into which she was hurling
herself and resolutely entered the convento. A sigh that sounded
like the rattle of death escaped from her lips. Sister Bali followed,
telling her how to act.

That night comments were mysteriously whispered about certain events
which had occurred that afternoon. A girl had leaped from a window
of the convento, falling upon some stones and killing herself. Almost
at the same time another woman had rushed out of the convento to run
through the streets shouting and screaming like a lunatic. The prudent
townsfolk dared not utter any names and many mothers pinched their
daughters for letting slip expressions that might compromise them.

Later, very much later, at twilight, an old man came from a village
and stood calling at the door of the convento, which was closed and
guarded by sacristans. The old man beat the door with his fists and
with his head, while he littered cries stifled and inarticulate, like
those of a dumb person, until he was at length driven away by blows and
shoves. Then he made his way to the gobernadorcillo's house, but was
told that the gobernadorcillo was not there, he was at the convento;
he went to the Justice of the Peace, but neither was the Justice of
the Peace at home--he had been summoned to the convento; he went to
the teniente-mayor, but he too was at the convento; he directed his
steps to the barracks, but the lieutenant of the Civil Guard was at
the convento. The old man then returned to his village, weeping like a
child. His wails were heard in the middle of the night, causing men to
bite their lips and women to clasp their hands, while the dogs slunk
fearfully back into the houses with their tails between their legs.

"Ah, God, God!" said a poor woman, lean from fasting, "in Thy presence
there is no rich, no poor, no white, no black--Thou wilt grant us
justice!"

"Yes," rejoined her husband, "just so that God they preach is not a
pure invention, a fraud! They themselves are the first not to believe
in Him."

At eight o'clock in the evening it was rumored that more than
seven friars, proceeding from neighboring towns, were assembled in
the convento to hold a conference. On the following day, Tandang
Selo disappeared forever from the village, carrying with him his
hunting-spear.

CHAPTER XXXI

THE HIGH OFFICIAL

L'Espagne et sa, vertu, l'Espagne et sa grandeur
Tout s'en va!--Victor Hugo

The newspapers of Manila were so engrossed in