red to her that her husband ought to be a doctor of
medicine and surgery, and she so informed him.

"My dear, do you w-want me to be arrested?" he asked fearfully.

"Don't be a fool! Leave me to arrange it," she answered. "You're
not going to treat any one, but I want people to call you _Doctor_
and me _Doctora_, see?"

So on the following day Rodoreda [120] received an order to engrave on
a slab of black marble: DR. DE ESPADANA, SPECIALIST IN ALL KINDS OF
DISEASES. All the servants had to address them by their new titles,
and as a result she increased the number of frizzes, the layers of
rice-powder, the ribbons and laces, and gazed with more disdain than
ever on her poor and unfortunate countrywomen whose husbands belonged
to a lower grade of society than hers did. Day by day she felt more
dignified and exalted and, by continuing in this way, at the end of
a year she would have believed herself to be of divine origin.

These sublime thoughts, however, did not keep her from becoming older
and more ridiculous every day. Every time Capitan Tiago saw her and
recalled having made love to her in vain he forthwith sent a peso to
the church for a mass of thanksgiving. Still, he greatly respected her
husband on account of his title of specialist in all kinds of diseases
and listened attentively to the few phrases that he was able to stutter
out. For this reason and because this doctor was more exclusive than
others, Capitan Tiago had selected him to treat his daughter.

In regard to young Linares, that is another matter. When arranging for
the trip to Spain, Dona Victorina had thought of having a Peninsular
administrator, as she did not trust the Filipinos. Her husband
bethought himself of a nephew of his in Madrid who was studying law
and who was considered the brightest of the family. So they wrote to
him, paying his passage in advance, and when the dream disappeared
he was already on his way.

Such were the three persons who had just arrived. While they were
partaking of a late breakfast, Padre Salvi came in. The Espadanas
were already acquainted with him, and they introduced the blushing
young Linares with all his titles.

As was natural, they talked of Maria Clara, who was resting and
sleeping. They talked of their journey, and Dona Victorina exhibited
all her verbosity in criticising the customs of the provincials,--their
nipa houses, their bamboo bridges; without forgetting to mention to
the curate her intimacy