de él con el otro.
–Si yo me pudiera enfadar, me enfadaría.
–¿Por qué?
–Porque me ha llamado Vd. coqueta.
–No; porque ella no tenía la culpa.
–Era por ver si hacía caso a los dos.
–No he querido decir eso, ni el otro tampoco la decía que la amaba; pero de todas maneras pido a Vd. mil perdones y retiro lo que haya de ofensivo.
Me levanté un momento y cuando volví me dijo Rizal verdaderamente apurado:
–¿Me perdona Vd.?
–Si no tengo que perdonar, porque ha sido demasiada susceptibilidad mía.
–¿Con que no me perdona Vd.?
–Perdono y vea Vd. si soy buena, ·que no pongo penitencia.
–Póngala Vd.–me dijo.
My account having been interrupted yesterday, I continue it today.
After awhile, Rizal said to me: “I’m going to tell you a story.”
“Let’s see.”
“She was a girl courted by two men. She was engaged to one and the other would tell her: “So and So wants to court you” and when he would go away, she would laugh with the other at him.”
“If I could get mad, I would.”
“Why?”
“Because you’ve called me a coquette.”
“No; because she wasn’t to blame.”
“It was to find out if she listened to both.”
“I didn’t want to say that, nor did the other tell her that he loved her; but at any rate I ask you a thousand pardons and I withdraw whatever was offensive.”
I stood up for a moment and when I came back, Rizal, truly pressed, said to me: “Do you forgive me?”
“I’ve nothing to forgive because it was due to my excessive susceptibility.”
“Why? Do you forgive me?”
“I forgive and see how good I am for I impose no penance.”
“Impose a penance on me,” he said.