NOLI MI TANGERE

XXXIX. MARIA CLARA IS MARRIED.

into other factions: the Sacristan Mayor of Binondo, the woman who

sold the wax candles, and the chief of one of the brotherhoods,

all saw the hand of God in the miracle, moved by the Virgin of the

Rosary. The Chinese candle maker, who provided the Captain whenever

he went on a pilgrimage to Antipolo, was saying as he sat fanning

himself and wiggling his foot:

"What for you b'long foolish? Thisee belong Mergin Antipolo. She can

do muchy more: others, no can do. No b'long plopper say pidgin b'long

other man."

Captain Tiago held the Chinaman in great estimation and made him pass

for a prophet and doctor. Examining the hand of his deceased wife in

the sixth month of her pregnancy, he had prophesied:

"If thisee one no b'long man, and no go dead side, will b'long bery

good woman."

And so it was that Maria Clara came to this earth and fulfilled the

Chinaman's prophecy.

Captain Tiago, being a prudent and timid person, could not decide the

question of the miracle as easily as the Trojan Paris. He could not

give preference to one of the Virgins for fear of offending some other

of them, a thing which might bring about grave results. "Prudence,"

he said to himself. "Be prudent! Let us not lose all now."

He was in the midst of these doubts when the party in favor of the

Government, or the Governmental party, arrived, viz., Doña Victorina,

Don Tiburcio, and Linares.

Doña Victorina did all the talking for the three men and for herself

also. She mentioned the visits which Linares had made to the Governor

General, and repeatedly brought out the benefits derived from having

a relative of categoría.

For some days past, she had been trying to be Andalusian by suppressing

the d in all words and in changing the s to z. No one could get the

idea out of her head; she would prefer to lose her front curls first.

"Yes," she said, in speaking of Ibarra. "That fellow merits very well

all that he is going to get. I told you so when I saw him for the first

time. I told you he was a filibustero. What did the General tell you,

cousin? What did he say? What news did you give him about Ibarra?"

Seeing that the cousin hesitated in his reply, she went on, directing

her words to Captain Tiago.

"Believe me, if they convict him, as is to be hoped, it will be

through my cousin."

"Señora, Señora!" protested Linares.

But she did not give him any time.

"Oh, what a diplomat you have turned out to be! But we all know that