Chapter 19

Chapter Summary:

Placido Penitente leaves the class crying and feeling angry. He sees a carriage with Padre
Sibyla and Don Custodio inside it, and wants to throw Padre Sibyla into the water.
Placido Penitente passes along the Escolta and sees priests joking at the entrance of
Chinaman Quiroga’s bazaar. He has the urge to fight with them.Placido Penitente goes
to the house of the silversmith, where he is staying, and thinks of going back to the
province to show the friars that they should not treat him that way. He thinks of writing
a letter to his mother, Cabesang Andang. He considers transferring finishing the class in
Ateneo, but the Dominicans would not allow it.Cabesang Andang had arrived from
Batangas recently. She notices that Placido Penitente is sad. She talks about Capitana
Simona, whose son will become a priest. Because of that, she she won’t pay back
Cabesang Andang her debts anymore.Cabesang Andang cries after hearing the news of
Placido Penitente leaving school, saying she promised Placido Penitente’s dead father
that he would become a lawyer. Cabesang Andang says she’s not asking Placido to
support the friars but to do humble and patient.Placido Penitente leaves to take a walk.
He gets hungry and realizes he has no money so he goes home. He expects Cabesang
Andang to be at the neighbor to play panguingui, but she is there and tells Placido
Penitente she will help him return to the Dominicans. Placido Penitente says he would
rather join the tulisanes than go back to school.Placido Penitente leaves again and goes
to the docks. He sees ships ready to leave for Hong Kong and decides he will go there.
He heard from the silversmith before a story about a charity that give friars silver items.
The friars sold the items for money and had fake ones made of Ruolz silver crafted in
Hong Kong as replacement. Placido Penitente believes that means business is going well
in Hong Kong.Placido Penitente goes to the fair and sees Simoun saying goodbye to a
foreigner (Mr. Leeds). He hears the word “Hong Kong”. He recognizes Simoun who once
sold jewels in his hometown and told him stories. As Simoun is about to board a
carriage Placido Penitente calls him and asks a favor. He says he wants to go to Hong
Kong but Simoun tells him to accompany him to Iris Street.They take a carriage to Iris
Street. They get down and pass Isagani and Paulita Gomez, with Dona Victorina and
Juanito Pelaez. Placido notices that “he” seems happy (perhaps referring to Juanito
Pelaez) while Simoun says “He only serves for that, it’s nice to be young” (perhaps
referring to Isagani). The chapter asks the question: “To whom were Placido and
Simoun alluding?” but the answer is not given and left to the reader to figure
out.Simoun and Placido Penitente enter a maze and arrive at a yard with a hut
surrounded by banana plants and bonga palms. Placido Penitente wonders if it’s a house
of a pyrotechnist (castillero). A man talks to Simoun and Placido Penitente is surprised
by his good Spanish. Simoun asks if the gunpowder and bombs are ready. The
pyrotechnist says yes, but that he is waiting for the cartridge shells.Simoun tells the
pyrotechnist to leave that night and speak to the lieutenant and corporal. In Lamayan he
is supposed to meet a man in a banka. when the pyrotechnist says “Cabesa” the man will
say “Tales”, as the man will arrive and take the pyrotechnist’s place.
The pyrotechnist asks Simoun if there’s anything new. Simoun says “it will be done
within the week”. The pyrotechnist says the suburbs are not ready and that he thought it
would be done at the beginning of Lent. Simoun says the suburbs are not necessary. He
explains that they already have Cabesang Tales’ men, ex-carbineers and a regiment. He
says that the pyrotechnist has to leave now or else Maria Clara will be dead later.Simoun
asks Placido Penitente if he is surprised by the Indio pyrotechnist’s good Spanish. He
explains that the pyrotechnist is actually a schoolmaster, who wanted to teach Spanish
to children but was exiled for disturbing the peace and for being Ibarra’s friend. Simoun
turned him into a pyrotechnist.They go back to the main street and Simoun greets a
Spaniard on a crutch. Simoun tells him to be prepared and that “it” will happen the
coming week. Simoun asks Placido Penitente if he’s surprised to see a sickly young
Spaniard. Two years ago, the Spaniard was healthy but his enemies made him work in
Balabak so he got rheumatism and malaria. The Spaniard had married a beautiful
woman.Simoun and Placido Penitente go to Simoun’s house in Escolta. Two hours later,
Placido Penitente leaves. Simoun is in a room looking out at Pasig river. He looks
toward the “Walled City” of Manila and tells himself that he will free Maria Clara and
cleanse the country.Simoun stops and his conscience tells him that he is part of the
“wicked city” of Manila. He feels guilty “for the first time in his criminal career since in
Havana”. Simoun tries to push away his doubts and fears even as ‘ghosts’ that want
revenge cry out to him. Simoun starts to tremble, which has never happened before.