Part 10 (1/2)
”I owe you my life!” said he to Ibarra as the latter wrapped himself up in the shawls and blankets. The voice of the pilot had a ring of sincerity.
”You are too bold,” replied Ibarra. ”Another time you must not tempt G.o.d.”
”If you had never come back!” exclaimed Maria, pale and trembling.
”If I had never come back and you had followed after me,” replied the young man, ”I would have been with all my family in the bottom of the lake.” Ibarra was thinking that in those depths lay the remains of his father.
The mothers of the girls did not want to go to the other baklad or weir. They preferred to go back home happy, for the day had commenced with a bad omen and they feared that they would suffer many misfortunes.
”It is all because we have not heard ma.s.s,” sighed one of them.
”But what misfortune have we had, senoras?” asked Ibarra. ”The alligator was the unfortunate one.”
”That goes to show,” concluded Albino, ”that, in all his fis.h.i.+ng life, this reptile has never heard ma.s.s. I never saw him, I am sure, among the other reptiles who frequent the church.”
The bancas were turned toward the other fish rack, and it was necessary for Andeng to get the water boiling again.
The day was advancing; a breeze was blowing; little waves were stirred up on the water, and rippled around the alligator. The music began again. Iday was playing the harp, while the young men were playing the accordeons and guitars with more or less skill. But the one who played best was Albino.
The other weir was visited with an entire lack of confidence. Many of the party expected to find there the mate to the alligator, but Nature fooled them and every time that the net was lowered it was brought up full of fish.
They then headed for the sh.o.r.e of the lake, where is situated the forest of trees centuries old, owned by Ibarra. There in the shade and near the crystal brook the party were to take their breakfast among the flowers or under improvised tents.
CHAPTER XII
IN THE WOODS.
Very early that morning Father Salvi had said ma.s.s, cleaning, according to his custom, a dozen dirty souls in a few minutes. The reading of a few letters, which had arrived well sealed with wax, seemed to cause the worthy curate to lose his appet.i.te, for he allowed his chocolate to get cold.
”The Father is ill,” said the cook as he prepared another cup. ”It is several days since he has eaten anything; of six dishes which I put on the table for him, he has not touched two.”
”It must be that he does not sleep well,” replied the servant. ”He has nightmare since he changed his bedroom. Every day his eyes are sinking deeper, he grows gradually thinner, and is very yellow.”
As a matter of fact, it was a pitiful sight to behold Father Salvi. He did not care to touch his second cup of chocolate, nor to taste the Cebu cakes. He walked pensively to and fro in the s.p.a.cious sala, crumpling between his bony fingers some letters which he would read from time to time. Finally, he called for his carriage, got ready and ordered the coachman to take him to the woods where the picnic was to be held. Arriving at the place, Father Salvi dismissed the carriage and all alone, entered the forest.
A shady but difficult path runs through the thicket and leads to the brook which is formed by the hot springs so plentiful at the base of Mount Makiling.
For some time, Father Salvi was wandering among the thick underbrush, here trying to evade the thorns which entangled his habit of guingon as if to detain him; there trying to step over the roots of the trees which stuck up through the ground and made the inexperienced traveler stumble again and again. Suddenly he stopped. Mirthful laughter and the sound of young voices reached his ears. The voices and the laughter seemed to come from the direction of the brook and each time seemed to be coming nearer.
”I am going to see if I can find a heron's nest,” said a voice, beautiful and sweet, and at once recognized by the curate. ”You know they say that if a person possesses one of those nests he can make himself invisible to everybody. How I would like to see him and not have him see me! I could follow him everywhere.”
Father Salvi hid behind the thick trunk of an old tree and listened.
”That is to say, you want to do with him what the curate does with you: watch him everywhere?” replied the merry voice. ”Be careful, for jealousy makes one grow thin and the eyes sink in.”
”No, no. It is not jealousy, it is pure curiosity,” replied the silvery voice, while the other repeated, ”yes, yes, jealousy; that's what it is.” And then she broke out in a merry chuckle.
”If I were jealous of him I would not use the heron's nest to make myself invisible to him, but would make him invisible to everybody else.”