“I want to speak with that young man,” said His Excellency to an adjutant. “He has awakened my interest.”
 
“They have already gone to look for him, General! But there is a young man here from Manila who insists on being introduced. We have told him that Your Excellency has no time and that you have not come to give audiences, but to see the town and the procession. But he has replied that Your Excellency always has time to dispense justice.”
 
His Excellency turned to the Alcalde as if in doubt.
 
“If I am not mistaken,” said the latter, making a slight bow, “it is a young man who this morning had a difficulty with Father Dámaso about the sermon.”
 
“Still another? Has this friar undertaken to disturb the province, or does he think that he is in command here? Tell the young man to come in!”
 
His Excellency was walking nervously from one end of the sala to the other.
 
In the lower part of the house, in the ante-room, were several Spaniards, mingled with army officers and officials of the town of San Diego and some of the neighboring villages. They were grouped in little circles and were conversing about one thing and another. All of the friars were there except Father Dámaso, and they wanted to go in and pay their respects to His Excellency.
 
“His Excellency, the Governor General, begs Your Reverences to wait a moment,” said the adjutant. “Walk in, young man!”
 
The young man from Manila entered the sala, pale and trembling.
 
Everybody was surprised. His Excellency must be irritated to dare to make the friars wait. Father Sibyla [117]said: “I have nothing to say to him.... I am losing time here!”
 
“It’s the same with me,” said an Augustine. “Shall we go?”
 
“Would it not be better for us to find out what he thinks?” asked Father Salví. “We would avoid a scandal ... and ... we would be able to call to his mind his duty to ... the Church.”
 
“Your Reverences can walk in, if you wish,” announced the adjutant, as he escorted out the young man, whose face was now, however, glowing with satisfaction.
 
Friar Sibyla entered first. Behind him came Father Salví, Father Manuel Martin and the other priests. They all humbly saluted the Governor General, with the exception of Father Sibyla, who preserved even in his bow, an air of superiority. Father Salví, on the contrary, almost touched the floor with his head.
 
“Which of Your Reverences is Father Dámaso?” asked His Excellency unexpectedly, without having them sit down, or even asking about their health, and without addressing them with any of those courteous phrases which are customary with such high personages.
 
“Father Dámaso is not among us, se?or,” replied Father Sibyla, rather dryly.
 
“Your Excellency’s servant lies ill in bed,” added Father Salví meekly. “After having the pleasure of saluting you and of inquiring about the health of Your Excellency, as befits all the good servants of the King and all persons of good education, we also come in the name of the respectful servant of Your Excellency who has the misfortune....”
 
“Oh,” interrupted the Governor General, as he turned a chair around on one leg and smiled nervously. “If all the servants of My Excellency were like His Reverence Father Dámaso, I would prefer to serve My Excellency myself.”
 
The Reverences did not know how to respond to this interruption.
 
“Take a seat, Your Reverences!” he added after a short pause, softening his tone a little.
 
Captain Tiago came in dressed in a frock coat and walking [118]on tip-toes. He was leading Maria Clara by the hand. The young maiden was trembling when she entered, but notwithstanding she made a graceful and ceremonious bow.
 
“Is this your daughter?” asked the Governor General, somewhat surprised.
 
“And Your Excellency’s, my General,” replied Captain Tiago seriously.1
 
The Alcalde and the adjutants opened wide their eyes, but His Excellency did not lose his gravity. He extended his hand to the young maiden and said to her affably: “Happy are the fathers who have daughters like you, se?orita. They have spoken to me about you with respect and consideration.... I have desired to see you and to thank you for your pretty deed of to-day. I am informed of all, and when I write to His Majesty’s Government I will not forget your generous conduct. In the meantime, se?orita, allow me in the name of His Majesty the King whom I represent here and who loves to see peace and tranquillity among his subjects, and in my own name, that of a father who also has daughters of your age, allow me to extend to you most sincere thanks and propose your name for some mark of recognition.”
 
“Se?or ...” replied Maria Clara, trembling.
 
His Excellency guessed what she wanted to say, and replied: “It is well enough, se?orita, that you are satisfied in your own conscience with the mere esteem of your own people. The testimony of one’s people is the highest reward and we ought not to ask more. But, however, I will not let pass this excellent opportunity to show you that, if justice knows how to punish, she also knows how to reward and is not always blind.”
 
“Se?or Don Juan Crisostomo awaits Your Excellency’s orders,” announced the adjutant in a loud voice.
 
Maria Clara trembled.
 
“Ah!” exclaimed the Governor General. “Permit me, se?orita, to express the desire to see you again before I leave town. I still have some very important things to say to you. Se?or Alcalde, Your Lordship will accompany [119]me for a walk after the conference which I will hold alone with Se?or Ibarra.”
 
“Your Excellency will permit us,” said Father Salví meekly, “to inform you that Se?or Ibarra is excommunicated ...”
 
His Excellency interrupted him saying: “I am glad that I have nothing more to deplore than the condition of Father Dámaso, for whom I sincerely wish a complete recovery, because at his age a voyage to Spain for his health would not be pleasant. But this depends on him ... and in the meantime, may God preserve the health of Your Reverences.”
 
They retired one after the other.
 
“We will see who will make the journey first,” said a Franciscan.
 
“I am going off now right away!” said Father Sibyla, with indignation.
 
“And we are going back to our provinces, too,” said the Augustins.
 
They could not endure that through the fault of a Franciscan His Excellency had received them coldly.
 
In the entrance hall they met Ibarra, their host only a few hours ago. They exchanged no salutations, but their looks were eloquent.
 
The Alcalde, on the contrary, when the friars had disappeared, greeted the young man and extended his hand to him in a familiar way. But the arrival of the adjutant, who was looking for Ibarra, did not give them an opportunity to converse.
 
Ibarra was dressed in deep mourning. He presented himself in a calm manner, and bowed profoundly, despite the fact that the sight of the friars had not seemed a good omen for him.
 
The Governor General advanced a few steps. “It gives me great satisfaction to shake your hand. Grant me your entire confidence.”
 
“Se?or ... such kindness...!”
 
“Your surprise offends me. It indicates that you did not expect a good reception from me. That is doubting my justice!” [120]
 
“A friendly reception, se?or, for an insignificant subject like myself, is not justice, it is a favor.”
 
“Well, well!” said His Excellency, sitting down and pointing out a seat for Ibarra. “Let us speak frankly. I am very much pleased with your action and I have already proposed to His Majesty’s Government that they grant you an insignia for your philanthropic intention of erecting a school.... If you had asked me, I would have attended the ceremony with a great deal of pleasure and perhaps the unpleasantness would have been avoided.”
 
“My idea of erecting a school seems to me so insignificant,” replied the young man, “that I did not think it an occasion worthy of taking the attention of Your Excellency from your many duties and cares. Then, too, it was my duty to first address the highest authority of the province.”
 
His Excel............