Antonio notices three clay dolls on Ultima’s shelf. One seems to be bent over in pain. Ultima prohibits him to touch the dolls and warns him to stay away from Tenorio. She gives him an amulet containing dried herbs to protect him from danger. One evening, Narciso bursts into the Márez home to report that one of Tenorio’s daughters has died. Tenorio told everyone that he found Ultima’s little pouch of herbs under his daughter’s bed. Narciso warns Ultima that Tenorio is coming with a drunken mob hungry for a witch’s death. At that moment, Tenorio arrives. With Antonio at his side, Gabriel demands that they identify themselves and state their business.
To guard against witches, one man has thrust through his lips needles that have been blessed by a priest. Narciso declares that they can pin the needles over Gabriel’s door in the sign of a cross. If Ultima is a witch, she cannot walk through the door. The mob agrees to the test. Ultima’s owl suddenly takes out one of Tenorio’s eyes. When everyone looks up, Ultima has passed through the door. The mob disperses, but Tenorio vows to kill Ultima. Antonio notices that the needles are no longer pinned above the door. He never finds out if they simply fell or if someone had broken the cross.
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