Aren't you afraid of catching cold?" His voice trembled
and his eyes were turned toward the distant horizon, away from the
young people.
"No, we rather find the night pleasant and the breeze delicious,"
answered Ibarra. "During these months we have our autumn and our
spring. Some leaves fall, but the flowers are always in bloom."
Fray Salvi sighed.
"I think the union of these two seasons beautiful, with no cold winter
intervening," continued Ibarra. "In February the buds on the trees
will burst open and in March we'll have the ripe fruit. When the hot
month's come we shall go elsewhere."
Fray Salvi smiled and began to talk of commonplace things, of the
weather, of the town, and of the fiesta. Maria Clara slipped away on
some pretext.
"Since we are talking of fiestas, allow me to invite you to the one
that we are going to celebrate tomorrow. It is to be a picnic in the
woods, which we and our friends are going to hold together."
"Where will it be held?"
"The young women wish to hold it by the brook in the neighboring wood,
near to the old balete, so we shall rise early to avoid the sun.
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