Noli me tángere. English

by José Rizal

  CHAPTER III

  The Dinner

  Jele, jele, bago quiere. [27]

  Fray Sibyla seemed to be very content as he moved along tranquilly withthe look of disdain no longer playing about his thin, refined lips. Heeven condescended to speak to the lame doctor, De Espadana, whoanswered in monosyllables only, as he was somewhat of a stutterer. TheFranciscan was in a frightful humor, kicking at the chairs and evenelbowing a cadet out of his way. The lieutenant was grave while theothers talked vivaciously, praising the magnificence of the table. DonaVictorina, however, was just turning up her nose in disdain when shesuddenly became as furious as a trampled serpent--the lieutenant hadstepped on the train of her gown.

  "Haven't you any eyes?" she demanded.

  "Yes, senora, two better than yours, but the fact is that I wasadmiring your frizzes," retorted the rather ungallant soldier as hemoved away from her.

  As if from instinct the two friars both started toward the head of thetable, perhaps from habit, and then, as might have been expected, thesame thing happened that occurs with the competitors for a universityposition, who openly exalt the qualifications and superiority of theiropponents, later giving to understand that just the contrary was meant,and who murmur and grumble when they do not receive the appointment.

  "For you, Fray Damaso."

  "For you, Fray Sibyla."

  "An older friend of the family--confessor of the deceased lady--age,dignity, and authority--"

  "Not so very old, either! On the other hand, you are the curate ofthe district," replied Fray Damaso sourly, without taking his handfrom the back of the chair.

  "Since you command it, I obey," concluded Fray Sibyla, disposinghimself to take the seat.

  "I don't command it!" protested the Franciscan. "I don't command it!"

  Fray Sibyla was about to seat himself without paying any more attentionto these protests when his eyes happened to encounter those of thelieutenant. According to clerical opinion in the Philippines, thehighest secular official is inferior to a friar-cook: _cedant armatogae_, said Cicero in the Senate--_cedant arma cottae_, say thefriars in the Philippines. [28]

  But Fray Sibyla was a well-bred person, so he said, "Lieutenant, herewe are in the world and not in the church. The seat of honor belongsto you." To judge from the tone of his voice, however, even in theworld it really did belong to him, and the lieutenant, either to keepout of trouble or to avoid sitting between two friars, curtly declined.

  None of the claimants had given a thought to their host. Ibarranoticed him watching the scene with a smile of satisfaction.

  "How's this, Don Santiago, aren't you going to sit down with us?"

  But all the seats were occupied; Lucullus was not to sup in the houseof Lucullus.

  "Sit still, don't get up!" said Capitan Tiago, placing his hand onthe young man's shoulder. "This fiesta is for the special purposeof giving thanks to the Virgin for your safe arrival. _Oy!_ Bringon the _tinola!_ I ordered _tinola_ as you doubtless have not tastedany for so long a time."

  A large steaming tureen was brought in. The Dominican, after mutteringthe benedicite, to which scarcely any one knew how to respond, beganto serve the contents. But whether from carelessness or other cause,Padre Damaso received a plate in which a bare neck and a tough wingof chicken floated about in a large quantity of soup amid lumps ofsquash, while the others were eating legs and breasts, especiallyIbarra, to whose lot fell the second joints. Observing all this, theFranciscan mashed up some pieces of squash, barely tasted the soup,dropped his spoon noisily, and roughly pushed his plate away. TheDominican was very busy talking to the rubicund youth.

  "How long have you been away from the country?" Laruja asked Ibarra.

  "Almost seven years."

  "Then you have probably forgotten all about it."

  "Quite the contrary. Even if my country does seem to have forgottenme, I have always thought about it."

  "How do you mean that it has forgotten you?" inquired the rubicundyouth.

  "I mean that it has been a year since I have received any news fromhere, so that I find myself a stranger who does not yet know how andwhen his father died."

  This statement drew a sudden exclamation from the lieutenant.

  "And where were you that you didn't telegraph?" asked DonaVictorina. "When we were married we telegraphed to the Peninsula." [29]

  "Senora, for the past two years I have been in the northern part ofEurope, in Germany and Russian Poland."

  Doctor De Espadana, who until now had not ventured upon anyconversation, thought this a good opportunity to say something. "I--Iknew in S-spain a P-pole from W-warsaw, c-called S-stadtnitzki, ifI r-remember c-correctly. P-perhaps you s-saw him?" he asked timidlyand almost blushingly.

  "It's very likely," answered Ibarra in a friendly manner, "but justat this moment I don't recall him."

  "B-but you c-couldn't have c-confused him with any one else," wenton the Doctor, taking courage. "He was r-ruddy as gold and t-talkedSpanish very b-badly."

  "Those are good clues, but unfortunately while there I talked Spanishonly in a few consulates."

  "How then did you get along?" asked the wondering Dona Victorina.

  "The language of the country served my needs, madam."

  "Do you also speak English?" inquired the Dominican, who had been inHongkong, and who was a master of pidgin-English, that adulterationof Shakespeare's tongue used by the sons of the Celestial Empire.

  "I stayed in England a year among people who talked nothing butEnglish."

  "Which country of Europe pleased you the most?" asked the rubicundyouth.

  "After Spain, my second fatherland, any country of free Europe."

  "And you who seem to have traveled so much, tell us what do youconsider the most notable thing that you have seen?" inquired Laruja.

  Ibarra appeared to reflect. "Notable--in what way?"

  "For example, in regard to the life of the people--the social,political, religious life--in general, in its essential features--asa whole."

  Ibarra paused thoughtfully before replying. "Frankly, I like everythingin those people, setting aside the national pride of each one. Butbefore visiting a country, I tried to familiarize myself with itshistory, its Exodus, if I may so speak, and afterwards I foundeverything quite natural. I have observed that the prosperity ormisery of each people is in direct proportion to its liberties or itsprejudices and, accordingly, to the sacrifices or the selfishness ofits forefathers."

  "And haven't you observed anything more than that?" broke in theFranciscan with a sneer. Since the beginning of the dinner he had notuttered a single word, his whole attention having been taking up,no doubt, with the food. "It wasn't worth while to squander yourfortune to learn so trifling a thing. Any schoolboy knows that."

  Ibarra was placed in an embarrassing position, and the rest lookedfrom one to the other as if fearing a disagreeable scene. He wasabout to say, "The dinner is nearly over and his Reverence is nowsatiated," but restrained himself and merely remarked to the others,"Gentlemen, don't be surprised at the familiarity with which our formercurate treats me. He treated me so when I was a child, and the yearsseem to make no difference in his Reverence. I appreciate it, too,because it recalls the days when his Reverence visited our home andhonored my father's table."

  The Dominican glanced furtively at the Franciscan, who was tremblingvisibly. Ibarra continued as he rose from the table: "You will nowpermit me to retire, since, as I have just arrived and must go awaytomorrow morning, there remain some important business matters for meto attend to. The principal part of the dinner is over and I drinkbut little wine and seldom touch cordials. Gentlemen, all for Spainand the Philippines!" Saying this, he drained his glass, which he hadnot before touched. The old lieutenant silently followed his example.

  "Don't go!" whispered Capitan Tiago. "Maria Clara will be here. Isabelhas gone to get her. The new curate of your town, who is a saint,is also coming."

  "I'll call tomorrow before starting. I've a ve
ry important visit tomake now." With this he went away.

  Meanwhile the Franciscan had recovered himself. "Do you see?" hesaid to the rubicund youth, at the same time flourishing his dessertspoon. "That comes from pride. They can't stand to have the curatecorrect them. They even think that they are respectable persons. It'sthe evil result of sending young men to Europe. The government oughtto prohibit it."

  "And how about the lieutenant?" Dona Victorina chimed in upon theFranciscan, "he didn't get the frown off his face the whole evening. Hedid well to leave us so old and still only a lieutenant!" The ladycould not forget the allusion to her frizzes and the trampled rufflesof her gown.

  That night the rubicund youth wrote down, among other things, thefollowing title for a chapter in his _Colonial Studies_: "Concerningthe manner in which the neck and wing of a chicken in a friar's plateof soup may disturb the merriment of a feast." Among his notes thereappeared these observations: "In the Philippines the most unnecessaryperson at a dinner is he who gives it, for they are quite capable ofbeginning by throwing the host into the street and then everythingwill go on smoothly. Under present conditions it would perhaps be agood thing not to allow the Filipinos to leave the country, and evennot to teach them to read."