But since you seem unwilling to do so, I am going to try myself.
The sky was blue and a fresh breeze, not yet laden with the fragrance of roses, stirred the leaves and flowers of the vines; that is why the cypresses, the orchids, the dried fishes, and the Chinese lanterns were trembling.

The splash of paddles in the muddy waters of the river and the rattle of carriages and carts passing over the Binondo bridge came up to them distinctly, although they did not hear what the old aunt murmured as she saw where they were: "That's better, there you'll be watched by the whole neighborhood." At first they talked nonsense, giving utterance only to those sweet inanities which are so much like the boastings of the nations of Europe--pleasing and honey-sweet at home, but causing foreigners to laugh or frown.
She, like a sister of Cain, was of course jealous and asked her sweetheart, "Have you always thought of me?
Have you never forgotten me on all your travels in the great cities among so many beautiful women ?" He, too, was a brother of Cain, and sought to evade such questions, making use of a little fiction.

"Could I forget you ?" he answered as he gazed enraptured into her dark eyes.

"Could I be faithless to my oath, my sacred oath?
Do you remember that stormy night when you saw me weeping alone by the side of my dead mother and, drawing near to me, you put your hand on my shoulder, that hand which for so long a time you had not allowed me to touch, saying to me, 'You have lost your mother while I never had one,' and you wept with me?
You loved her and she looked upon you as a daughter.

Outside it rained and the lightning flashed, but within I seemed to hear music and to see a smile on the pallid face of the dead.