Makaraig and the other students celebrate their loss at a pansiteria and put on an air of forced gaiety. Paulita is doubtful and declares these sentiments dreams. Isagani is optimistic, and eventually expects progress and a much better future for the Philippines owing to the youth in Madrid working for its welfare. But Paulita refuses to travel to it without a coach. This turns their conversation to Isagani’s town, for which he expresses a deep love, as he describes its beauty and his happy diversions there in former years. Isagani reveals that Don Tiburcio, Doña Victorina’s husband, is still in hiding in his uncle’s home. They laugh that it is actually Doña Victorina, Paulita’s aunt, who is in love with Juanito. She forgives him and explains she was only at the performance hoping to see him.
Paulita arrives and acts resentful at Isagani for his having paid too much attention to the operetta performers. Isagani thinks bitterly about the care given to the rich, and the contrasting lack of attention to sick soldiers returning from fighting abroad. While waiting to meet Paulita, Isagani overhears Ben Zayb talk about Simoun falling ill and refusing to see even the Captain-General’s men. Basilio tells him he is too late, and informs him of Maria Clara’s death as confirmed by a letter from Padre Salvi. He asks Basilio to choose sides.īasilio reluctantly asks what is expected of him and Simoun asks him to head a group to rescue Maria Clara from the convent. Basilio apprises him of the dire condition of Tiago’s health, but Simoun cuts him off and reveals that a revolution, which came about under his influence, will break out in an hour. On the night of the French operetta, Basilio is at his studies, but is interrupted by the arrival of Simoun who asks after Capitan Tiago. Since his return from San Diego to rescue Juli, Basilio has been devoting his time to studying, visiting the hospital and attending to a sick and severely opium-addicted Capitan Tiago. The student’s participation is to be restricted to the collection of fees. Padre Irene in disguise is likewise in attendance, with the excuse that he had been sent by Padre Salvi as a secret religious police.Īt the end of the first act, Makaraig heads off to see Pepay and Padre Irene and learns that the commission has accepted Don Custodio’s recommendation in favor of the Spanish academy, but stipulates that the implementation of the plan must be supervised by a religious order. Only Isagani is in a bad mood, seeing Paulita with his rival Juanito Pelaez.ĭon Custodio, who earlier sided with the friars against the show, is also there under the guise of critiquing the show.
They are in good spirits seeing Pepay’s happy looks. Across the students’ box is one procured by Makaraig for Pepay, Don Custodio’s dancer, in an effort to get her to influence Don Custodio in their favor regarding the appeal for a Spanish academy permit. The performance opens late to an impatient audience due to the delayed arrival of the Captain-General. Makaraig, Pecson, Sandoval and Isagani arrive and Tadeo accepts their offer to join them in their theater box. Tadeo makes up stories about those he doesn’t really know. The Shrimp thinks that the performance sold out because people grew curious as a result of the friar’s strong opposition to it on moral grounds, and the public chatter among the show’s prominent supporters.Įlsewhere, the student Tadeo is accompanied by a newcomer to whom he gives an overview of the backgrounds of every important looking person they see. Outside, an unkempt Spaniard nicknamed, The Shrimp, chats about the show with Uncle Quico. People flock to the theater for the first show of a French operetta company. Photo by Adrien Olichon Chapter 21: Manila Types