Part 64

"No, not yet! Tell me where you went, so I can see who made the best guess."

"That's a secret too; but I can tell you by yourself if these gentlemen will permit."

"Certainly, certainly?" said Father Salvi. Sinang drew Crisóstomo to the other end of the great room.

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

"I don't know. She says you had best forget her, and then she cries. This morning when we were wondering where you were I said to tease her: 'Perhaps he has gone a-courting.' But she was quite grave, and said: 'It is God's will!'"

"Tell Maria I must see her alone," said Ibarra, troubled.

"It will be difficult, but I'll try to manage it."

"And when shall I know?"

"To-morrow. But you are going without telling me the secret!"

"So I am. Well, I went to the pueblo of Los Baños to see about some cocoanut trees!"

"What a secret!" cried Sinang aloud in a tone of a usurer despoiled.

"Take care, I really don't want you to speak of it."

"I've no desire to," said Sinang scornfully. "If it had been really of importance I should have told my friends; but cocoanuts, cocoanuts, who cares about cocoanuts!" and she ran off to find Maria.

Conversation languished, and Ibarra soon took his leave. Captain Tiago was torn between the bitter and the sweet. Linares said nothing. Only the curate affected gayety and recounted tales.

XLVI.

A CONSPIRACY.

The bell was announcing the time of prayer the evening after. At its sound every one stopped his work and uncovered. The laborer coming from the fields checked his song; the woman in the streets crossed herself; the man caressed his cock and said the Angelus, that chance might favor him. And yet the curate, to the great scandal of pious old ladies, was running through the street toward the house of the alférez. He dashed up the steps and knocked impatiently. The alférez opened.

"Ah, father, I was just going to see you; your young buck----"

"I've something very important----" began the breathless curate.

"I can't allow the fences to be broken; if he comes back, I shall fire on him."

"Who knows whether to-morrow you will be alive," said the curate, going on toward the reception-room.

"What? You think that youngster is going to kill me?"

"Señor alférez, the lives of all of us are in danger!"

"What?"

The curate pointed to the door, which the alférez closed in his customary fashion.

"Now, go ahead," he said calmly.

"Did you see how I ran? When I thus forget myself, there is some grave reason."

"And this time it is----"