CHAPTER XII
IN THE WOODS.
Very early that morning Father Salvi had said mass, cleaning, accordingto his custom, a dozen dirty souls in a few minutes. The reading of afew letters, which had arrived well sealed with wax, seemed to causethe worthy curate to lose his appetite, for he allowed his chocolateto get cold.
"The Father is ill," said the cook as he prepared another cup. "Itis several days since he has eaten anything; of six dishes which Iput on the table for him, he has not touched two."
"It must be that he does not sleep well," replied the servant. "Hehas nightmare since he changed his bedroom. Every day his eyes aresinking deeper, he grows gradually thinner, and is very yellow."
As a matter of fact, it was a pitiful sight to behold Father Salvi. Hedid not care to touch his second cup of chocolate, nor to taste theCebu cakes. He walked pensively to and fro in the spacious sala,crumpling between his bony fingers some letters which he would readfrom time to time. Finally, he called for his carriage, got readyand ordered the coachman to take him to the woods where the picnicwas to be held. Arriving at the place, Father Salvi dismissed thecarriage and all alone, entered the forest.
A shady but difficult path runs through the thicket and leads to thebrook which is formed by the hot springs so plentiful at the base ofMount Makiling.
For some time, Father Salvi was wandering among the thick underbrush,here trying to evade the thorns which entangled his habit of guingonas if to detain him; there trying to step over the roots of the treeswhich stuck up through the ground and made the inexperienced travelerstumble again and again. Suddenly he stopped. Mirthful laughter and thesound of young voices reached his ears. The voices and the laughterseemed to come from the direction of the brook and each time seemedto be coming nearer.
"I am going to see if I can find a heron's nest," said a voice,beautiful and sweet, and at once recognized by the curate. "You knowthey say that if a person possesses one of those nests he can makehimself invisible to everybody. How I would like to see him and nothave him see me! I could follow him everywhere."
Father Salvi hid behind the thick trunk of an old tree and listened.
"That is to say, you want to do with him what the curate does withyou: watch him everywhere?" replied the merry voice. "Be careful,for jealousy makes one grow thin and the eyes sink in."
"No, no. It is not jealousy, it is pure curiosity," replied the silveryvoice, while the other repeated, "yes, yes, jealousy; that's what itis." And then she broke out in a merry chuckle.
"If I were jealous of him I would not use the heron's nest to makemyself invisible to him, but would make him invisible to everybodyelse."
"But then you yourself would not be able to see him and you wouldnot want that to happen. The best thing to do, if we find a heron'snest is to give it to the priest. Then he could watch us as much ashe pleased, and we would not be troubled with the sight of him. Whatdo you think of the idea?"
"But I don't believe in the story about the heron's nests, anyway,"replied one. "But if I were really jealous I would know how to keepwatch of a person and make myself invisible...."
"And how? How would you do it? Perhaps you would do as Sister Listenerdoes in the convent?"
This reference to days passed in the convent provoked a jolly laughall around.
Father Salvi saw from his hiding-place Maria Clara, Victoria, andSinang, wading in the stream. All three were looking into the water,which was like a mirror, in search of the heron's nest. They weregetting wet up to their knees, the wide folds of their bathing skirtsallowing one to guess how graceful were the curves of their limbs. Theywere wearing their hair loose and their arms were bare. Striped,bright-colored bodices covered their breasts. The three lasses, atthe same time that they were hunting for that which did not exist,collected flowers and plants which were growing on the banks ofthe stream.
The religious Acteon, pale and immovable, stood gazing upon MariaClara, that chaste Diana. The eyes which shone in those dark orbitsnever tired of admiring those white and beautiful arms, that pretty,round neck, those tiny and rosy feet as they played in the water. Ashe contemplated all this, strange feelings were awakened in his breast,new dreams took possession of his burning mind.
The three pretty forms disappeared in a thick growth of bamboo behinda bend in the stream, but their cruel allusions could still be heard bythe curate. Intoxicated with the strange ideas in his head, staggering,and covered with perspiration, Father Salvi left his hiding-placeand looked about him in all directions with staring eyes. He stoodimmovable, in doubt. He took a few steps as if to follow the youngwomen, but he turned about, and walked along the bank of the streamin order to find the rest of the picnic party.
Some distance ahead, in the middle of the stream, he could see abathing place well enclosed by bamboo. He could hear, merry laughterand feminine accents coming from that direction. Still further down thestream he could see a bamboo bridge and some men in bathing. In themeantime, a multitude of servants were bustling about the improvisedfireplaces, some engaged in plucking chickens, others in washingrice and roasting pig. And there on the opposite bank, in a clearingwhich had been made, were a number of men and women under a tent. Thetent had been made by hanging canvas from the limbs of some of theold trees and by erecting a few poles. There in the group was thealferez, the teniente mayor, the coadjutor, the gobernadorcillo,the school teacher, a number, of past captains and lieutenants,including even Captain Basilio, who was Sinang's father, and theformer rival of the deceased Don Rafael. Ibarra had said to him:"The mere fact that we are parties to a law-suit does not mean thatwe have to be enemies." So it was that the celebrated orator of theconservative party had accepted the invitation to the picnic withenthusiasm, and had even brought along three turkeys and put hisservants at the disposition of the young man.
The parish priest was received with respect and deference by all,even by the alferez.
"But where did Your Reverence come from?" some one asked on seeinghis face full of scratches, and his habit covered with leaves andpieces of dried branches. "Has Your Reverence fallen down?"
"No, I lost my way," replied Father Salvi, looking down and examininghis clothes.
Bottles of lemonade were opened, green cocoanuts were cut in two sothat those who were coming out of the bath might have the refreshingmilk to drink and the delicate meat to eat. The young women in additionreceived rosaries of sampagas interwoven with roses and ilang-ilang,which gave a beautiful fragrance to their loose hair. Some weresitting or lying in hammocks which had been hung from the branchesof the trees; others were entertaining themselves in a game thatwas going on around a large, flat stone. Playing cards, checkers,dice and many other games were in progress.
They showed the alligator to the curate, but he seemed absorbed andpaid no attention until they mentioned the fact that the wide woundin the animal's neck had been made by Ibarra. Then, too, the pilot,the principal figure in the incident, had disappeared and could notbe found anywhere.
Finally Maria Clara came out of the bath, accompanied by her friends,fresh as a rose when first it blooms, and when the dew on its divinepetals glistens like diamonds. Her first smile was for Ibarra; andher first frown for Father Salvi. The latter noticed this, but hedid not even sigh.
It was now time to eat. The curate, the coadjutor, the alferez, thegobernadorcillo, and some of the captains, together with the tenentemayor sat down at the table over which Ibarra presided. The mothers ofthe girls did not allow any one to eat at the table with their charges.
"Do you know anything yet, Senor Alferez, about the criminal whoassaulted Father Damaso?" asked Father Salvi.
"About what criminal, Father?" asked the alferez, looking at theparish priest through his empty wine glass.
"About whom could it be? About the one who, day before yesterday,struck Father Damaso, of course."
"Struck Father Damaso?" asked a number of voices.
The coadjutor was seen to smile.
"Yes; and Father
Damaso is now in bed. It is believed that the culpritwas that same Elias who once threw you into a mud-hole, Senor Alferez."
The alferez colored up a little, either from shame or too much wine.
"I thought that you were interested in the affair," continued FatherSalvi, with a little jeering in his manner.
The alferez bit his lips and mumbled out a silly excuse.
The meal ended and, while tea and coffee were being served, the youngand old distributed themselves about in various groups. Some pickedup playing cards and others dice, but the young women, anxious toknow the future, preferred to try their luck with the wheel of fortune.
"Come, Senor Ibarra," shouted Captain Basilio, who was a little bitjolly. "We have a law-suit that has been pending for fifteen years,and there isn't a judge in the Supreme Court in Manila who candecide it. Let us see if we can settle it on the chess board. Whatdo you say?"
The game of chess began with much solemnity.
"If the game is a draw," said Ibarra, "it is understood that the suitis off."
About the middle of the game, Ibarra received a telegram which madehis eyes glisten and his face grow pale. He put it in his pocket-book,not, however, without directing a glance at the group of young womenwho continued with much laughter to play the wheel of fortune.
"Check to the king!" said the young man.
Captain Basilio had no other resort than to hide him behind the queen.
"Check to the queen!" said Ibarra, threatening it with his rook,which was defended by a pawn.
Not being able to cover the queen, nor to retire it on account of thefact that the king was behind it, Captain Basilio asked permissionto study the situation a little.
"Certainly, with much pleasure," replied Ibarra. "I will take advantageof the opportunity, for I have something to say to some of the membersof that group over there."
And rising to his feet, he gave his opponent half an hour to studyit out.
Iday held in her hands the strip of cardboard on which was writtenforty-eight questions, while Albino held the book which containedthe answers.
"That's a lie! It's not so! It lies!" cried Sinang, half in tears.
"What is the matter with you?" asked Maria Clara.
"Just imagine it: I asked the question 'When will I have somesense?' I threw the dice and he, this all-night-watching priest(Albino, the ex-seminary student) reads from the book: 'When thefrogs grow hairs.' What do you think of that?"
And Sinang made a face at the former religious student, who was stilllaughing heartily.
"Who told you to ask such a question?" said her cousin Victoria. "Anyone who asks such a question deserves just such an answer."
"You ask a question!" said they all to Ibarra. "We have agreed thatthe one who receives the best answer shall receive a gift from theothers. We have all asked our questions already."
"And who has received the best answer?"
"Maria Clara, Maria Clara!" replied Sinang. "We made her ask thequestion whether you loved her or not: 'Is your lover faithful andconstant,' and the book replied----"
But Maria Clara colored up, and, putting her hands over Sinang's mouth,did not allow her to finish what she had to say.
"Then, let me try it," said Crisostomo, smiling.
He asked the question: "Will I succeed in my present undertaking?"
"You are going to get a bad answer," exclaimed Sinang.
Ibarra threw the dice, and noting the number, they looked for thepage in the little book with the corresponding answer.
"Dreams are only dreams," read Albino.
Ibarra took out his pocket-book and opened it trembling.
"This time your book has lied," he said, full of joy. "Read this!"
"Plan for school house approved; other matter decided in your favor."