“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 [[345]]jeweler’s house one afternoon when she and her mother had gone there to buy jewels. Isagani listened attentively, but said nothing.
“So, last night—” ventured Momoy.