s, and in the Chinese shops. Dressed in this official costume
with the tasseled cane, Captain Tiago was to be found everywhere,
arranging, ordering, and putting in disorder, everything with which
he had anything to do--and all with wonderful activity and with still
more wonderful gravity.

Sacrilegious people called him a fool; poor people called him a
hypocrite, a cruel man who gained a livelihood by making others
miserable; while his inferiors looked upon him as a despot and a
tyrant. And the women? Ah, the women! Slanderous rumors circulated in
the wretched nipa houses, and it was claimed that often lamentations
and sobs, mingled with the cries of a child, could be heard. More
than one young girl was pointed out by the malicious finger of the
neighbors, with the remark: "See what a different expression she wears,
and how plainly she shows evidences of her shame." But such things as
these never robbed the Captain of any sleep; no young girl disturbed
his rest.

Such was the Captain at that time. His past history was as follows: He
was the only son of a very wealthy but avaricious sugar manufacturer
of Malabon, who was unwilling to spend a cent in his education. For
this reason young Santiago became the servant of a good Dominican, a
very virtuous man, who tried to teach him all the valuable knowledge
which he possessed. About the time when he was to have the happiness
of studying logic, the death of his protector, followed by that of his
father, put an end to his studies and from that time on he devoted
himself to business. He married a beautiful girl from Santa Cruz,
who increased his fortune and gave him a social position.

Dona Pia Alba was not content with buying sugar, coffee and indigo;
she wished to sow and reap, so the young husband bought lands in
San Diego. It was in this town that he made the acquaintance and
friendship of Father Damaso and of Don Rafael Ibarra, the richest
capitalist of the town.

The lack of an heir for the first six years of his married life gave
him a great opportunity to accumulate wealth, which perhaps was a
censurable ambition. Although Dona Pia was handsome, robust and well
formed, she made her pilgrimages in vain. By advice of the devotees of
San Diego, she visited the Virgin of Cayasay in Taal; she gave alms,
and she danced in the procession before the Virgin of Turumba in Pakil
under the May sun, but it was all in vain. Finally, on the advice
of Father Damaso, she went to Ob