Page:The reign of greed (1912).pdf/364

 Capitan Toringoy coughed and glaneed at Isagani, while Chichoy shook his head and smiled.

"The jeweler Simoun."

"Simoun!!"

The profound silence of amazement followed these words. Simoun, the evil genius of the Captain-General, the rich trader to whose house they had gone to buy unset gems, Simoun, who had received the Orenda girls with great courtesy and had paid them fine compliments! For the very reason that the story seemed absurd it was believed. "Credo quia absurdum," said St. Augustine.

"But wasn't Simoun at the fiesta last night?" asked Sensia.

"Yes," said Momoy. "But now I remember! He left the house just as we were sitting down to the dinner. He went to get his wedding-gift."

"But wasn't he a friend of the General's? Wasn't he a partner of Don Timoteo's?"

"Yes, he made himself a partner in order to strike the blow and kill all the Spaniards."

"Aha!" cried Sensia. "Now I understand!"

"What?"

"You didn't want to believe Aunt Tentay. Simoun is the devil and he has bought up the souls of all the Spaniards. Aunt Tentay said so!"

Capitana Loleng crossed herself and looked uneasily toward the jewels, fearing to see them turn into live coals, while Capitan Toringoy took off the ring which had come from Simoun.

"Simoun has disappeared without leaving any traces," added Chichoy. "The Civil Guard is searching for him."

"Yes," observed Sensia, crossing herself, "searching for the devil."

Now many things were explained: Simoun's fabulous wealth and the peculiar smell in his house, the smell of sulphur. Binday, another of the daughters, a frank and lovely girl, remembered having seen blue flames in the