Noli me tángere. English

  CHAPTER XLI

  Two Visits

  Ibarra was in such a state of mind that he found it impossible tosleep, so to distract his attention from the sad thoughts which areso exaggerated during the night-hours he set to work in his lonelycabinet. Day found him still making mixtures and combinations, to theaction of which he subjected pieces of bamboo and other substances,placing them afterwards in numbered and sealed jars.

  A servant entered to announce the arrival of a man who had theappearance of being from the country. "Show him in," said Ibarrawithout looking around.

  Elias entered and remained standing in silence.

  "Ah, it's you!" exclaimed Ibarra in Tagalog when he recognizedhim. "Excuse me for making you wait, I didn't notice that it wasyou. I'm making an important experiment."

  "I don't want to disturb you," answered the youthful pilot. "I'vecome first to ask you if there is anything I can do for you in theprovince, of Batangas, for which I am leaving immediately, and alsoto bring you some bad news."

  Ibarra questioned him with a look.

  "Capitan Tiago's daughter is ill," continued Elias quietly, "butnot seriously."

  "That's what I feared," murmured Ibarra in a weak voice. "Do you knowwhat is the matter with her?"

  "A fever. Now, if you have nothing to command--"

  "Thank you, my friend, no. I wish you a pleasant journey. But firstlet me ask you a question--if it is indiscreet, do not answer."

  Elias bowed.

  "How were you able to quiet the disturbance last night?" asked Ibarra,looking steadily at him.

  "Very easily," answered Elias in the most natural manner. "The leadersof the commotion were two brothers whose father died from a beatinggiven him by the Civil Guard. One day I had the good fortune tosave them from the same hands into which their father had fallen,and both are accordingly grateful to me. I appealed to them lastnight and they undertook to dissuade the rest."

  "And those two brothers whose father died from the beating--"

  "Will end as their father did," replied Elias in a low voice. "Whenmisfortune has once singled out a family all its members mustperish,--when the lightning strikes a tree the whole is reducedto ashes."

  Ibarra fell silent on hearing this, so Elias took his leave. Whenthe youth found himself alone he lost the serene self-possession hehad maintained in the pilot's presence. His sorrow pictured itselfon his countenance. "I, I have made her suffer," he murmured.

  He dressed himself quickly and descended the stairs. A small man,dressed in mourning, with a large scar on his left cheek, salutedhim humbly, and detained him on his way.

  "What do you want?" asked Ibarra.

  "Sir, my name is Lucas, and I'm the brother of the man who was killedyesterday."

  "Ah, you have my sympathy. Well?"

  "Sir, I want to know how much you're going to pay my brother's family."

  "Pay?" repeated the young man, unable to conceal his disgust. "We'lltalk of that later. Come back this afternoon, I'm in a hurry now."

  "Only tell me how much you're willing to pay," insisted Lucas.

  "I've told you that we'll talk about that some other time. I haven'ttime now," repeated Ibarra impatiently.

  "You haven't time now, sir?" asked Lucas bitterly, placing himselfin front of the young man. "You haven't time to consider the dead?"

  "Come this afternoon, my good man," replied Ibarra, restraininghimself. "I'm on my way now to visit a sick person."

  "Ah, for the sick you forget the dead? Do you think that because weare poor--"

  Ibarra looked at him and interrupted, "Don't try my patience!" thenwent on his way.

  Lucas stood looking after him with a smile full of hate. "It's easy tosee that you're the grandson of the man who tied my father out in thesun," he muttered between his teeth. "You still have the same blood."

  Then with a change of tone he added, "But, if you pay well--friends!"