EL FILIBUSTERISMO

XXV. SMILES AND TEARS

CHAPTER XXV

SMILES AND TEARS

The sala of the _Pansiteria Macanista de Buen Gusto_ [54] that

night presented an extraordinary aspect. Fourteen young men of the

principal islands of the archipelago, from the pure Indian (if there

be pure ones) to the Peninsular Spaniard, were met to hold the banquet

advised by Padre Irene in view of the happy solution of the affair

about instruction in Castilian. They had engaged all the tables for

themselves, ordered the lights to be increased, and had posted on the

wall beside the landscapes and Chinese kakemonos this strange versicle:

"GLORY TO CUSTODIO FOR HIS CLEVERNESS AND PANSIT ON EABTH TO THE

YOUTHS OF GOOD WILL."

In a country where everything grotesque is covered with a mantle

of seriousness, where many rise by the force of wind and hot air,

in a country where the deeply serious and sincere may do damage on

issuing from the heart and may cause trouble, probably this was the

best way to celebrate the ingenious inspiration of the illustrious

Don Custodio. The mocked replied to the mockery with a laugh, to the

governmental joke with a plate of _pansit_, and yet--!

They laughed and jested, but it could be seen that the merriment

was forced. The laughter had a certain nervous ring, eyes flashed,

and in more than one of these a tear glistened. Nevertheless, these

young men were cruel, they were unreasonable! It was not the first

time that their most beautiful ideas had been so treated, that their

hopes had been defrauded with big words and small actions: before

this Don Custodio there had been many, very many others.

In the center of the room under the red lanterns were placed four

round tables, systematically arranged to form a square. Little wooden

stools, equally round, served as seats. In the middle of each table,

according to the practise of the establishment, were arranged four

small colored plates with four pies on each one and four cups of tea,

with the accompanying dishes, all of red porcelain. Before each seat

was a bottle and two glittering wine-glasses.

Sandoval was curious and gazed about scrutinizing everything, tasting

the food, examining the pictures, reading the bill of fare. The

others conversed on the topics of the day: about the French actresses,

about the mysterious illness of Simoun, who, according to some, had

been found wounded in the street, while others averred that he had

attempted to commit suicide. As was natural, all lost themselves in

conjectures. Tadeo gave his particular version, which according to him