The Social Cancer, by José Rizal - Home

CHAPTER LIX 268
"But what about the weather forecasts and the typhoons?" asked another ironically. "Aren't they divine?"
"Any fisherman foretells them!"
"When he who governs is a fool--tell me how your head is and I'll tell you how your foot is! But you'll see if
the friends favor one another. The newspapers very nearly ask a miter for Padre Salvi."
"He's going to get it! He'll lick it right up!"
"Do you think so?"
"Why not! Nowadays they grant one for anything whatsoever. I know of a fellow who got one for less. He
wrote a cheap little work demonstrating that the Indians are not capable of being anything but mechanics.
Pshaw, old-fogyisms!"
"That's right! So much favoritism injures Religion!" exclaimed another. "If the miters only had eyes and could
see what heads they were upon--"
"If the miters were natural objects," added another in a nasal tone, "Natura abhorrer vacuum."
"That's why they grab for them, their emptiness attracts!" responded another.
These and many more things were said in the convents, but we will spare our reader other comments of a
political, metaphysical, or piquant nature and conduct him to a private house. As we have few acquaintances
in Manila, let us enter the home of Capitan Tinong, the polite individual whom we saw so profusely inviting
Ibarra to honor him with a visit.
In the rich and spacious sala of his Tondo house, Capitan Tinong was seated in a wide armchair, rubbing his
hands in a gesture of despair over his face and the nape of his neck, while his wife, Capitana Tinchang, was
weeping and preaching to him. From the corner their two daughters listened silently and stupidly, yet greatly
affected.
"Ay, Virgin of Antipolo!" cried the woman. "Ay, Virgin of the Rosary and of the Girdle! [148] Ay, ay! Our
Lady of Novaliches!"
"Mother!" responded the elder of the daughters.
"I told you so!" continued the wife in an accusing tone. "I told you so! Ay, Virgin of Carmen, [149] ay!"
"But you didn't tell me anything," Capitan Tinong dared to answer tearfully. "On the contrary, you told me
that I was doing well to frequent Capitan Tiago's house and cultivate friendship with him, because he's
rich--and you told me--"
"What! What did I tell you? I didn't tell you that, I didn't tell you anything! Ay, if you had only listened to
me!"
"Now you're throwing the blame on me," he replied bitterly, slapping the arm of his chair. "Didn't you tell me
that I had done well to invite him to dine with us, because he was wealthy? Didn't you say that we ought to
have friends only among the wealthy? Abá!"
"It's true that I told you so, because--because there wasn't anything else for me to do. You did nothing but sing
his praises: Don Ibarra here, Don Ibarra there, Don Ibarra everywhere. Abaá! But I didn't advise you to hunt