Chương Chương 51 · Chapter LI

Exchanges

The bashful Linares was anxious and ill at ease. He had just received

from Doña Victorina a letter which ran thus:

DEER COZIN within 3 days i expec to here from you if the

alferes has killed you or you him i dont want anuther day to

pass befour that broot has his punishment if that tim passes

an you havent challenjed him ill tel don santiago you was

never segretary nor joked with canobas nor went on a spree

with the general don arseño martinez ill tel clarita its all

a humbug an ill not give you a sent more if you challenje him

i promis all you want so lets see you challenje him i warn you

there must be no excuses nor delays yore cozin who loves you

VICTORINA DE LOS REYES DE DE ESPADAÑA

sampaloc monday 7 in the evening

The affair was serious. He was well enough acquainted with the

character of Doña Victorina to know what she was capable of. To talk

to her of reason was to talk of honesty and courtesy to a revenue

carbineer when he proposes to find contraband where there is none,

to plead with her would be useless, to deceive her worse--there was

no way out of the difficulty but to send the challenge.

"But how? Suppose he receives me with violence?" he soliloquized,

as he paced to and fro. "Suppose I find him with his señora? Who will

be willing to be my second? The curate? Capitan Tiago? Damn the hour

in which I listened to her advice! The old toady! To oblige me to

get myself tangled up, to tell lies, to make a blustering fool of

myself! What will the young lady say about me? Now I'm sorry that

I've been secretary to all the ministers!"

While the good Linares was in the midst of his soliloquy, Padre Salvi

came in. The Franciscan was even thinner and paler than usual, but his

eyes gleamed with a strange light and his lips wore a peculiar smile.

"Señor Linares, all alone?" was his greeting as he made his way to

the sala, through the half-opened door of which floated the notes

from a piano. Linares tried to smile.

"Where is Don Santiago?" continued the curate.

Capitan Tiago at that moment appeared, kissed the curate's hand, and

relieved him of his hat and cane, smiling all the while like one of

the blessed.

"Come, come!" exclaimed the curate, entering the sala, followed by

Linares and Capitan Tiago, "I have good news for you all. I've just

received letters from Manila which confirm the one Señor Ibarra

brought me yesterday. So, Don Santiago, the objection is removed."

Maria Clara, who was seated at the piano between her two friends,

partly rose, but her strength failed her, and she fell back

again. Linares turned pale and looked at Capitan Tiago, who dropped

his eyes.

"That young man seems to me to be very agreeable," continued the

curate. "At first I misjudged him--he's a little quick-tempered--but

he knows so well how to atone for his faults afterwards that one

can't hold anything against him. If it were not for Padre Damaso--"

Here the curate shot a quick glance at Maria Clara, who was listening

without taking her eyes off the sheet of music, in spite of the sly

pinches of Sinang, who was thus expressing her joy--had she been

alone she would have danced.

"Padre Damaso?" queried Linares.

"Yes, Padre Damaso has said," the curate went on, without taking

his gaze from Maria Clara, "that as--being her sponsor in baptism,

he can't permit--but, after all, I believe that if Señor Ibarra begs

his pardon, which I don't doubt he'll do, everything will be settled."

Maria Clara rose, made some excuse, and retired to her chamber,

accompanied by Victoria.

"But if Padre Damaso doesn't pardon him?" asked Capitan Tiago in a

low voice.

"Then Maria Clara will decide. Padre Damaso is her

father--spiritually. But I think they'll reach an understanding."

At that moment footsteps were heard and Ibarra appeared, followed

by Aunt Isabel. His appearance produced varied impressions. To his

affable greeting Capitan Tiago did not know whether to laugh or to

cry. He acknowledged the presence of Linares with a profound bow. Fray

Salvi arose and extended his hand so cordially that the youth could

not restrain a look of astonishment.

"Don't be surprised," said Fray Salvi, "for I was just now praising

you."

Ibarra thanked him and went up to Sinang, who began with her childish

garrulity, "Where have you been all day? We were all asking, where

can that soul redeemed from purgatory have gone? And we all said the

same thing."

"May I know what you said?"

"No, that's a secret, but I'll tell you soon alone. Now tell me where

you've been, so we can see who guessed right."

"No, that's also a secret, but I'll tell you alone, if these gentlemen

will excuse us."

"Certainly, certainly, by all means!" exclaimed Padre Salvi.

Rejoicing over the prospect of learning a secret, Sinang led Crisostomo

to one end of the sala.

"Tell me, little friend," he asked, "is Maria angry with me?"

"I don't know, but she says that it's better for you to forget her,

then she begins to cry. Capitan Tiago wants her to marry that man. So

does Padre Damaso, but she doesn't say either yes or no. This morning

when we were talking about you and I said, 'Suppose he has gone to

make love to some other girl?' she answered, 'Would that he had!' and

began to cry."

Ibarra became grave. "Tell Maria that I want to talk with her alone."

"Alone?" asked Sinang, wrinkling her eyebrows and staring at him.

"Entirely alone, no, but not with that fellow present."

"It's rather difficult, but don't worry, I'll tell her."

"When shall I have an answer?"

"Tomorrow come to my house early. Maria doesn't want to be left alone

at all, so we stay with her. Victoria sleeps with her one night and

I the other, and tonight it's my turn. But listen, your secret? Are

you going away without telling me?"

"That's right! I was in the town of Los Baños. I'm going to develop

some coconut-groves and I'm thinking of putting up an oil-mill. Your

father will be my partner."

"Nothing more than that? What a secret!" exclaimed Sinang aloud,

in the tone of a cheated usurer. "I thought--"

"Be careful! I don't want you to make it known!"

"Nor do I want to do it," replied Sinang, turning up her nose. "If

it were something more important, I would tell my friends. But to

buy coconuts! Coconuts! Who's interested in coconuts?" And with

extraordinary haste she ran to join her friends.

A few minutes later Ibarra, seeing that the interest of the party

could only languish, took his leave. Capitan Tiago wore a bitter-sweet

look, Linares was silent and watchful, while the curate with assumed

cheerfulness talked of indifferent matters. None of the girls had

reappeared.