CHAPTER XV
AS NIGHT COMES ON.
Great preparations had also been made in the house of Captain Tiago. Weare already acquainted with the man. His love for pomp and his pride inbeing a resident of Manila made it necessary that he should outdo theresidents of the province in the splendor of his celebration. Therewas another thing, too, which made it necessary that he should tryto eclipse all others--the fact that his daughter Maria Clara andhis future son-in-law were also there. His prospective connectionwith Ibarra caused the Captain to be often spoken of among the people.
Yes, as a matter of fact, one of the most serious newspapers inManila had printed an article on its first page, headed "ImitateHim!" in which they offered Ibarra much advice and highly eulogizedhim. The article spoke of him as "the illustrious and rich youngcapitalist." Two lines below, he was termed "the distinguishedphilanthropist," and, in the following paragraph, referred to as the"disciple of Minerva who went to his Mother Country to salute thereal birthplace of arts and sciences." Captain Tiago was burning withgenerous emulation and was wondering whether he ought not to erecta convent at his own expense.
Days before the week of festivities, numerous boxes of provisions anddrinks, colossal mirrors, pictures, paintings and his daughter's pianohad arrived at the house. Maria Clara and Aunt Isabel were alreadyliving there. Captain Tiago came on the day before the beginning of thefestival. As he kissed his daughter's hand, he made her a present ofa beautiful religious relic. It was solid gold, and set with diamondsand emeralds, and contained a little sliver from Saint Peter's boat,in which Our Saviour sat while fishing.
The Captain's interview with his future son-in-law could not havebeen more cordial. Naturally, the school house was the subject ofconversation. Captain Tiago wanted him to call the school "The SanFrancisco School."
"Believe me!" he said. "San Francisco is a good patron saint. Ifyou call it 'The Primary School,' you gain nothing. Who is Primary,anyway?"
Some friends of Maria Clara arrived and invited her to go for a walk.
"But return quickly," said the Captain to his daughter, who askedfor his permission. "You know that Father Damaso is going to dinewith us to-night. He has just arrived."
And turning to Ibarra who was deep in thought, he added: "You willdine with us, too? You will be all alone at home."
"With the greatest pleasure, I assure you, if I did not have to be athome to-night to receive visitors," replied the young man, mumblinghis words and evading Maria Clara's glance.
"Bring your friends along with you," replied Captain Tiagocheerfully. "In my house there is always enough to eat. And, besidesI would like to have you and Father Damaso understand each other."
"There'll be time enough for that," replied Ibarra, putting on aforced smile and making ready to accompany the young ladies.
They went downstairs. Maria Clara was walking between Victoria andIday, while Aunt Isabel followed behind.
As they passed down the street, people stood aside respectfullyand gave them the inside of the way. Maria Clara was surprisinglybeautiful now. Her paleness had disappeared, and although her eyeswere thoughtful, her mouth, on the contrary, seemed all smiles. Withthat amiability known only to a happy maiden, she saluted friends shehad known from childhood who to-day were admirers of her youthfulbeauty. In less than fifteen days she had regained that frankconfidence, that childish chatter, which seemed for awhile to have beenleft behind in the narrow walls of the convent. It seemed as thoughthe butterfly upon leaving its shell knew all the flowers at once. Itwas enough that she be given a moment of flight and an opportunityto warm herself in the golden rays of the sun, in order to throw offthe rigidity of the chrysalis. New life shone out in every part of heryoung being. Everything she met with was good and beautiful. Her lovewas manifested with virginal grace, and innocent in thought, she sawnothing to cause her to put on false blushes. However, she was wontto cover her face with her fan when they joked with her, but her eyeswould smile and a gentle tremor would pass over her whole being.
In front of Captain Basilio's house were some young men who salutedour acquaintances and invited them into the house. The merry voiceof Sinang was heard, as she descended the stairs on a run and at onceput an end to all excuses.
"Come up a moment so that I can go out with you," said she. "Itbores me to be among so many strangers who talk about nothing butfighting-cocks and playing cards."
They went upstairs. The house was full of people. Some advanced togreet Ibarra, whose name was known to all. They contemplated withecstacy Maria Clara's beauty, and some of the matrons murmured asthey chewed their betel-nut: "She looks like the Virgin!"
After they had partaken of chocolate they resumed their walk. In thecorner of the plaza a beggar was singing the romance of the fishes,to the accompaniment of a guitar. He was a common sight, a manmiserably dressed and wearing a wide-brimmed hat made out of palmleaves. His clothing consisted of a frock coat covered with patches,and a pair of wide trousers such as the Chinese wear, but torn in manyplaces. From beneath the brim of his hat two fiery orbs flashed out aray of light. He was tall and from his manner seemed to be young. Heput a basket down on the ground and, afterwards walking away fromit a little distance, he uttered strange, unintelligible sounds. Heremained standing, completely isolated, as if he and the people in thestreet were trying to avoid each other. Women approached his basket,and dropped into it fish, fruit and rice. When there was no one elseto approach the basket, other sadder but less mournful sounds couldbe heard; perhaps he was thanking them. He picked up his basket andwalked away to do the same in another place.
Maria Clara felt that this was a pitiful case. Full of interest,she asked about the strange being.
"It is a leper," replied Iday. "He contracted the disease some fouryears ago; some say by taking care of his mother, others by havingbeen confined in a damp prison. He lives there in the field near theChinese cemetery. He does not communicate with any one: everybodyflees from him on account of the fear of contagion. You should see hisfantastic little house! The wind, the rain and the sunshine go in andout of it as a needle goes through cloth. They have prohibited himfrom touching anything belonging to anybody. One day a little childfell into the canal. The canal was deep, but this man happened to bepassing near and helped to get the little child out. The child's fatherlearned of it, made a complaint to the gobernadorcillo and the latterordered that he be given six stripes in the middle of the street,the whip to be afterwards burned. That was atrocious! The leper ranaway howling; they pursued him and the gobernadorcillo cried out:'Catch him! One might better be drowned than have that disease!'"
"That is true," murmured Maria Clara. And then, without noticing whatshe was doing, she went up to the basket of the unfortunate wretch anddropped into it the relic which her father had just presented to her.
"What have you done?" her friends asked her.
"I have nothing else to give him," she replied, concealing the tearsin her eyes by a smile.
"And what is he going to do with the relic?" said Victoria toher. "One day they gave him money but he pushed it away from him withhis cane. Why would he care for it, if no one would accept anythingcoming from him? If he could only eat the relic!"
Maria Clara looked longingly at the women who were selling provisionsand shrugged her shoulders.
But the leper approached the basket, picked up the piece of jewelrywhich shone in his hands, knelt down, kissed it, and, after takingoff his hat, buried his face in the dust on which the young girlhad walked.
Maria Clara hid her face behind her fan and raised her handkerchiefto her eyes.