Noli Me Tangere

Jerome Shady Monis

Chapter LVIIVae Victis!

Guards with forbidding men faced back and front, in front of the door of the town hall, threatening with their rifle-butts the bold urchins who rose on tiptoe or climbed up on one another to see through the bars. The gobernadorcillo was very compunctious. His seat, that large chair placed under his Majesty’s portrait, was vacant, being apparently intended for someone else. About nine o’clock the curate arrived, pale and scowling. 

Alfarez “Well, you haven’t kept yourself waiting!” Padre Salvi“I should prefer not to be present,” Doña Consolacion, “Let us begin,” she announced. Alfarez“Bring out those two who are in the stocks,” Alfarez “This is the one who defended himself with the most courage and told his companions to run,” said Padre Salvi. Alferez “What’s your name?” Tarsilo“Tarsilo Alasigan.”

Alfarez“What did Don Crisostomo promise you for attacking the barracks?” Tarsilo“Don Crisostomo never had anything to do with us.” Alfarez“Don’t deny it! That’s why you tried to surprise us.” Tarsilo“You’re mistaken. You beat our father to death and we were avenging him, nothing more. Look for your two associates.” Alfarez“Do you know them?” Tarsilo “Do you know them!" Padre Salvi. “Do you know this fellow?”

Tarsilo “This is the first time that I’ve ever seen him,” The alferez struck him with his fist and kicked him. “Tie him to the bench!” Without taking off the handcuffs, which were covered with blood, they tied him to a wooden bench. The wretched boy looked about him as if seeking something and noticed Doña Consolacion, at sight of whom he smiled sardonically. In surprise the bystanders followed his glance and saw the señora, who was lightly gnawing at her lips.

Tarsilo“I’ve never seen an uglier woman!"Meanwhile, the scene in the hall continued. The wretched boy, overcome with pain, silently waited for his executioners to become weary. At last the panting soldier let his arm fall, and the alferez, pale with anger and astonishment, made a sign for them to untie him. Doña Consolacion then arose and murmured a few words into the ear of her husband, who nodded his head in understanding. “To the well with him!” he ordered.

Directorcillo "Talk now,”.“They’ll hang you anyhow. You’ll at least die without suffering so much.” “You’ll come out of this only to die,” added a cuadrillero. Tarsilo hung with his long hair streaming down and his eyes half closed. Tarsilo“If you are Christians, if you have any heart,” “let me down quickly or make my head strike against the sides so that I’ll die. God will reward you for this good deed—perhaps some day you may be as I am!” Alferez returned, watch in hand, to superintend the lowering. “Slowly, slowly!” cried Doña Consolacion, as she kept her gaze fixed on the wretch. “Be careful!”

The well-sweep moved gently downwards. Tarsilo rubbed against the jutting stones and filthy weeds that grew in the crevices. Then the sweep stopped while the alferez counted the seconds. Alfarez“Lift him up!” he ordered, at the end of a half-minute. “Will you talk?”Tarsilo“Take care of my sister,” Alfarez “Are you going to talk?” The other prisoner, who had watched this scene, sweating and trembling, now stared like a lunatic in all directions. The alferez ordered the directorcillo to question him.

Andong“Sir, sir,” he groaned, “I’ll tell everything you want me to.” Directorcillo “Good! Let’s see, what’s your name?” Andong“Andong, sir!” Directorcillo“Bernardo—Leonardo—Ricardo—Eduardo—Gerardo—or what?” Andong“Andong, sir!” repeated the imbecile. Directorcillo“What name have you that is added to the name Andong?” Andong“Ah, sir! Andong the Witless, sir!”

Chapter LVIIIThe Accursed

Women“Don Crisostomo is to blame for all this,” At two o’clock in the afternoon an open cart drawn by two oxen stopped in front of the town hall. This was at once set upon by the people, who attempted to unhitch the oxen and destroy it. Capitana Maria“Don’t do that!” “Do you want to make them walk?” Crowd “He’s the one that’s to blame!” “He’s to blame and he goes loose!” Ibarra “Bind me, and bind me well, elbow to elbow,”

Soldier“We haven’t any order.” Ibarra“Bind me!” And the soldiers obeyed. Doray “Look what you’ve done to my husband and my son!” Mother in law of Andong“You’re a coward" “While others were fighting for you, you hid yourself, coward!”Old man “May you be accursed!” “Accursed be the gold amassed by your family to disturb our peace! Accursed! Accursed!”

Relative of Albino“May they hang you, heretic!”.  Tasio, The old man followed the cart with his gaze until it disappeared in the distance and then remained for some time afterward with his head bowed, deep in thought. Then he stood up and laboriously made his way toward his house, pausing to rest at every step. On the following day some herdsmen found him dead on the very threshold of his solitary home.

Chapter LIXPatriotism and Private Interests

Friar “A Te Deum! A Te Deum!”. “Amen!” “Viva Salvi!” “Amen!” In another convent they talked differently. “You see, now, that fellow is a pupil of the Jesuits. The filibusters come from the Ateneo.” “And the anti-friars.” “I told you so. The Jesuits are ruining the country, they’re corrupting the youth, but they are tolerated because they trace a few scrawls on a piece of paper when there is an earthquake.” “And God knows how they are made!”

Woman “Ay, Virgin of Antipolo!” “Ay,Virgin of the Rosary and of the Girdle! Ay, ay! Our Lady of Novaliches!” Elder Daughters“Mother!” “I told you so!” “I told you so! Ay, Virgin of Carmen,ay!” To this Capitan Tinong did not know what to reply. Capitana Tinchang, however, was not satisfied with this victory, but wished to silence him completely. So she approached him with clenched fists.

Capitana Tinchang “Is this what I’ve worked for, year after year, toiling and saving, that you by your stupidity may throw away the fruits of my labor?” “Ay, if I were a man, if I were a man!” Capitan Tinong“Well, if you were a man,” “What would you do?” Capitana Tinchang“What would I do? Well—well—well, this very minute I’d go to the Captain-General and offer to fight against the rebels, this very minute!”

Capitan Tinong’ Don’t you see it? There isn’t any more rebellion.” Capitana Tinchang“That doesn’t matter! You ought to offer yourself as they did in ' they saved themselves.” Capitan Tinong“Yes, that’s what was done by Padre Burg” But he was unable to finish this name, for his wife ran to him and slapped her hand over his mouth. Capitana Tinchang“Shut up! Capitan TinongKeep quiet!” Don Primitivo “Quid video?” “What’s happening? Quare?”

Woman“Ay, cousin!” “I’ve sent for you because I don’t know what’s going to become of us. What do you advise? Speak, you’ve studied Latin and know how to argue.” Don Primitivo “But first," “Why do you weep? Ubinam gentium sumus?"“You’ve already heard of the uprising?” WomanWhat! Does Don Crisostomo owe you anything?” Capitan Tinong “Cousin, don’t talk to us in Latin now. You know that we’re not philosophers like you. Let’s talk in Spanish or Tagalog. Give us some advice.”

Don Primitivo “It’s a pity that you don’t understand Latin, cousin. “We, too, know many oremus, parcenobis, and Agnus Dei Catols, but now we shouldn’t understand one another. Provide Tinong with an argument so that they won’t hang him!” Capitan Tinong “You’re done wrong, very wrong, cousin, in cultivating friendship with that young man,” replied the Latinist. Capitana Tinchang “Saturnino, what’s the matter?” “Ay, he’s dead! A doctor! Tinong, Tinong!” Wife “Don’t die!” “Don’t die, for they’ll come and arrest you! Ay, if you die and the soldiers come, ay, ay!”

Capitana Tinchang“Yes, do so, cousin, burn everything" “Here are the keys, here are the letters from Capitan Tiago. Burn them! Don’t leave a single European newspaper, for they’re very dangerous. Here are the copies of The Times that I’ve kept for wrapping up soap and old clothes. Here are the books.” Don Primitivo “Go to the Captain-General, cousin,” “and leave us alone.Thin Lady “That’s what I say!” “Arrest all the little lawyers, priestlings, merchants, and without trial banish or deport them! Tear out the evil by the roots!”

One-armed man“But it’s said that this filibuster is the descendant of Spaniards,” Fat lady“Oh, yes!” unterrified. “It’s always the creoles! No Indian knows anything about revolution! Rear crows, rear crows!” Creole lady “Do you know what I’ve heard?” “The wife of Capitan Tinong, you remember her, the woman in whose house we danced and dined during the fiesta of Tondo” “The one who has two daughters? What about her?” “Well, that woman just this afternoon presented the Captain-General with a ring worth a thousand pesos!”

One-armed man “Is that so? Why?” he asked with shining eyes. “She said that it was a Christmas gift—” Creole lady “But Christmas doesn’t come for a month yet!” “Perhaps she’s afraid the storm is blowing her way,” observed the fat lady. “And is getting under cover,” added the thin señora.

Chapter LXMaria Clara Weds

The poor man no longer ventured out of his house for fear of running the risk of saying good-day to a filibuster. Not even Don Primitivo himself, with all the wisdom of the ancients, could draw him out of his silence. Latinist“Crede, prime,” “if I hadn’t got here to burn all your papers, they would have squeezed your neck; and if I had burned the whole house they wouldn’t have touched a hair of your head. But quod eventum, eventum; gratias agamus Domino Deo quia non in Marianis Insulis es, camotes seminando

Chinese“Don’t fool yourself—it’s the Virgin of Antipolo! She can do more than all the rest—don’t fool yourself!” Capitan Tiago “Prudence!” “Let’s not go and spoil it all now.” Maria Clara“God has protected my father,” replied the girl in a low voice. Linares“Yes, Clarita, but the time of the miracles is past. We Spaniards say: ‘Trust in the Virgin and take to your heels.’” Capitan Tiago “So you Doña Victorina, think that the Virgin"

Dona Victorina“We’ve come especially to talk with you about the virgin,” Aunt Isabel“Notify the restaurant that we’ll have a fiesta tomorrow. Get Maria ready, for we’re going to marry her off before long.” Aunt Isabel stared at him in consternation. Aunt Isabel“You’ll see! When Señor Linares is our son-in-law we’ll get into all the palaces. Everyone will envy us, everyone will die of envy!” In the group of women Maria Clara was the subject of a murmured conversation. The maiden had welcomed them all ceremoniously, without losing her air of sadness. Woman 1“Pish!” remarked one young woman. “The proud little thing!”

Woman 2“Pretty little thing!” Woman 1“But he might have picked out some other girl with a less foolish face.” Woman 2“The gold, child! The good youth is selling himself.” Woman 1In another part the comments ran thus:Woman 2 “To get married when her first fiancé is about to be hanged!”

Woman 1“That’s what’s called prudence, having a substitute ready.” Woman 2“Well, when she gets to be a widow—” In the circle of men the conversation was carried on in loud tones and, naturally, turned upon recent events. All were talking, even Don Tiburcio, with the exception of Padre Sibyla, who maintained his usual disdainful silence. Don Tiburcio“I’ve heard it said that your Reverence is leaving the town, Padre Salvi?” inquired the new major, whose fresh star had made him more amiable.

Padre Salvi“I have nothing more to do there. I’m going to stay permanently in Manila. And you?” Don Tiburcio“I’m also leaving the town,” answered the ex-alferez, swelling up. “The government needs me to command a flying column to clean the provinces of filibusters.” Government Employee 1 “Is it known for certain what will become of the ringleader, the filibuster?” Government Employee 2“Do you mean Crisostomo Ibarra?” asked another. “The most likely and most just thing is that he will be hanged, like those of ’72.” Old Lieutenant“He’s going to be deported,”

Crowd“Deported! Nothing more than deported? But it will be a perpetual deportation!” Lieutenant Guevara"If that young man,” “had been more cautious, if he had confided less in certain persons with whom he corresponded, if our prosecutors did not know how to interpret so subtly what is written, that young man would surely have been acquitted.” Padre Sibyla “You’re speaking of letters, Señor Guevara?”

Señor Guevara “I’m speaking of what was told me by his lawyer, who looked after the case with interest and zeal. Outside of some ambiguous lines which this youth wrote to a woman before he left for Europe, lines in which the government’s attorney saw a plot and a threat against the government, and which he acknowledged to be his, there wasn’t anything found to accuse him of.” Padre Sibyla“But the declaration of the outlaw before he died?” Franciscan"Did you say that the letter was directed to a woman?”. “How did it get into the hands of the prosecutor?”  

The lieutenant did not answer. He stared for a moment at Padre Salvi and then moved away, nervously twisting the sharp point of his gray beard. The others made their comments. “There is seen the hand of God!” remarked one. “Even the women hate him.” “He had his house burned down, thinking in that way to save himself, but he didn’t count on the guest, on his querida, his babaye,” added another, laughing. “It’s the work of God! Santiago y cierra España!”Meanwhile the old soldier paused in his pacing about and approached Maria Clara, who was listening to the conversation, motionless in her chair, with the flowers scattered at her feet. With startled eyes she watched him move away from her, and bit her lip. Fortunately, Aunt Isabel came along, and she had sufficient strength left to catch hold of the old lady’s skirt.

Maria Clara“Aunt!” she murmured. Old lady“What’s the matter?" frightened by the look on the girl’s face. Maria Clara“Take me to my room!” she pleaded, grasping her aunt’s arm in order to rise. Old lady“Are you sick, daughter? You look as if you’d lost your bones! What’s the matter?” Maria Clara“A fainting spell—the people in the room—so many lights—I need to rest. Tell father that I’m going to sleep.”

Old lady“You’re cold. Do you want some tea?” Maria Clara shook her head, entered and locked the door of her chamber, and then, her strength failing her, she fell sobbing to the floor at the feet of an image. Maria Clara“Mother, mother, mother mine!” she sobbed. . Maria Clara “Crisostomo!” she murmured, overcome with fright. Crisostomo“Yes, I am Crisostomo,” replied the young man gravely. “An enemy, a man who has every reason for hating me, Elias, has rescued me from the prison into which my friends threw me.”

Maria Clara “Crisostomo,” she said, “God has sent you to save me from desperation. Hear me and then judge me!” Ibarra tried gently to draw away from her. “I didn’t come to call you to account! I came to give you peace!” Crisostomo “Maria, you are an angel!” “Then I am happy, since you believe me—” “But yet,” added the youth with a change of tone, “I’ve heard that you are going to be married.”

Maria Clara “Yes,” sobbed the girl, “my father demands this sacrifice. He has loved me and cared for me when it was not his duty to do so, and I will pay this debt of gratitude to assure his peace, by means of this new relationship, but—” “But what?” Crisostomo“I will never forget the vows of faithfulness that I have made to you.” “What are you thinking of doing?” asked Ibarra, trying to read the look in her eyes.

Maria Clara “The future is dark and my destiny is wrapped in gloom! I don’t know what I should do. But know, that I have loved but once and that without love I will never belong to any man. And you, what is going to become of you?” “I am only a fugitive, I am fleeing. In a little while my flight will have been discovered. Maria—” Maria Clara caught the youth’s head in her hands and kissed him repeatedly on the lips, embraced him, and drew abruptly away. “Go, go!” she cried. “Go, and farewell!”