CHAPTER XIX
HIS EXCELLENCY.
"I want to speak with that young man," said His Excellency to anadjutant. "He has awakened my interest."
"They have already gone to look for him, General! But there is a youngman here from Manila who insists on being introduced. We have toldhim that Your Excellency has no time and that you have not come togive audiences, but to see the town and the procession. But he hasreplied 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, "itis a young man who this morning had a difficulty with Father Damasoabout 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 tocome in!"
His Excellency was walking nervously from one end of the sala tothe other.
In the lower part of the house, in the ante-room, were severalSpaniards, mingled with army officers and officials of the town ofSan Diego and some of the neighboring villages. They were grouped inlittle circles and were conversing about one thing and another. Allof the friars were there except Father Damaso, and they wanted to goin and pay their respects to His Excellency.
"His Excellency, the Governor General, begs Your Reverences to waita 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 tomake the friars wait. Father Sibyla said: "I have nothing to say tohim.... 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?" askedFather Salvi. "We would avoid a scandal ... and ... we would be ableto 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 Salvi, FatherManuel Martin and the other priests. They all humbly saluted theGovernor General, with the exception of Father Sibyla, who preservedeven in his bow, an air of superiority. Father Salvi, on the contrary,almost touched the floor with his head.
"Which of Your Reverences is Father Damaso?" asked His Excellencyunexpectedly, without having them sit down, or even asking abouttheir health, and without addressing them with any of those courteousphrases which are customary with such high personages.
"Father Damaso is not among us, senor," replied Father Sibyla,rather dryly.
"Your Excellency's servant lies ill in bed," added Father Salvimeekly. "After having the pleasure of saluting you and of inquiringabout the health of Your Excellency, as befits all the good servants ofthe King and all persons of good education, we also come in the name ofthe respectful servant of Your Excellency who has the misfortune...."
"Oh," interrupted the Governor General, as he turned a chair around onone leg and smiled nervously. "If all the servants of My Excellencywere like His Reverence Father Damaso, I would prefer to serve MyExcellency myself."
The Reverences did not know how to respond to this interruption.
"Take a seat, Your Reverences!" he added after a short pause, softeninghis tone a little.
Captain Tiago came in dressed in a frock coat and walking ontip-toes. He was leading Maria Clara by the hand. The young maiden wastrembling when she entered, but notwithstanding she made a gracefuland ceremonious bow.
"Is this your daughter?" asked the Governor General, somewhatsurprised.
"And Your Excellency's, my General," replied Captain Tiagoseriously. [14]
The Alcalde and the adjutants opened wide their eyes, but HisExcellency did not lose his gravity. He extended his hand to theyoung maiden and said to her affably: "Happy are the fathers who havedaughters like you, senorita. They have spoken to me about you withrespect and consideration.... I have desired to see you and to thankyou for your pretty deed of to-day. I am informed of all, and whenI write to His Majesty's Government I will not forget your generousconduct. In the meantime, senorita, allow me in the name of HisMajesty the King whom I represent here and who loves to see peace andtranquillity among his subjects, and in my own name, that of a fatherwho also has daughters of your age, allow me to extend to you mostsincere thanks and propose your name for some mark of recognition."
"Senor ..." replied Maria Clara, trembling.
His Excellency guessed what she wanted to say, and replied: "It iswell enough, senorita, that you are satisfied in your own consciencewith the mere esteem of your own people. The testimony of one's peopleis 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 isnot always blind."
"Senor Don Juan Crisostomo awaits Your Excellency's orders," announcedthe adjutant in a loud voice.
Maria Clara trembled.
"Ah!" exclaimed the Governor General. "Permit me, senorita, to expressthe desire to see you again before I leave town. I still have somevery important things to say to you. Senor Alcalde, Your Lordshipwill accompany me for a walk after the conference which I will holdalone with Senor Ibarra."
"Your Excellency will permit us," said Father Salvi meekly, "to informyou that Senor Ibarra is excommunicated ..."
His Excellency interrupted him saying: "I am glad that I have nothingmore to deplore than the condition of Father Damaso, for whom Isincerely wish a complete recovery, because at his age a voyage toSpain for his health would not be pleasant. But this depends onhim ... and in the meantime, may God preserve the health of YourReverences."
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 HisExcellency had received them coldly.
In the entrance hall they met Ibarra, their host only a few hoursago. 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 familiarway. 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 calmmanner, and bowed profoundly, despite the fact that the sight of thefriars had not seemed a good omen for him.
The Governor General advanced a few steps. "It gives me greatsatisfaction to shake your hand. Grant me your entire confidence."
"Senor ... such kindness...!"
"Your surprise offends me. It indicates that you did not expect agood reception from me. That is doubting my justice!"
"A friendly reception, senor, for an insignificant subject like myself,is not justice, it is a favor."
"Well, well!" said His Excellency, sitting down and pointing out aseat for Ibarra. "Let us speak frankly. I am very much pleased withyour action and I have already proposed to His Majesty's Governmentthat they grant you an insignia for your philanthropic intention oferecting a school.... If you had asked me, I would have attended theceremony with a great deal of pleasure and perhaps the unpleasantnesswould have been avoided."
"My idea of erecting a school seems to me so insignificant," repliedthe young man, "that I did not think it an occasion worthy of takingthe attention of Your Excellency from your many duties and cares. Then,too, it was my duty to first address the highest authority of theprovince."
His Excellency made a bow of satisfaction and adopting a still moreintimate manner, continued:
"In regard to the unpleasantness which you have had with FatherDamaso, have no fear nor regret. I will not touch a hair of your headwhi
le I govern these Islands. And in regard to the excommunication,I will speak to the Archbishop, for it is necessary for us to adaptourselves to circumstances. Here, we cannot laugh about these thingsin public as we do in Spain or in cultured Europe. Nevertheless, bemore prudent in the future. You have put yourself in opposition tothe religious corporations, which, on account of your position andwealth, need to be respected. But I will protect you, because I likegood 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 Iwould have done had I been in your place...."
And quickly turning the conversation, he asked: "You have told methat you come from Europe; were you in Madrid?"
"Yes, senor; for some months."
"You have perhaps heard of my family?"
"Your Excellency had just left when I had the honor to be presentedto it."
"And why, then, did you come here without bringing some letter ofintroduction?"
"Senor," replied Ibarra bowing, "because I do not come directly fromSpain, 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 tobe. However, young man, you ought to know what loads we bear upon ourshoulders here in the Philippines. Here, we, old army officers, have todo and be everything: King, Secretary of State, of War, of Agriculture,of Internal Affairs and of Justice. The worst part of it is the factthat in regard to everything we have to consult our distant MotherCountry, which approves or rejects our propositions, according tocircumstances, sometimes blindly. And you know how we Spaniards say:'Grasp much, get little.' Then, too, we come here ignorant of thecountry and we leave it as soon as we begin to know it. With you I canbe frank, for it would be useless to appear otherwise. In Spain, whereeach branch of the Government has its own Minister, born and broughtup in the country, where they have the press and public opinion, theopposition is open and before the eyes of the Government, and showsup its faults; yet, even there, all is imperfect and defective. Andwhen you consider the conditions here, it is a wonder that all isnot upset, with all those advantages lacking, and with the oppositionworking in the dark. Good intentions and wishes are not wanting in usgoverning officials, but we find ourselves obliged to make use of eyesand arms which frequently we do not know, and which, perhaps, insteadof serving the country, serve only their own interests. That is notour fault; it is the fault of circumstances. You arouse my interestand I do not want our present system of government to prejudice youin any way. I cannot watch everything, nor can I attend to all. CanI be useful to you in any way? Have you anything to request?"
Ibarra meditated.
"Senor," he replied, "my greatest desire is the happiness of mycountry, a happiness due to the efforts of our Mother Country and tothe efforts of my fellow countrymen, united with the eternal bondsof a common interest and common object. What I ask the Governmentcan only give after many years of continuous work and proper reforms."
His Excellency looked at him for several seconds with a look whichIbarra 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 existencein the city. You have not seen the calumniated hovels of our towns. Ifyou had, you would have seen true men, if generous hearts and simplemanners make true men."
The Governor General arose and paced the sala from one side tothe other.
"Senor Ibarra," he exclaimed, stopping a moment. The young manarose. "I will probably leave here within a month. Your education andyour mode of thinking are not for this country. Sell what you possess,get your trunk ready and come with me to Europe. That climate willbe 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 Iought to live in the country where my fathers have lived...."
"Where they have died, you should say, to speak moreexactly. Believe me! I possibly know your country better than youdo yourself.... Ah! Now I remember," he exclaimed changing the toneof his voice. "You are going to marry a lovely girl and I am keepingyou here! Go, go to her side, and that you may have greater libertysend 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-dayI have seen for the first time how one can be a good Spaniard withoutceasing 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. Thisyoung 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 pitythat this young man, some day or other ... but call the Alcalde to me."
The latter presented himself at once.
"Senor Alcalde," he said to him, as he entered the room, "in orderto avoid a repetition of scenes such as Your Honor witnessed thisafternoon, scenes which I deplore because they take away the prestigeof the Government and all Spaniards, I want to commend to you warmlySenor Ibarra, that you may not only aid him in carrying out hispatriotic ends, but also prevent in the future any person of whateverclass or under whatever pretext, from molesting him."
The Alcalde understood the reprimand and bowed to conceal hisconfusion.
"Have the alferez, who is in command here, informed to the sameeffect. And you will find out if it is true that this officer hasmethods of procedure that are not in accordance with the regulations. Ihave 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 daughterlike the Senorita de los Santos. Now I want to congratulate you onyour future son-in-law. The most virtuous of daughters is certainlyworthy of the best citizen of the Philippines. Is the date of thewedding known?"
"Senor!" stammered the Captain, wiping away the perspiration whichwas 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 totake away the bad taste which so many of the weddings which I haveattended here have left in my mouth," he added, turning to the Alcalde.
"Yes, senor!" replied Captain Tiago, with a smile which inspiredcompassion.
Ibarra had gone in search of Maria Clara, almost on a run. He had somany things to tell her. He heard some gentle voices in one of therooms 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 beatingviolently.
The silence was not broken. A few seconds afterward gentle stepsapproached the door and Sinang's cheerful voice murmured through thekey-hole: "Crisostomo, we are going to the theatre to-night. Writewhat 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 slowlyaway from the door.