“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 excellency made a bow of satisfaction and adopting a still more intimate manner, continued:
“in regard to the unpleasantness which you have had with father dámaso, have no fear nor regret. i will not touch a hair of your head while i govern these islands. and in regard to the excommunication, i will speak to the archbishop, for it is necessary for us to adapt ourselves to circumstances. here, we cannot laugh about these things in public as we do in spain or in cultured europe. nevertheless, be more prudent in the future. you have put yourself in opposition to the religious corporations, which, on account of your position and wealth, need to be respected. but i will protect you, because i like good sons, i like to see a person respect the honor of his father. i, too, love my father, and as sure as there is a god, i know what i would have done had i been in your place....”
and quickly turning the conversation, he asked: “you have told me that you come from europe; were you in madrid?”
“yes, se?or; for some months.”
“you have perhaps heard of my family?”
“your excellency had just left when i had the honor to be presented to it.” [121]
“and why, then, did you come here without bringing some letter of introduction?”
“se?or,” replied ibarra bowing, “because i do not come directly from spain, and because, having heard of your excellency’s character, i thought that a letter of introduction would not only be useless, but even offensive. all filipinos are recommended to you.”
a smile appeared on the lips of the old officer and he replied slowly, as if weighing and measuring his words:
“it flatters me to learn that you think so ... and ... so it ought to be. however, young man, you ought to know what loads we bear upon our shoulders here in the philippines. here, we, old army officers, have to do and be everything: king, secretary of state, of war, of agriculture, of internal affairs and of justice. the worst part of it is the fact that in regard to everything we have to consult our distant mother country, which approves or rejects our propositions, according to circumstances, sometimes blindly. and you know how we spaniards say: ‘grasp much, get little.’ then, too, we come here ignorant of the country and we leave it as soon as we begin to know it. with you i can be frank, for it would be useless to appear otherwise. in spain, where each branch of the government has its own minister, born and brought up in the country, where they have the press and public opinion, the opposition is open and before the eyes of the government, and shows up its faults; yet, even there, all is imperfect and defective. and when you consider the conditions here, it is a wonder that all is not upset, with all those advantages lacking, and with the opposition working in the dark. good intentions and wishes are not wanting in us governing officials, but we find ourselves obliged to make use of eyes and arms which frequently we do not know, and which, perhaps, instead of serving the country, serve only their own interests. that is not our fault; it is the fault of circumstances. you arouse my interest and i do not want our present system of government to prejudice you in any way. i cannot watch everything, nor can i attend to all. can i be useful to you in any way? have you anything to request?”
ibarra meditated. [122]
“se?or,” he replied, “my greatest desire is the happiness of my country, a happiness due to the efforts of our mother country and to the efforts of my fellow countrymen, united with the eternal bonds of a common interest and common object. what i ask the government can only give after many years of continuous work and proper reforms.”
his excellency looked at him for several seconds with a look which ibarra met naturally, without timidity and without boldness.
“you are the first man with whom i have spoken in this country,” he exclaimed grasping his hand.
“your excellency has only seen those who lead a grovelling existence in the city. you have not seen the calumniated hovels of our towns. if you had, you would have seen true men, if generous hearts and simple manners make true men.”
the governor general arose and paced the sala from one side to the other.
“se?or ibarra,” he exclaimed, stopping a moment. the young man arose. “i will probably leave here within a month. your education and your mode of thinking are not for this country. sell what you possess, get your trunk ready and come with me to europe. that climate will be better for you.”
“i shall cherish all my life the memory of your excellency’s kindness,” replied ibarra, moved by what the governor general had said. “but i ought to live in the country where my fathers have lived....”
“where they have died, you should say, to speak more exactly. believe me! i possibly know your country better than you do yourself.... ah! now i remember,” he exclaimed changing the tone of his voice. “you are going to marry a lovely girl and i am keeping you here! go, go to her side, and that you may have greater liberty send her father to me,” he added, smiling. “do not forget, however, that i want you to accompany me for a walk.”
ibarra bowed and departed.
his excellency called his adjutant.
“i am happy,” said he, giving him a light slap on the shoulder. “to-day i have seen for the first time how one [123]can be a good spaniard without ceasing to be a good filipino and to love his country. to-day, at last, i have shown the reverences that we are not all their playthings. this young man has afforded me the opportunity, and, in a short time, i will have settled all of my accounts with the friar. it’s a pity that this young man, some day or other ... but call the alcalde to me.”
the latter presented himself at once.
“se?or alcalde,” he said to him, as he entered the room, “in order to avoid a repetition of scenes such as your honor witnessed this afternoon, scenes which i deplore because they take away the prestige of the government and all spaniards, i want to commend to you warmly se?or ibarra, that you may not only aid him in carrying out his patriotic ends, but also prevent in the future any person of whatever class or under whatever pretext, from molesting him.”
the alcalde understood the reprimand and bowed to conceal his confusion.
“have the alferez, who is in command here, informed to the same effect. and you will find out if it is true that this officer has methods of procedure that are not in accordance with the regulations. i have heard more than one complaint on this score.”
captain tiago, all starched and ironed, presented himself.
“don santiago,” said his excellency, in a cordial tone of voice, “a little while ago i was congratulating you on having a daughter like the se?orita de los santos. now i want to congratulate you on your future son-in-law. the most virtuous of daughters is certainly worthy of the best citizen of the philippines. is the date of the wedding known?”
“se?or!” stammered the captain, wiping away the perspiration which was running down his face.
“o, come! i see that there is nothing definite. if you need godfathers, i will be one of them with the greatest pleasure. i would do it to take away the bad taste which so many of the weddings which i have attended here have left in my mouth,” he added, turning to the alcalde. [124]
“yes, se?or!” replied captain tiago, with a smile which inspired compassion.
ibarra had gone in search of maria clara, almost on a run. he had so many things to tell her. he heard some gentle voices in one of the rooms and knocked at the door.
“who knocks?” asked maria clara.
the voices were silenced and the door ... was not opened.
“it is i. may i come in?” asked the young man, his heart beating violently.
the silence was not broken. a few seconds afterward gentle steps approached the door and sinang’s cheerful voice murmured through the key-hole: “crisostomo, we are going to the theatre to-night. write what you have to say to maria clara.”
then the footsteps were heard retreating, as quickly as they had come.
“what does that mean!” murmured ibarra to himself, as he went slowly away from the door. [125]
1 a reply which accords with the spanish idea of politeness but rather ludicrously used in this instance.
