"Confess!" cried the girl with scorn. "That is the word you used tosend me to slaughter, to be devoured by that beast. Sweet father,you are, to ask a daughter to swear to a lie in order to shield theman who wronged her. I know not what foul plot you have framed here,but I do know in my soul of souls I am as white as dawn and thatyour soul is black as night from which the dawn is born. As for thatcreature in the robes of God, neighbors and friends, I say he is adevil. His place is hell--however, not to rule, but to find torment,now and everlasting."
The Jesuit flushed slightly, but his voice was unruffled as he asked:
"Friends, shall we call the test of God on her?"
"No, no!" Lonzello plead, rushing back to the pulpit, "not on her."
"A father may be pitied in pleading for a child," the Jesuit said,quietly and without passion. "I would, if I could, spare him, andher as well. Let me, for his sake, girl, ask you to speak the wordthat shall save both. Recant, recant."
"Repent, repent," returned Ambrosia, facing him fiercely. "The crimeis on your head; the crime on me, the crime upon my father, the crimewhich now I feel you mean to do, are all upon your head. Repent,repent."
"The girl is obdurate," said the Jesuit, turning again to thepeople. "In spite of vindication heaven sent, she has reiteratedaccusations. Therefore, we shall be forced to call on heaven againto choose between us. Shall we do so?"
"The test, the test!" cried the people in one voice.
Again the right hand of the Jesuit was raised, again the left stoleround Lonzello, gripping him as with a vice. His toe sought the hiddenkey under the pulpit as he intoned:
"Choose now between us, which of us is right. If we are guilty, sendfrom heaven the fires and take our lives. If we have been maligned,then let the fiery vengeance seize on the woman who has said the wordand prove to all the people that thou art a jealous God, watchingabove thine own."
Even as he spoke, even as his hand was outstretched to heaven,Ambrosia Lonzello straightened, then lunged forward, her hands andlimbs trembling and shaking; again and again, as the friar's toemoved, the horrible contortions were repeated. As he completed hisprayer the girl hung limp and heavy on her chains, lifeless.
An instant more the audience was in a turmoil.
"A miracle, a miracle!" it cried.
Men and women rushed to the altar, crowding and kneeling, fumblingtheir rosaries and praying. Lonzello sank into the chair at the sideof the altar. The Jesuit alone was calm and commanding.
"Yes," said he, "it is a miracle. The Lord has spoken. Strip yourfingers and ears and pockets of jewelry and money, and lay it beforehim who doeth wonders in your sight. Woe to the man or woman whorefuses, woe upon the head of such!"
Men were groaning, women praying aloud. Money and jewelry were thrownbefore the altar in profusion, until hundreds of dollars in valuewere piled there. Then the audience was dismissed.
"Now," said the Jesuit, turning to Lonzello, "take this stuff andget from the country at once. Your successor from America has arrivedand is in the harbor even now."
XXI.
"THE INSURRECTION IS OVER."
When Saguanaldo heard of the fate that had befallen Ambrosia hewas almost beside himself with rage and horror. He determined to berevenged on the Jesuit and Lonzello, and issued orders for the force toat once prepare for active service. Mrs. Rizal's singing and speakingbegan to bear fruit. The story of Ambrosia spread rapidly throughthe island, rousing the people to something like frenzy. They cameout in force. Not until now had that feeling which makes a religiouswar been stirred, but it was rampant at this time. Even some of theSpanish friars, who rebelled at being banished from the islands,joined the revolt. The war had turned, so that it was no longerSpaniard and native, but the native against both Spain and America.
They gathered in great numbers before Manila, coming in pairs andsquads. Some were captured, but the United States troops, appalled atthe demonstration that seemed to be even larger than it really was,fell back into the city, while the insurgents formed on the hillsoccupying the rifle pits without. It was raining and the mud was sodeep that all movements were slow and disagreeable. But the forbodingappearance of nature did not discourage the malcontents. Women andchildren were there. Some of them were unarmed, but they gatheredstones for throwing and carried them. Others had nothing but clubsor bolos. But they were all mad for slaughter, ready to die.
Contrary to expectations of the Americans, they did not attack bynight. Neither did they make any demonstration against the Spanishfortress of Cavite. In the early morning women and children, raggedand showing the poverty that had provoked the war, drenched by rain,muddy and miserable, marched down the streets, in irregular lines,shrieking and singing. As they marched, others came from the housesof Manila and joined them. Again there was the song:
He may be a brother of Governor Daft, But he ain't no friend of mine.
Instead of an army, it was a mob, something far harder to handle thanan army, especially if it is composed of women and children. Theybroke into shops and took things to eat, munching and screaming asthey marched.
Then, while the American troops were besieged with the mob, Saguanaldoattacked from the rear. As his troops charged on the American works,women from the rear threw stones at the American soldiers. The firstline of defense was taken. Cavite was silent, having no part in thisbattle, and it was well for America it was so; for had the attackbeen more complicated, the issue might have been in doubt. Some saidit had been arranged so in advance. As it was, the American armylay in the mud in its redoubts, with the rain drizzling on them,and the little pools of water that formed were stained with blood.
Somehow Saguanaldo and an aide penetrated to the convento and appearedunannounced before Judge Daft, dripping from the rain and sprinkledwith mud.
"Have a seat, General," said Judge Daft, affably. "You must be verycold. I will order hot coffee brought."
"Thank you, but you need not," Saguanaldo replied. "I am here on amission of war, not of hospitality. You have wronged me, Governor,grievously wronged me."
"War is not a pink tea affair," returned the Judge. "It can not beprosecuted without individual harm being done."
"I do not refer to that," said the insurgent. "I shall not whimperover hardships and private losses or wounds that come from war. Butyou have wounded me in peace, while I was ally to you."
"I do not see that you are acting as an ally today."
"No, but I was when I went with the American troops to spy out anddefeat the Spaniards. And at the very hour when I was serving you,and after I had voluntarily given you my office and surrendered thePhilippine republic that we might come under the protection of theAmerican republic, you set your soldiers to protecting the Spanishfriars, in possession of property which Spanish soldiers had seizedfrom us. Was that right?"
"It was a general order. Had the insurgents been in possession of theproperty, they would have been protected in it. It is not my faultif you were not able to hold this property."
"But you occupy the conventos, on invitation of the friars. It putsyou under obligation to them."
"I occupied the house you offered. Did that put me under obligationto you?"
"Yes. But you now war those who were your allies."
"And you war those who were your allies. That makes us even."
"The man whose guest you are, murdered the leader of the schism,cruelly, and you shield him. He betrayed the faith of the friar'sdaughter"--
"After she had betrayed her faith"--
"On her father's solicitation"--
"So she said. Poor girl, she was evidently insane."
"And then horribly maltreated her. Later he burned her, as it were,at the stake."
"My friend," said Judge Daft, amiably, "it is not a part of my dutyto quarrel, and I refuse to jower longer with you. If you want tofight, go and join with those whose duty it is to fight. If youhave a personal grievance, bring civil suit, and I will hear yourcause. Before you go, I shall
be pleased if you will permit me toserve you something warm."
Saguanaldo was broken in spirit. He was again beaten in diplomacy. Hismission had failed, and, with quivering lip and voice shaking withemotion, he said farewell, muffled himself in his great coat and tookhis departure with his aide.
As he stepped on the street he was met by a detachment of soldiers,sent out from the convento by the apostolic nuncio, and placed underarrest. At the same time Violeta stepped before him and extendedhis hand:
"General, I am glad to meet you."
Saguanaldo struck at him, but missed, because the soldiers restrainedhim. The Jesuit very composedly said:
"Nothing is ever made, General, by being unpleasant. Take the prisonerto American headquarters, and spread the report that the leader iscaptured and the insurrection is over."
ANNOUNCEMENT
"Diaz, the Dictator"
In thanking all who by their advance subscriptions made possiblethe publication of "The Friar's Daughter," I wish to announce thepreparation of another book, entitled "Diaz the Dictator." It willbe somewhat longer than this work, and will be even more dramatic,fuller of action and intrigue, and will bring events practically tothe present.
The real story of Diaz has never been written understandingly. Whyand how he became a dictator; how the masses of the people of Mexicowere made peons; the motives behind his action; the development ofcapitalism and the fall of feudalism in Mexico, have not yet beentouched on understandingly. They are told in the fascinating storywhich I announce. The near relationship of the United States to Mexicothrough it all is made clear.
Not many know that the French government, at the instance of theRoman hierarchy, after the confiscation of the church lands in Mexico,overthrew the republic in 1863, and established as a form of government"a temperate and hereditary Catholic monarchy." Not many know thatJaurez, the Mexican president who was forced from his position by aforeign army, appealed to the United States for aid, but that thiscountry, being in the midst of a big war, was unable to lend himsuccor. Not many know that just as soon as there was prospect of theAmerican armies being released from war, congress, on April 4th, 1864,warned France that America would not, under the Monroe doctrine, permitan European power to establish a monarchy on American soil. Not manyknow that on February 9th, 1869, Abraham Lincoln issued an ultimatumto France that she must either withdraw her troops from Mexico orfight the United States--that France withdrew, and the monarchywent to pieces. Not many have thought that the plotting againstLincoln's life, by Catholics exclusively, began on March 6th, 1865,and culminated on April 15th, 1865. All this time Diaz was fightingwith the Mexican patriots. Do you know what caused him to change?
These are only a few of the things brought out in the work. If"The Friar's Daughter" is an eye-opener, then "Diaz the Dictator"will prove the thunder clap.
Will you help to bring out this work, as you so generously helped with"The Friar's Daughter"? If so, I ask you to fill out the enclosedblank and mail it to me, WITHOUT SENDING MONEY. The prices will bethe same as with this work:
Ten copies, $3.00; 100 copies, $22.00; single copy, 40 cents.
Enclose in envelope and mail to me, and when the subscription reaches1,000 work will be begun on printing "Diaz the Dictator."
C. L. Phifer, Girard, Kansas.
NOTES
[1] Buenos dias--Good morning.
[2] Luz de mi vida--Light of my life.
[3] Te amo con todo el corazon--I love you with all my heart.
[4] Chuleta--Dear, well beloved.
[5] Eso fue en los dias antiguos--That was in the old days.
[6] Por Dios Donde se hallaria otro pas que has sufrido tanto--Forheaven's sake, there is not another country found that has sufferedso much.
For evidence as to the condition of the islands see Senate DocumentNo. 190 of the 56th Congress, sworn testimony of Ambrosia Flores,Se?or Constantine, Jose Tempto, Don Jose C. Mijares, Pedro SuranoLaktaw, Jose Roderigues Infante and others.
[7] Aling--Miss.
[8] This circular is a correct translation of a portion of a circular,signed by a priest, that was distributed in Manila shortly after thebattle that gave America possession of the bay.
[9] Diablo--The devil. An exclamation or oath.
[10] Sin-verguenza--Sin without shame.
[11] The Latin quotations are from Liguori's instructions as to theconfessional, and are so suggestive that if rendered into Englishthey might exclude this book from the mails.
[12] Convento--Not a convent, but a priest's residence. The reasongiven for American officers occupying conventos in the Philippineswas that they were the best buildings there.
[13] Ma?ana--Tomorrow.
[14] Sierras--Saw used in Spanish countries, hence toothed orirregular.
[15] Trapiche--A cane mill.
[16] Haciendas--Large farms.
[17] Pueblos--Villages.
[18] A priest who said the burial service over a man who was buriedalive was really pardoned by the American governor and this song,with change of name, was actually sung relative to the American headof government.
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