How would you do it? Perhaps you would do as Sister Listener
does in the convent?"

This reference to days passed in the convent provoked a jolly laugh
all around.

Father Salvi saw from his hiding-place Maria Clara, Victoria, and
Sinang, wading in the stream. All three were looking into the water,
which was like a mirror, in search of the heron's nest. They were
getting wet up to their knees, the wide folds of their bathing skirts
allowing one to guess how graceful were the curves of their limbs. They
were wearing their hair loose and their arms were bare. Striped,
bright-colored bodices covered their breasts. The three lasses, at
the same time that they were hunting for that which did not exist,
collected flowers and plants which were growing on the banks of
the stream.

The religious Acteon, pale and immovable, stood gazing upon Maria
Clara, that chaste Diana. The eyes which shone in those dark orbits
never tired of admiring those white and beautiful arms, that pretty,
round neck, those tiny and rosy feet as they played in the water. As
he contemplated all this, strange feelings were awakened in his breast,
new dreams took possession of his burning mind.

The three pretty forms disappeared in a thick growth of bamboo behind
a bend in the stream, but their cruel allusions could still be heard by
the curate. Intoxicated with the strange ideas in his head, staggering,
and covered with perspiration, Father Salvi left his hiding-place
and looked about him in all directions with staring eyes. He stood
immovable, in doubt. He took a few steps as if to follow the young
women, but he turned about, and walked along the bank of the stream
in order to find the rest of the picnic party.

Some distance ahead, in the middle of the stream, he could see a
bathing place well enclosed by bamboo. He could hear, merry laughter
and feminine accents coming from that direction. Still further down the
stream he could see a bamboo bridge and some men in bathing. In the
meantime, a multitude of servants were bustling about the improvised
fireplaces, some engaged in plucking chickens, others in washing
rice and roasting pig. And there on the opposite bank, in a clearing
which had been made, were a number of men and women under a tent. The
tent had been made by hanging canvas from the limbs of some of the
old trees and by erecting a few poles. There in the group was the
alferez, the teniente mayor, the coadjutor, the gobernadorcillo,
the