hings that caused her to wrinkle up her eyebrows for an instant,
only to return to her former merry mood.

The lunch over, they proceeded on their way toward the fish-corrals,
of which there were two situated near each other, both belonging
to Capitan Tiago. From afar were to be seen some herons perched
in contemplative attitude on the tops of the bamboo posts, while
a number of white birds, which the Tagalogs call _kalaway_, flew
about in different directions, skimming the water with their wings
and filling the air with shrill cries. At the approach of the bankas
the herons took to flight, and Maria Clara followed them with her
gaze as they flew in the direction of the neighboring mountain.

"Do those birds build their nests on the mountain?" she asked the
pilot, not so much from a desire to know as for the purpose of making
him talk.

"Probably they do, senora," he answered, "but no one up to this time
has ever seen their nests."

"Don't they have nests?"

"I suppose they must have them, otherwise they would be very
unfortunate."

Maria Clara did not notice the tone of sadness with which he uttered
these words. "Then--"

"It is said, senora," answered the strange youth, "that the nests of
those birds are invisible and that they have the power of rendering
invisible any one who possesses one of them. Just as the soul can
only be seen in the pure mirror of the eyes, so also in the mirror
of the water alone can their nests be looked upon."

Maria Clara became sad and thoughtful. Meanwhile, they had reached
the first fish-corral and an aged boatman tied the craft to a post.

"Wait!" called Aunt Isabel to the son of the fisherman, who was getting
ready to climb upon the platform of the corral with his _panalok_,
or fish-net fastened on the end of a stout bamboo pole. "We must get
the _sinigang_ ready so that the fish may pass at once from the water
into the soup."

"Kind Aunt Isabel!" exclaimed the ex-theological student. "She doesn't
want the fish to miss the water for an instant!"

Andeng, Maria Clara's foster-sister, in spite of her carefree and happy
face, enjoyed the reputation of being an excellent cook, so she set
about preparing a soup of rice and vegetables, helped and hindered by
some of the young men, eager perhaps to win her favor. The other young
women all busied themselves in cutting up and washing the vegetables.

In order to divert the impatience of those who were waiting to see the
fishes t