le maker, who provided the Captain whenever
he went on a pilgrimage to Antipolo, was saying as he sat fanning
himself and wiggling his foot:

"What for you b'long foolish? Thisee belong Mergin Antipolo. She can
do muchy more: others, no can do. No b'long plopper say pidgin b'long
other man."

Captain Tiago held the Chinaman in great estimation and made him pass
for a prophet and doctor. Examining the hand of his deceased wife in
the sixth month of her pregnancy, he had prophesied:

"If thisee one no b'long man, and no go dead side, will b'long bery
good woman."

And so it was that Maria Clara came to this earth and fulfilled the
Chinaman's prophecy.

Captain Tiago, being a prudent and timid person, could not decide the
question of the miracle as easily as the Trojan Paris. He could not
give preference to one of the Virgins for fear of offending some other
of them, a thing which might bring about grave results. "Prudence,"
he said to himself. "Be prudent! Let us not lose all now."

He was in the midst of these doubts when the party in favor of the
Government, or the Governmental party, arrived, viz., Dona Victorina,
Don Tiburcio, and Linares.

Dona Victorina did all the talking for the three men and for herself
also. She mentioned the visits which Linares had made to the Governor
General, and repeatedly brought out the benefits derived from having
a relative of categoria.

For some days past, she had been trying to be Andalusian by suppressing
the d in all words and in changing the s to z. No one could get the
idea out of her head; she would prefer to lose her front curls first.

"Yes," she said, in speaking of Ibarra. "That fellow merits very well
all that he is going to get. I told you so when I saw him for the first
time. I told you he was a filibustero. What did the General tell you,
cousin? What did he say? What news did you give him about Ibarra?"

Seeing that the cousin hesitated in his reply, she went on, directing
her words to Captain Tiago.

"Believe me, if they convict him, as is to be hoped, it will be
through my cousin."

"Senora, Senora!" protested Linares.

But she did not give him any time.

"Oh, what a diplomat you have turned out to be! But we all know that
you are the adviser of the Governor General, that he could not live
without you. Ah! What a pleasure to see you, Clarita."

Maria Clara seemed paler than ever, although she was now quite
recovered from her illness. Sadly smiling,