er must have exclaimed," continued Elias,
coldly. "The men had cut the highwayman into quarters and buried him
in a trunk of a tree. But the limbs were saved, and were hung up in
different towns. If you go some time from Calamba to Santo Tomas you
will still find the rotting leg of my uncle hanging from a lomboy
tree. Nature has cursed the tree and it neither grows nor gives
fruit. They did the same thing with the other members of his body,
but the head, the head, as the best part of the man and that part which
can be most easily recognized, they hung before the mother's cabin."

Ibarra bowed his head.

"The young man fled like one that is accursed," continued Elias. "He
fled from town to town, through mountains and valleys, and when at
last he thought he was not recognized by any one, he began to work
in the store of a rich man in the province of Tayabas. His activity,
his agreeable disposition, won for him the esteem of those who did
not know his past life. By working and saving he managed to make
a little capital, and, as the misery had passed away, and, as he
was young, he thought that he would be happy. His good appearance,
his youth, and his quite unencumbered position won for him the love
of a girl in the town, but he did not dare to ask for her hand, for
fear that she might learn of his past. But love became too strong
and both erred. The man, in order to save the honor of the woman,
risked all; he asked her to marry him, the papers were looked up and
all was disclosed. The girl's father was rich and began to prosecute
the man. The latter, however, did not try to defend himself, admitted
it all and was sent to jail. The young woman gave birth to a boy and a
girl. They were brought up in seclusion and made to believe that their
father was dead. This was not difficult, for while the children were
still young they saw their mother die, and they thought little about
investigating their genealogy. As our grandfather was very rich, our
youth was happy. My sister and I were educated together, we loved each
other as only twins can when they know no other love. While very young,
I went to study in the Jesuit College, and my sister, in order that
we might not be entirely separated, went to the Concordia boarding
school. Our short education having been ended, for we only wished
to be farmers, we returned to the town to take possession of the
inheritance which was left us by our grandfather. We lived happily
for some time