"I'd like to see _him_ without having him see me, so I could follow him everywhere." Padre Salvi hid behind the trunk of a large tree and set himself to eavesdrop.
"Does that mean that you want to do with him what the curate does with you ?" asked a laughing voice.

"He watches you everywhere.

Be careful, for jealousy makes people thin and puts rings around their eyes." "No, no, not jealousy, it's pure curiosity," replied the silvery voice, while the laughing one repeated, "Yes, jealousy, jealousy!" and she burst out into merry laughter.
"If I were jealous, instead of making myself invisible, I'd make him so, in order that no one might see him." "But neither would you see _him_ and that wouldn't be nice.

The best thing for us to do if we find the nest would be to present it to the curate so that he could watch over us without the necessity of our seeing him, don't you think so ?" "I don't believe in those herons' nests," interrupted another voice, "but if at any time I should be jealous, I'd know how to watch and still keep myself hidden." "How, how?
Perhaps like a _Sor Escucha ?_" [73] This reminiscence of school-days provoked another merry burst of laughter.
"And you know how she's fooled, the _Sor Escucha!_" From his hiding-place Padre Salvi saw Maria Clara, Victoria, and Sinang wading along the border of the brook.

They were moving forward with their eyes fixed on the crystal waters, seeking the enchanted nest of the heron, wet to their knees so that the wide folds of their bathing skirts revealed the graceful curves of their bodies.