Aguinaldo discarded his uniform one evening, completely disguised himself as a Filipino fruit-vender, and made his way into Manila. Naturally, he slipped around to the home of his old friends, the Sampalits. He sat in a semi-darkened room, with all the hinged-windows to the shack tightly closed and stroked Marie's soft black hair with his left hand. As he engaged her and her mother in conversation in subdued tones, he little thought that in so short a time Marie would be associated with him in a series of bloody tragedies that would revolutionize the government of the islands forever. "Marie," said he, "I'm going to force the Americans to acknowledge the independence of the Philippine islands, or I shall not permit the rest of their army to land. Dewey tells me he has sent home for reinforcements. There is no use for us to let these troops land, if America instead of Spain is going to govern the islands. What we want is absolute independence with myself as president of the new Filipino Republic. If the Americans won't concede this to us, let's fight!" "That's what I say!" declared Marie. "Let's drive the foreign devils off the islands or slay them all. Here's father dead and--Dimiguez, too"--Marie's voice trembled--"I tell you it's too much. Let's kill every one of them!" "Yes; but say Marie, we must keep quiet about all this," cautioned Aguinaldo. "I'll tell you what I have in mind. We'll wait about four weeks and by that time if Dewey hasn't received definite instructions from Washington, and if he won't give me any satisfaction, I'm going to go to Malolos, proclaim myself Dictator of the Philippines, appoint a cabinet and a congress from among some of the bright young Filipinos here in Manila who have been educated abroad, draw up a Revolutionary form of government, and begin to administer the affairs of these islands just as I please. "We'll keep our present army in the field, and if the Americans do land we'll shut them up in Manila, so that they will have nothing at their command but the city to regulate. This won't amount to much as compared with the rest of the islands which I will dominate." "Are you sure the Americans won't land a powerful army, cut through your lines around Manila and drive you out of Malolos, or capture you and your officials at that place? It seems to me I would go farther inland--say to San Isidro," said Marie. Aguinaldo thought a moment, then replied: "That's true, in a sense, Marie; but I have got to be on or near the railroad where I can have easy and rapid access to Manila. Malolos is not far from here and it is situated on the railroad. It has some very large buildings in which our legislative sessions could be held. I think it the place for the undertaking. "To be on the safe side, I believe I will have our troops erect a series of fortifications between here and there along the railroad track, so that if the Americans do attempt to advance by that route I can easily stop them."