A little fellow, a herder, who dared to assert that he had seen nothing more than one light and two men in salakots had difficulty in escaping with mere slaps and scoldings.

Vainly he swore to it; there were his carabaos with him and could verify his statement.

"Do you pretend to know more than the Warden and the Sisters, _paracmason_, [138] heretic ?" he was asked amid angry looks.

The curate went up into the pulpit and preached about purgatory so fervently that the pesos again flowed forth from their hiding-places to pay for masses.
But let us leave the suffering souls and listen to the conversation between Don Filipo and old Tasio in the lonely home of the latter.

The Sage, or Lunatic, was sick, having been for days unable to leave his bed, prostrated by a malady that was rapidly growing worse.
"Really, I don't know whether to congratulate you or not that your resignation has been accepted.