ressed the butt of the revolver,
regretting that the terrible hour had not yet come. Just then he saw
Simoun come out of the door of his house, carrying in his hands the
case containing the lamp, carefully wrapped up, and enter a carriage,
which then followed those bearing the bridal party. In order not to
lose track of Simoun, Basilio took a good look at the cochero and
with astonishment recognized in him the wretch who had driven him to
San Diego, Sinong, the fellow maltreated by the Civil Guard, the same
who had come to the prison to tell him about the occurrences in Tiani.

Conjecturing that Calle Anloague was to be the scene of action, thither
the youth directed his steps, hurrying forward and getting ahead of
the carriages, which were, in fact, all moving toward the former house
of Capitan Tiago--there they were assembling in search of a ball,
but actually to dance in the air! Basilio smiled when he noticed the
pairs of civil-guards who formed the escort, and from their number he
could guess the importance of the fiesta and the guests. The house
overflowed with people and poured floods of light from its windows,
the entrance was carpeted and strewn with flowers. Upstairs there,
perhaps in his former solitary room, an orchestra was playing lively
airs, which did not completely drown the confused tumult of talk
and laughter.

Don Timoteo Pelaez was reaching the pinnacle of fortune, and the
reality surpassed his dreams. He was, at last, marrying his son to
the rich Gomez heiress, and, thanks to the money Simoun had lent him,
he had royally furnished that big house, purchased for half its value,
and was giving in it a splendid fiesta, with the foremost divinities
of the Manila Olympus for his guests, to gild him with the light of
their prestige. Since that morning there had been recurring to him,
with the persistence of a popular song, some vague phrases that he had
read in the communion service. "Now has the fortunate hour come! Now
draws nigh the happy moment! Soon there will be fulfilled in you the
admirable words of Simoun--'I live, and yet not I alone, but the
Captain-General liveth in me.'" The Captain-General the patron of
his son! True, he had not attended the ceremony, where Don Custodio
had represented him, but he would come to dine, he would bring a
wedding-gift, a lamp which not even Aladdin's--between you and me,
Simoun was presenting the lamp. Timoteo, what more could you desire?

The transformation t