62 Modem Spanish Literature
triclinium which would overlook the sea; he called in an
architect and plans were made, and this Roman dining-room
was to be a very gorgeous baroque affair. At last the build-
ing ceased and it was to be inaugurated by a banquet. Alas
on that very day the cliff gave way, and pillars and all were
precipitated into the sea. That is characteristic of his
personality—building on an unstable foundation.
Another story of him that I was told, and which shows
his temperament, dates from his visit to America some years
ago. It was after the great success of his Four Horsemen of
the Apocalypse. He did not know a word of English and
brought along with him an interpreter, with whom he fought
continuously. When the newspaper reporters would gather
around him and ask him, through this interpreter, what Mr.
Ibanez thought of their city and of America, he would say:
“I hate your city; I hate America; I loathe coming here,”
and the interpreter would turn to the reporters smilingly and
say: “Mr. Ibanez thinks America is in the forefront of
progress ; that it is the great country of the future, and full
of all the civilization of today.” This went on merrily until
one day when he had been unusually cross and unusually
uncivil to his interpreter. Just as the newspaper reporters
appeared, the interpreter flew into a temper. When they
started their usual questioning he replied: “As a matter of
fact, Mr. Ibanez says he hates your beastly city; he thinks
it is awful, and he loathes being here,” and thus the tour
was finished then and there.
Those are a few anecdotes regarding the temperament of
this man, but there are certain other things I want to say
about him also. There is in him a certain genuineness of
character; whether he will ever be given a niche of a literary
artist or not remains to be seen, but a friend of mine whom
I consider a great critic said to me once that he thought the