the opposite bank a group of men and women
had formed under a great canvas roof, attached in part to the branches
of the ancient trees, in part to pickets. There chatted the curate,
the alferez, the vicar, the gobernadorcillo, the lieutenant, all the
chief men of the town, including the famous orator, Captain Basilio,
father of Sinang and opponent of Don Rafael Ibarra in a lawsuit not
yet ended.

"We dispute a point at law," Crisostomo had said in inviting him,
"but to dispute is not to be enemies," and the famous orator had
accepted the invitation.

Bottles of lemonade were opened and green cocoanut shells were broken,
so that those who came from the baths might drink the fresh water;
the girls were given wreaths of ylang-ylang and roses to perfume
their unbound hair.

The lunch hour came. The curate, the alferez, the gobernadorcillo,
some captains, and the lieutenant sat at a table with Ibarra. The
mamas allowed no men at the table with the girls.

"Have you learned anything, senor alferez, about the criminal who
attacked Brother Damaso?" said Brother Salvi.

"Of what criminal are you speaking?" asked the alferez, looking at
the father over his glass of wine.

"What? Why, the one who attacked Brother Damaso on the highway day
before yesterday."

"Father Damaso has been attacked?" asked several voices.

"Yes; he is in bed yet. It is thought the maker of the assault is
Elias, the one who threw you into the swamp some time ago, senor
alferez."

The alferez reddened with shame, if it were not from emptying his
glass of wine.

"But I supposed you were informed," the curate went on; "I said to
myself that the alferez of the Municipal Guard----"

The officer bit his lip.

At that moment a woman, pale, thin, miserably dressed, appeared,
like a phantom, in the midst of the feast.

"Give the poor woman something to eat," said the ladies.

She kept on toward the table where the curate was seated. He turned,
recognized her, and the knife fell from his hand.

"Give the woman something to eat," ordered Ibarra.

"The night is dark and the children are gone," murmured the poor
woman. But at sight of the alferez she became frightened and ran,
disappearing among the trees.

"Who is it?" demanded several voices.

"Isn't her name Sisa?" asked Ibarra with interest.

"Your soldiers arrested her," said the lieutenant to the alferez,
with some bitterness; "they brought her all the way across the pueblo
for some sto