"To-morrow come to the house early. Maria never wants to be alone. We keep her company. Victoria sleeps by her side one night, and I the next. To-morrow night it is my turn. But listen: What is the secret? You are going without telling me the principal thing." "That is true. I was in the town of Los Baños. I went up there to do some business in cocoanut trees, since I am thinking of building a factory. Your father will be my partner." "Nothing more than that? Give us the secret!" exclaimed Sinang in a loud voice and in the tone of a defrauded usurer. "I thought----" "Take care. I don't want you to tell it." "I have no desire to!" replied Sinang, sticking up her nose. "If it were something more important, I would tell it to my friends. But to buy cocoanuts! cocoanuts! Who is interested in cocoanuts?" And she went away in haste to find her girl friends. A few moments afterward, Ibarra seeing that the conversation was lagging, took leave of the gathering. Captain Tiago's expression was between sweet and sour; Linares was silent and observing; and the curate, feigning to be joyful, was telling stories. None of the girls had returned. CHAPTER XXXIII PLAYING CARDS WITH THE SHADES. A cloudy sky hides the moon, and a cold wind, the omen of approaching December, whirls the dry leaves and dust in the narrow path leading to the cemetery. Under the gate, three forms are conversing in a low tone. "Have you spoken to Elias?" asked a voice. "No; you know he is very odd and discreet. But he ought to be with us. Don Crisostomo saved his life." "I accepted the offer for the same reason," said the first voice. "Don Crisostomo is having my wife treated at a doctor's house in Manila. I have agreed to take charge of the convent in the attack, so that I can settle my accounts with the curate." "And we, we will have charge of the attack on the cuartel, so that we can say to the members of the Guardia Civil that our father had sons." "How many will there be of you?" "Five! Five will be enough. Don Crisostomo's servant says that there will be twenty in all." "And if things don't turn out well?" "St!" said one, and they all became silent. In the semi-darkness, a form could be seen crawling along the fence. From time to time it stopped, as if to look behind. And it did so not without reason. Behind, at some twenty paces, came another form. This one was taller and seemed to be darker than the first. Each time that the first stopped this second one would disappear as if the earth had swallowed it. "They are following me," murmured the one ahead. "Is it a Guardia Civil? Has the sacristan lied?" "It appears that the appointment is here," said the second, in a low voice. "They are up to something bad, when the two brothers hide it from me." The first form finally arrived at the gate of the cemetery. The three who were already there advanced. "Is it you?" "Is it you?"