He was craning his neck to see Paulita Gomez, who was approaching with a friend, Doña Victorina, and Juanito Pelaez.

What had happened to this young man? Upon entering the theater, Isagani had caught sight of Paulita in a box, with Juanito Pelaez talking to her.

" Makaraig and Pecson redoubled their attention, smiling in anticipation, while Isagani looked away, mortified to think that Paulita should be present at such a show and reflecting that it was his duty to challenge Juanito Pelaez the next day.

As if they understood French!" remarked the lady, gazing with supreme disdain in all directions, finally fixing her attention on Juanito's box, whence she thought she had heard an impudent hiss.

Juanito was in fact guilty, for he had been pretending to understand everything, holding himself up proudly and applauding at times as though nothing that was said escaped him, and this too without guiding himself by the actors' pantomime, because he scarcely looked toward the stage.

Juanito was playing his part well: he shook his head at times in sign of disapproval, and then there could be heard coughs and murmurs in some parts, at other times he smiled in approbation, and a second later applause resounded.

Having observed that they were conversing in French, Juanito was getting his inspiration from their countenances, and thus grandly giving the cue to those about him.

Juanito, to improve the opportunity, turned to Doña Victorina and said in a loud voice, so that Paulita might hear and he convinced of his learning: "Servantes means servants, domestiques domestics.

Juanito was not found wanting.

But what was Juanito's predicament when the time came for the opening of the market and the beginning of the sale, and the

"Those are the domestics," explained Juanito.

" Then the dozen girls headed by the lively and merry Serpolette, decked out in their best clothes, each wearing a big bouquet of flowers at the waist, laughing, smiling, fresh and attractive, placed themselves, to Juanito's great desperation, beside the post of the servantes.

"Are those the savages that you spoke of?" "No," replied the imperturbable Juanito, "there's a mistakethey've got their places mixedthose coming behind" "Those with the whips?

" Juanito nodded assent, but he was rather perplexed and uneasy.

Here Juanito was attacked by such a violent fit of coughing that some of the spectators became annoyed.

Juanito wanted to find the blackguard and make him swallow that "consumptive."

"If it weren't that I am with you," remarked Juanito, rolling his eyes like some dolls that are moved by clockwork, and to make the resemblance more real he stuck out his tongue occasionally.

Who could the unfortunate be? "What do you think of Juanito Pelaez?"

Moreover, it was a matter of rejoicing to Doña Victorina, since to get Juanito for herself she was favoring Isagani's love.

Little she cared for Juanito Pelaez!

He heard faint echoes inquiring for Don Tiburcio de Espadaña, the name of Juanito Pelaez, but they sounded to him like distant bells, the confused noises heard in a dream.

Juanito Pelaez was missing, but the hour fixed had already passed, so they sat down happily to the tables.

Juanito was always unconventional.

Basilio saw Juanito Pelaez approaching, pale and suspicious.

But Juanito was already far away.