Yes, as a matter of fact, one of the most serious newspapers in Manila had printed an article on its first page, headed “Imitate Him!” in which they offered Ibarra much advice and highly eulogized him. The article spoke3 of him as “the illustrious and rich young capitalist.” Two lines below, he was termed “the distinguished4 philanthropist,” and, in the following paragraph, referred to as the “disciple of Minerva who went to his Mother Country to salute5 the real birthplace of arts and sciences.” Captain Tiago was burning with generous emulation6 and was wondering whether he ought not to erect7 a convent at his own expense.
Days before the week of festivities, numerous boxes of provisions and drinks, colossal8 mirrors, pictures, paintings and his daughter’s piano had arrived at the house. Maria Clara and Aunt Isabel were already living there. Captain Tiago came on the day before the beginning of the festival. As he kissed his daughter’s hand, he made her a present of a beautiful religious relic9. It was solid gold, and set with diamonds and emeralds, and contained a little sliver10 from Saint Peter’s boat, in which Our Saviour11 sat while fishing. [88]
The Captain’s interview with his future son-in-law could not have been more cordial. Naturally, the school house was the subject of conversation. Captain Tiago wanted him to call the school “The San Francisco School.”
“Believe me!” he said. “San Francisco is a good patron saint. If you call it ‘The Primary School,’ you gain nothing. Who is Primary, anyway?”
Some friends of Maria Clara arrived and invited her to go for a walk.
“But return quickly,” said the Captain to his daughter, who asked for his permission. “You know that Father Dámaso is going to dine with us to-night. He has just arrived.”
And turning to Ibarra who was deep in thought, he added: “You will dine with us, too? You will be all alone at home.”
“With the greatest pleasure, I assure you, if I did not have to be at home to-night to receive visitors,” replied the young man, mumbling12 his words and evading13 Maria Clara’s glance.
“Bring your friends along with you,” replied Captain Tiago cheerfully. “In my house there is always enough to eat. And, besides I would like to have you and Father Dámaso understand each other.”
“There’ll be time enough for that,” replied Ibarra, putting on a forced smile and making ready to accompany the young ladies.
They went downstairs. Maria Clara was walking between Victoria and Iday, while Aunt Isabel followed behind.
As they passed down the street, people stood aside respectfully and gave them the inside of the way. Maria Clara was surprisingly beautiful now. Her paleness had disappeared, and although her eyes were thoughtful, her mouth, on the contrary, seemed all smiles. With that amiability14 known only to a happy maiden15, she saluted16 friends she had known from childhood who to-day were admirers of her youthful beauty. In less than fifteen days she had regained17 that frank confidence, that childish chatter18, which seemed for awhile to have been left [89]behind in the narrow walls of the convent. It seemed as though the butterfly upon leaving its shell knew all the flowers at once. It was enough that she be given a moment of flight and an opportunity to warm herself in the golden rays of the sun, in order to throw off the rigidity19 of the chrysalis. New life shone out in every part of her young being. Everything she met with was good and beautiful. Her love was manifested with virginal grace, and innocent in thought, she saw nothing to cause her to put on false blushes. However, she was wont21 to cover her face with her fan when they joked with her, but her eyes would smile and a gentle tremor22 would pass over her whole being.
In front of Captain Basilio’s house were some young men who saluted our acquaintances and invited them into the house. The merry voice of Sinang was heard, as she descended23 the stairs on a run and at once put an end to all excuses.
“Come up a moment so that I can go out with you,” said she. “It bores me to be among so many strangers who talk about nothing but fighting-cocks and playing cards.”
They went upstairs. The house was full of people. Some advanced to greet Ibarra, whose name was known to all. They contemplated24 with ecstacy Maria Clara’s beauty, and some of the matrons murmured as they chewed their betel-nut: “She looks like the Virgin20!”
After they had partaken of chocolate they resumed their walk. In the corner of the plaza25 a beggar was singing the romance of the fishes, to the accompaniment of a guitar. He was a common sight, a man miserably26 dressed and wearing a wide-brimmed hat made out of palm leaves. His clothing consisted of a frock coat covered with patches, and a pair of wide trousers such as the Chinese wear, but torn in many places. From beneath the brim of his hat two fiery27 orbs28 flashed out a ray of light. He was tall and from his manner seemed to be young. He put a basket down on the ground and, afterwards walking away from it a little distance, he uttered strange, unintelligible29 sounds. He remained standing30, completely isolated31, as if he and the people in the street [90]were trying to avoid each other. Women approached his basket, and dropped into it fish, fruit and rice. When there was no one else to approach the basket, other sadder but less mournful sounds could be heard; perhaps he was thanking them. He picked up his basket and walked away to do the same in another place.
Maria Clara felt that this was a pitiful case. Full of interest, she asked about the strange being.
“It is a leper,” replied Iday. “He contracted the disease some four years ago; some say by taking care of his mother, others by having been confined in a damp prison. He lives there in the field near the Chinese cemetery32. He does not communicate with any one: everybody flees from him on account of the fear of contagion33. You should see his fantastic little house! The wind, the rain and the sunshine go in and out of it as a needle goes through cloth. They have prohibited him from touching34 anything belonging to anybody. One day a little child fell into the canal. The canal was deep, but this man happened to be passing near and helped to get the little child out. The child’s father learned of it, made a complaint to the gobernadorcillo and the latter ordered that he be given six stripes in the middle of the street, the whip to be afterwards burned. That was atrocious! The leper ran away howling; they pursued him and the gobernadorcillo cried out: ‘Catch him! One might better be drowned than have that disease!’”
“That is true,” murmured Maria Clara. And then, without noticing what she was doing, she went up to the basket of the unfortunate wretch35 and dropped into it the relic which her father had just presented to her.
“What have you done?” her friends asked her.
“I have nothing else to give him,” she replied, concealing36 the tears in her eyes by a smile.
“And what is he going to do with the relic?” said Victoria to her. “One day they gave him money but he pushed it away from him with his cane37. Why would he care for it, if no one would accept anything coming from him? If he could only eat the relic!”
Maria Clara looked longingly38 at the women who were selling provisions and shrugged39 her shoulders. [91]
But the leper approached the basket, picked up the piece of jewelry40 which shone in his hands, knelt down, kissed it, and, after taking off his hat, buried his face in the dust on which the young girl had walked.
Maria Clara hid her face behind her fan and raised her handkerchief to her eyes.
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1
splendor
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| n.光彩；壮丽，华丽；显赫，辉煌 | |
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prospective
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| adj.预期的，未来的，前瞻性的 | |
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3
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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4
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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5
salute
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| vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮 | |
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6
emulation
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| n.竞争；仿效 | |
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7
erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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8
colossal
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| adj.异常的，庞大的 | |
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9
relic
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| n.神圣的遗物，遗迹，纪念物 | |
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sliver
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| n.裂片，细片，梳毛；v.纵切，切成长片，剖开 | |
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11
saviour
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| n.拯救者，救星 | |
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12
mumbling
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| 含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的现在分词 ) | |
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13
evading
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| 逃避( evade的现在分词 )； 避开； 回避； 想不出 | |
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14
amiability
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| n.和蔼可亲的，亲切的，友善的 | |
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15
maiden
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| n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的 | |
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16
saluted
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| v.欢迎，致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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17
regained
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| 复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地 | |
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18
chatter
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| vi.／n.喋喋不休；短促尖叫；(牙齿)打战 | |
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19
rigidity
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| adj.钢性，坚硬 | |
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20
virgin
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| n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的 | |
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21
wont
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| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
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22
tremor
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| n.震动，颤动，战栗，兴奋，地震 | |
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23
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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24
contemplated
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| adj. 预期的 动词contemplate的过去分词形式 | |
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plaza
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| n.广场，市场 | |
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26
miserably
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| adv.痛苦地；悲惨地；糟糕地；极度地 | |
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27
fiery
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| adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的 | |
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28
orbs
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| abbr.off-reservation boarding school 在校寄宿学校n.球，天体，圆形物( orb的名词复数 ) | |
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29
unintelligible
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| adj.无法了解的，难解的，莫明其妙的 | |
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30
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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31
isolated
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| adj.与世隔绝的 | |
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32
cemetery
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| n.坟墓，墓地，坟场 | |
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33
contagion
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| n.(通过接触的疾病)传染；蔓延 | |
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34
touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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35
wretch
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| n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人 | |
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36
concealing
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，遮住( conceal的现在分词 ) | |
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37
cane
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| n.手杖，细长的茎，藤条；v.以杖击，以藤编制的 | |
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38
longingly
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| adv. 渴望地 热望地 | |
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39
shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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40
jewelry
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| n.（jewllery）（总称）珠宝 | |
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