ng up to her, "be calm, don't call up--" Then he added
in a whisper, "Don't be imprudent, especially just now."

At that moment Capitan Tiago came in from the cockpit, sad and
sighing; he had lost his _lasak_. But Dona Victorina left him no
time to grieve. In a few words but with no lack of strong language
she related what had happened, trying of course to put herself in
the best light possible.

"Linares is going to challenge him, do you hear? If he doesn't, don't
let him marry your daughter, don't you permit it! If he hasn't any
courage, he doesn't deserve Clarita!"

"So you're going to marry this gentleman?" asked Sinang, but her
merry eyes filled with tears. "I knew that you were prudent but not
that you were fickle."

Pale as wax, Maria Clara partly rose and stared with frightened eyes
at her father, at Dona Victorina, at Linares. The latter blushed,
Capitan Tiago dropped his eyes, while the senora went on:

"Clarita, bear this in mind: never marry a man that doesn't wear
trousers. You expose yourself to insults, even from the dogs!"

The girl did not answer her, but turned to her friends and said,
"Help me to my room, I can't walk alone."

By their aid she rose, and with her waist encircled by the round arms
of her friends, resting her marble-like head on the shoulder of the
beautiful Victoria, she went to her chamber.

That same night the married couple gathered their effects together
and presented Capitan Tiago with a bill which amounted to several
thousand pesos. Very early the following day they left for Manila in
his carriage, committing to the bashful Linares the office of avenger.

CHAPTER XLVIII

The Enigma

Volveran las oscuras golondrinas. [130]

BECQUER.

As Lucas had foretold, Ibarra arrived on the following day. His first
visit was to the family of Capitan Tiago for the purpose of seeing
Maria Clara and informing her that his Grace had reconciled him with
religion, and that he brought to the curate a letter of recommendation
in the handwriting of the Archbishop himself. Aunt Isabel was not
a little rejoiced at this, for she liked the young man and did not
look favorably on the marriage of her niece with Linares. Capitan
Tiago was not at home.

"Come in," said the aunt in her broken Spanish. "Maria, Don Crisostomo
is once more in the favor of God. The Archbishop has _discommunicated_
him."

But the youth was unable to advance, the smile froze on his lip