Upon hearing about this match all the old men who understood chess gathered around the board, for it promised to be an interesting one, and attracted even spectators who were not familiar with the game. The old women, however, surrounded the curate in order to converse with him about spiritual matters, but Fray Salvi apparently did not consider the place and time appropriate, for he gave vague answers and his sad, rather bored, looks wandered in all directions except toward his questioners. The chess-match began with great solemnity. "If this game ends in a draw, it's understood that the lawsuit is to be dropped," said Ibarra. In the midst of the game Ibarra received a telegram which caused his eyes to shine and his face to become pale. He put it into his pocketbook, at the same time glancing toward the group of young people, who were still with laughter and shouts putting questions to Destiny. "Check to the king!" called the youth. Capitan Basilio had no other recourse than to hide the piece behind the queen. "Check to the queen!" called the youth as he threatened that piece with a rook which was defended by a pawn. Being unable to protect the queen or to withdraw the piece on account of the king behind it, Capitan Basilio asked for time to reflect. "Willingly," agreed Ibarra, "especially as I have something to say this very minute to those young people in that group over there." He arose with the agreement that his opponent should have a quarter of an hour. Iday had the round card on which were written the forty-eight questions, while Albino held the book of answers. "A lie! It's not so!" cried Sinang, half in tears. "What's the matter?" asked Maria Clara. "Just imagine, I asked, 'When shall I have some sense?' I threw the dice and that worn-out priest read from the book, 'When the frogs raise hair.' What do you think of that?" As she said this, Sinang made a grimace at the laughing ex-theological student. "Who told you to ask that question?" her cousin Victoria asked her. "To ask it is enough to deserve such an answer." "You ask a question," they said to Ibarra, offering him the wheel. "We're decided that whoever gets the best answer shall receive a present from the rest. Each of us has already had a question." "Who got the best answer?" "Maria Clara, Maria Clara!" replied Sinang. "We made her ask, willy-nilly, 'Is your sweetheart faithful and constant?' And the book answered--" But here the blushing Maria Clara put her hands over Sinang's mouth so that she could not finish. "Well, give me the wheel," said Crisostomo, smiling. "My question is, 'Shall I succeed in my present enterprise?'" "What an ugly question!" exclaimed Sinang. Ibarra threw the dice and in accordance with the resulting number the page and line were sought. "Dreams are dreams," read Albino.