"When shall I be the curate of Quiapo ?" Suddenly Ben-Zayb let go an oath, jumped aside, and slapped his hand on his arm; Padre Camorra in his excess of enthusiasm had pinched him.

They were approaching a dazzling senorita who was attracting the attention of the whole plaza, and Padre Camorra, unable to restrain his delight, had taken Ben-Zayb's arm as a substitute for the girl's.
It was Paulita Gomez, the prettiest of the pretty, in company with Isagani, followed by Dona Victorina.

The young woman was resplendent in her beauty: all stopped and craned their necks, while they ceased their conversation and followed her with their eyes--even Dona Victorina was respectfully saluted.
Paulita was arrayed in a rich camisa and panuelo of embroidered pina, different from those she had worn that morning to the church.

The gauzy texture of the pina set off her shapely head, and the Indians who saw her compared her to the moon surrounded by fleecy clouds.

A silk rose-colored skirt, caught up in rich and graceful folds by her little hand, gave majesty to her erect figure, the movement of which, harmonizing with her curving neck, displayed all the triumphs of vanity and satisfied coquetry.