tayed a longer time, would
also have done penance. Why, if the curates pray for us and Christ
died for our sins, couldn't Juli do the same for Sister Penchang?

When the news reached the hut where the poor Juli and her grandfather
lived, the girl had to have it repeated to her. She stared at Sister
Bali, who was telling it, as though without comprehension, without
ability to collect her thoughts. Her ears buzzed, she felt a sinking
at the heart and had a vague presentiment that this event would have
a disastrous influence on her own future. Yet she tried to seize upon
a ray of hope, she smiled, thinking that Sister Bali was joking with
her, a rather strong joke, to be sure, but she forgave her beforehand
if she would acknowledge that it was such. But Sister Bali made a
cross with one of her thumbs and a forefinger, and kissed it, to prove
that she was telling the truth. Then the smile faded forever from the
girl's lips, she turned pale, frightfully pale, she felt her strength
leave her and for the first time in her life she lost consciousness,
falling into a swoon.

When by dint of blows, pinches, dashes of water, crosses, and the
application of sacred palms, the girl recovered and remembered the
situation, silent tears sprang from her eyes, drop by drop, without
sobs, without laments, without complaints! She thought about Basilio,
who had had no other protector than Capitan Tiago, and who now, with
the Capitan dead, was left completely unprotected and in prison. In
the Philippines it is a well-known fact that patrons are needed for
everything, from the time one is christened until one dies, in order
to get justice, to secure a passport, or to develop an industry. As
it was said that his imprisonment was due to revenge on account of
herself and her father, the girl's sorrow turned to desperation. Now
it was her duty to liberate him, as he had done in rescuing her from
servitude, and the inner voice which suggested the idea offered to
her imagination a horrible means.

"Padre Camorra, the curate," whispered the voice. Juli gnawed at her
lips and became lost in gloomy meditation.

As a result of her father's crime, her grandfather had been arrested in
the hope that by such means the son could be made to appear. The only
one who could get him his liberty was Padre Camorra, and Padre Camorra
had shown himself to be poorly satisfied with her words of gratitude,
having with his usual frankness asked for some sacrifices--s