y. As the pessimistic Sage followed him with his gaze, he muttered:
"Now let's watch how Destiny will unfold the drama that began in the
cemetery." But for once he was greatly mistaken--the drama had begun
long before!

CHAPTER XXVI

The Eve of the Fiesta

It is now the tenth of November, the eve of the fiesta. Emerging from
its habitual monotony, the town has given itself over to unwonted
activity in house, church, cockpit, and field. Windows are covered
with banners and many-hued draperies. All space is filled with noise
and music, and the air is saturated with rejoicings.

On little tables with embroidered covers the _dalagas_ arrange in
bright-hued glass dishes different kinds of sweetmeats made from
native fruits. In the yard the hens cackle, the cocks crow, and the
hogs grunt, all terrified by this merriment of man. Servants move
in and out carrying fancy dishes and silver cutlery. Here there is a
quarrel over a broken plate, there they laugh at the simple country
girl. Everywhere there is ordering, whispering, shouting. Comments and
conjectures are made, one hurries the other,--all is commotion, noise,
and confusion. All this effort and all this toil are for the stranger
as well as the acquaintance, to entertain every one, whether he has
been seen before or not, or whether he is expected to be seen again, in
order that the casual visitor, the foreigner, friend, enemy, Filipino,
Spaniard, the poor and the rich, may go away happy and contented. No
gratitude is even asked of them nor is it expected that they do no
damage to the hospitable family either during or after digestion! The
rich, those who have ever been to Manila and have seen a little more
than their neighbors, have bought beer, champagne, liqueurs, wines,
and food-stuffs from Europe, of which they will hardly taste a bite
or drink a drop.

Their tables are luxuriously furnished. In the center is a well-modeled
artificial pineapple in which are arranged toothpicks elaborately
carved by convicts in their rest-hours. Here they have designed a
fan, there a bouquet of flowers, a bird, a rose, a palm leaf, or a
chain, all wrought from a single piece of wood, the artisan being a
forced laborer, the tool a dull knife, and the taskmaster's voice the
inspiration. Around this toothpick-holder are placed glass fruit-trays
from which rise pyramids of oranges, lansons, ates, chicos, and even
mangos in spite of the fact that it is November. On wide platte