Part 25 (2/2)
The husband knew that some of these things were barbarisms, but he kept silent so that she would not mock him and twit him with his stammering. She feigned to be whimsical in order to increase her illusion that she was a mother, and she began to dress herself in colors, adorn herself with flowers and ribbons, and to walk through the Escolta in a wrapper. But oh! what an illusion! Three months pa.s.sed and the dream vanished. By this time, having no fear that her son would be a revolutionist, she gave up the voyage. She consulted doctors, mid-wives and old women, but all in vain. To the great displeasure of Captain Tiago she made fun of San Pascual Bailon, as she did not care to run to any saint. On account of this a friend of her husband told her:
”Believe me, Senora, you are the only espiritu fuerte (strong-minded person) in this country.”
She smiled without understanding what espiritu fuerte meant, but, at night, when it was time to be sleeping, she asked her husband about it.
”Daughter,” replied he, ”the e--espir--espiritu most fu-fuerte that I know--know about is a--a--ammonia. My fr-fr-friend must have be-been us-using a figure of rhetoric.”
From that time on, she was always saying, whenever she could, ”I am the only ammonia in this country, speaking rhetorically, as Senor N. de N. who is from the Peninsula and who has much categoria, puts it.”
Whatever she said had to be done. She had come to dominate her husband completely. On his part, he offered no great resistance, and was converted into a little lap dog for her. If he incommoded her she would not let him go out for a drive, and when she became really infuriated, she would s.n.a.t.c.h out his false teeth and leave him a horrible-looking man for one or more days, according to the offense.
It occurred to her that her husband ought to be a Doctor of Medicine and Surgery, and so she expressed herself to him.
”Daughter! Do you want them to arrest me?” he said, frightened.
”Don't be a fool. Let me arrange it!” she replied. ”You are not going to attend any one, but I want them to call you a doctor and me a doctora, eh?”
And on the following day Rodoreda, a prominent marble dealer in Manila, received an order for the following engraving on black marble: Dr. De Espadana, Specialist in All Kinds of Diseases.
All of the servants had to give them their new t.i.tles, and, in consequence of it all, she increased the number of her curls in front, the layer of rice powder, the ribbons and laces, and looked with more disdain than ever on the poor and less fortunate women of her country, who had less categoria than she. Each day she felt herself more dignified and elevated, and, following along this road, in less than a year she would think herself of divine origin.
These sublime thoughts, however, did not prevent her from growing more ridiculous and older each day. Every time that Captain Tiago met her in the street and remembered that he had once made love to her in vain, he would go at once to the church and give a peso for a ma.s.s as a thank offering for his good luck in not marrying her. In spite of this, Captain Tiago highly respected her husband, on account of his t.i.tle of ”specialist in all kinds of diseases,” and he listened with close attention to the few phrases that he managed to stutter out. In fact, it was on account of this t.i.tle and the fact that the doctor did not attend everybody, that the Captain chose him to attend his daughter.
As to the young man Linares, it is a different story. When she was making ready for her voyage to Spain, Dona Victorina thought of having an administrator from the Peninsula to look after her affairs, for she did not trust Filipinos. Her husband remembered a nephew in Madrid who was studying to become a lawyer, and who was considered the smartest one in his family. They wrote to him, then, sending him in advance money for the pa.s.sage, and, when the dream was dispelled, the young man was already on his way.
These are the three persons who had just arrived.
While they were eating their breakfast, Father Salvi arrived, and, as the husband and wife had already met the friar, they presented him to the young Linares, with all his t.i.tles. The young man blushed.
As was natural they spoke of Maria Clara. The young maiden was resting and sleeping. They talked over the voyage. Dona Victorina showed her verbosity by criticising the customs of the provinces, the nipa houses, the bamboo bridges, without forgetting to tell the curate about her friends.h.i.+p with the Commander of the Army, the Alcalde so and so, Judge so and so of the Supreme Court, and with the governor of the province, all persons of categoria, who had much consideration for her.
”If you had come two days before, Dona Victorina,” replied Captain Tiago during a short pause, ”you would have met His Excellency, the Governor General. He sat right there.”
”What? How's that? Was His Excellency here? And in your house? A lie!”
”I tell you he sat right there. If you had come two days before----”
”Ah! What a shame that little Clara did not fall sick before!” exclaimed she, in real sorrow. And directing herself to Linares: ”Do you hear, cousin? His Excellency was here! You see De Espadana was right when he told you that we were not going to the house of a miserable native. For you should know, Don Santiago, that our cousin was a friend of all the Ministers in Madrid and all the Dukes, and he dined in the house of Count del Campanario (belfry).”
”Duke de la Torre (tower), Victorina,” said her husband, correcting her.
”It amounts to the same thing. Do you think you can tell me that----”
”Would I find Father Damaso in town to-day?” interrupted Linares, turning to Father Salvi. ”They have told me that he is near here.”
”He is, precisely, and will come here in a little while,” replied the curate.
”How glad I am! I have a letter for him,” exclaimed the young man. ”And if it had not been for this happy chance which brought me here, I would have come expressly to visit him.”
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