Isagani was almost as tall as the jeweler, and at this he drew
himself up.

"Then tell Padre Camorra," Basilio hastened to say, while he nudged
Isagani slyly, "tell him that if he would drink water instead of wine
or beer, perhaps we might all be the gainers and he would not give
rise to so much talk."

"And tell him, also," added Isagani, paying no attention to his
friend's nudges, "that water is very mild and can be drunk, but that
it drowns out the wine and beer and puts out the fire, that heated
it becomes steam, and that ruffled it is the ocean, that it once
destroyed mankind and made the earth tremble to its foundations!" [8]

Simoun raised his head. Although his looks could not be read
through the blue goggles, on the rest of his face surprise might
be seen. "Rather a good answer," he said. "But I fear that he might
get facetious and ask me when the water will be converted into steam
and when into an ocean. Padre Camorra is rather incredulous and is
a great wag."

"When the fire heats it, when the rivulets that are now scattered
through the steep valleys, forced by fatality, rush together in the
abyss that men are digging," replied Isagani.

"No, Señor Simoun," interposed Basilio, changing to a jesting tone,
"rather keep in mind the verses of my friend Isagani himself:


'Fire you, you say, and water we,