Part 19 (1/2)
Maria Clara trembled.
”Ah!” exclaimed the Governor General. ”Permit me, senorita, to express the desire to see you again before I leave town. I still have some very important things to say to you. Senor Alcalde, Your Lords.h.i.+p will accompany me for a walk after the conference which I will hold alone with Senor Ibarra.”
”Your Excellency will permit us,” said Father Salvi meekly, ”to inform you that Senor Ibarra is excommunicated ...”
His Excellency interrupted him saying: ”I am glad that I have nothing more to deplore than the condition of Father Damaso, 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 G.o.d 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.”
”Senor ... such kindness...!”
”Your surprise offends me. It indicates that you did not expect a good 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 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 Damaso, 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 circ.u.mstances. 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 G.o.d, 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, senor; 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.”
”And why, then, did you come here without bringing some letter of introduction?”
”Senor,” 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.”