plished facts,
and the phantoms thus created terrified their own creators.

In the town of Tiani it was reported that at least, at the very
least, the young man was going to be deported and would very
probably be murdered on the journey. The timorous and pessimistic
were not satisfied with this but even talked about executions and
courts-martial--January was a fatal month; in January the Cavite affair
had occurred, and _they_ [65] even though curates, had been garroted,
so a poor Basilio without protectors or friends--

"I told him so!" sighed the Justice of the Peace, as if he had at
some time given advice to Basilio. "I told him so."

"It was to be expected," commented Sister Penchang. "He would go
into the church and when he saw that the holy water was somewhat
dirty he wouldn't cross himself with it. He talked about germs and
disease, _aba_, it's the chastisement of God! He deserved it, and he
got it! As though the holy water could transmit diseases! Quite the
contrary, _aba!_"

She then related how she had cured herself of indigestion by moistening
her stomach with holy water, at the same time reciting the _Sanctus
Deus_, and she recommended the remedy to those present when they should
suffer from dysentery, or an epidemic occurred, only that then they
must pray in Spanish:

Santo Dios,
Santo fuerte,
Santo inmortal,
iLibranos, Senor, de la peste
Y de todo mal! [66]

"It's an infallible remedy, but you must apply the holy water to the
part affected," she concluded.

But there were many persons who did not believe in these things,
nor did they attribute Basilio's imprisonment to the chastisement of
God. Nor did they take any stock in insurrections and pasquinades,
knowing the prudent and ultra-pacific character of the boy, but
preferred to ascribe it to revenge on the part of the friars, because
of his having rescued from servitude Juli, the daughter of a tulisan
who was the mortal enemy of a certain powerful corporation. As they
had quite a poor idea of the morality of that same corporation and
could recall cases of petty revenge, their conjecture was believed
to have more probability and justification.

"What a good thing I did when I drove her from my house!" said Sister
Penchang. "I don't want to have any trouble with the friars, so I
urged her to find the money."

The truth was, however, that she regretted Juli's liberty, for Juli
prayed and fasted for her, and if she had s