The Reign of Greed | Page 8

who was dressed in complete black, was the
medical student, Basilio, famous for his successful cures and
extraordinary treatments, while the other, taller and more robust,
although much younger, was Isagani, one of the poets, or at least
rimesters, who that year came from the Ateneo, [6] a curious character,
ordinarily quite taciturn and uncommunicative. The man talking with
them was the rich Capitan Basilio, who was returning from a business
trip to Manila.
"Capitan Tiago is getting along about the same as usual, yes, sir," said
the student Basilio, shaking his head. "He won't submit to any
treatment. At the advice of a certain person he is sending me to San
Diego under the pretext of looking after his property, but in reality so

that he may be left to smoke his opium with complete liberty."
When the student said a certain person, he really meant Padre Irene, a
great friend and adviser of Capitan Tiago in his last days.
"Opium is one of the plagues of modern times," replied the capitan with
the disdain and indignation of a Roman senator. "The ancients knew
about it but never abused it. While the addiction to classical studies
lasted--mark this well, young men--opium was used solely as a
medicine; and besides, tell me who smoke it the most?--Chinamen,
Chinamen who don't understand a word of Latin! Ah, if Capitan Tiago
had only devoted himself to Cicero--" Here the most classical disgust
painted itself on his carefully-shaven Epicurean face. Isagani regarded
him with attention: that gentleman was suffering from nostalgia for
antiquity.
"But to get back to this academy of Castilian," Capitan Basilio
continued, "I assure you, gentlemen, that you won't materialize it."
"Yes, sir, from day to day we're expecting the permit," replied Isagani.
"Padre Irene, whom you may have noticed above, and to whom we've
presented a team of bays, has promised it to us. He's on his way now to
confer with the General."
"That doesn't matter. Padre Sibyla is opposed to it."
"Let him oppose it! That's why he's here on the steamer, in order to--at
Los Baños before the General."
And the student Basilio filled out his meaning by going through the
pantomime of striking his fists together.
"That's understood," observed Capitan Basilio, smiling. "But even
though you get the permit, where'll you get the funds?"
"We have them, sir. Each student has contributed a real."
"But what about the professors?"

"We have them: half Filipinos and half Peninsulars." [7]
"And the house?"
"Makaraig, the wealthy Makaraig, has offered one of his."
Capitan Basilio had to give in; these young men had everything
arranged.
"For the rest," he said with a shrug of his shoulders, "it's not altogether
bad, it's not a bad idea, and now that you can't know Latin at least you
may know Castilian. Here you have another instance, namesake, of
how we are going backwards. In our times we learned Latin because
our books were in Latin; now you study Latin a little but have no Latin
books. On the other hand, your books are in Castilian and that language
is not taught--aetas parentum pejor avis tulit nos nequiores! as Horace
said." With this quotation he moved away majestically, like a Roman
emperor.
The youths smiled at each other. "These men of the past," remarked
Isagani, "find obstacles for everything. Propose a thing to them and
instead of seeing its advantages they only fix their attention on the
difficulties. They want everything to come smooth and round as a
billiard ball."
"He's right at home with your uncle," observed Basilio.
"They talk of past times. But listen--speaking of uncles, what does
yours say about Paulita?"
Isagani blushed. "He preached me a sermon about the choosing of a
wife. I answered him that there wasn't in Manila another like
her--beautiful, well-bred, an orphan--"
"Very wealthy, elegant, charming, with no defect other than a
ridiculous aunt," added Basilio, at which both smiled.
"In regard to the aunt, do you know that she has charged me to look for

her husband?"
"Doña Victorina? And you've promised, in order to keep your
sweetheart."
"Naturally! But the fact is that her husband is actually hidden--in my
uncle's house!"
Both burst into a laugh at this, while Isagani continued: "That's why my
uncle, being a conscientious man, won't go on the upper deck, fearful
that Doña Victorina will ask him about Don Tiburcio. Just imagine,
when Doña Victorina learned that I was a steerage passenger she gazed
at me with a disdain that--"
At that moment Simoun came down and, catching sight of the two
young men, greeted Basilio in a patronizing tone: "Hello, Don Basilio,
you're off for the vacation? Is the gentleman a townsman of yours?"
Basilio introduced Isagani with the remark that he was not a townsman,
but that