legs wide apart as though on horseback, while the natives placed one leg over the other, even the fattest, there being one cabeza de barangay who turned a somersault.  Seeing these movements, the Chinese all adopted their own peculiar attitude, that of sitting as they do in their shops, with one leg drawn back and upward, the other swinging loose.  There resulted protests and petitions, the police rushed to arms ready to start a civil war, the curates rejoiced, the Spaniards were amused and made money out of everybody, until the General settled the quarrel by ordering that every one should sit as the Chinese did, since they were the heaviest contributors, even though they were not the best Catholics.  The difficulty for the mestizos and natives then was that their trousers were too tight to permit of their imitating the Chinese.  But to make the intention of humiliating them the more evident, the measure was carried out with great pomp and ceremony, the church being surrounded by a troop of cavalry, while all those within were sweating.  The matter was carried to the Cortes, but it was repeated that the Chinese, as the ones who paid, should have their way in the religious ceremonies, even though they apostatized and laughed at Christianity immediately after.  The natives and the mestizos had to be content, learning thus not to waste time over such fatuity. [36]

Quiroga, with his smooth tongue and humble smile, was lavishly and flatteringly attentive to Simoun.  His voice was caressing and his bows numerous, but the jeweler cut his blandishments short by asking brusquely: 

“Did the bracelets suit her?”

At this question all Quiroga’s liveliness vanished like a dream.  His caressing voice became plaintive; he bowed lower, gave the Chinese salutation of raising his clasped hands to the height of his face, and groaned:  “Ah, Senor Simoun!  I’m lost, I’m ruined!” [37]

“How, Quiroga, lost and ruined when you have so many bottles of champagne and so many guests?”

Quiroga closed his eyes and made a grimace.  Yes, the affair of that afternoon, that affair of the bracelets, had ruined him.  Simoun smiled, for when a Chinese merchant complains it is because all is going well, and when he makes a show that things are booming it is quite certain that he is planning an assignment or flight to his own country.

“You didn’t know that I’m lost, I’m ruined?  Ah, Senor Simoun, I’m busted!” To make his condition plainer, he illustrated the word by making a movement as though he were falling in collapse.

Simoun wanted to laugh, but restrained himself and said that he knew nothing, nothing at all, as Quiroga led him to a room and closed the door.  He then explained the cause of his misfortune.