"Of whom could I be talking but that big blockhead who proposes to challenge me to a duel with revolvers at one hundred paces?"
"Ah!" sighed the curate, and added: "I have come to speak about a most urgent matter which seriously concerns the life of all of us."
"Seriously!" repeated the alferez, turning pale in turn. "Does this young fellow shoot well...?"
"I am not speaking about him."
"Then?"
The friar pointed to the door which the alferez shut in his customary manner, by a kick. The alferez usually found his hands superfluous. An imprecation and a groan from without were heard.
"You brute. You have cut open my head!" cried his wife.
"Now unbosom yourself," said he to the curate in a quiet manner. The latter looked at him for some time. Afterward he asked, in that nasal and monotonous priest"s voice:
"Did you see how I came running?"
"Umph! I thought something was the matter with you."
"When I leave my duties in this manner there are grave motives."
"And what is it?" asked the other, stamping his foot on the floor.
"Calm yourself!"
"Then, why did you come in such a hurry?"
The curate approached him and asked in a mysterious way:
"Don"t--you--know--anything--new?"
The alferez shrugged his shoulders.
"You confess that you know absolutely nothing?"
"What! do you mean to tell me about Elias, whom your sacristan mayor hid last night?" he asked.
"No, no! I don"t speak of such matters now," replied the curate, in a bad humor. "I am talking about a great danger."
"Then d----n it! Let it out."
"Now then," said the friar slowly and with a certain disdain, "you will see again how important we priests are. The lowest layman is worth a regiment, so that a curate...."
And then lowering his voice in a very mysterious manner:
"I have discovered a great conspiracy."
The alferez started and looked at the friar astonished.
"A terrible and well-laid conspiracy, which is to break out this very night."
"This very night!" exclaimed the alferez, moving at first toward Father Salvi, and then running after his revolver and saber, which were hanging on the wall: "Whom shall I arrest? Whom shall I arrest?" he cried.
"Be calm. It is not yet time, thanks to my great haste. At eight o"clock."
"I"ll shoot them all!"
"Listen! This afternoon a woman, whose name I must not mention (it is a secret of the confessional) came to me and disclosed it all. At eight o"clock they will take the cuartel by surprise, sack the convent, seize the Government"s steamboat and a.s.sa.s.sinate all the Spaniards."
The alferez was stupified.
"The woman has not told more than that," added the curate.
"Has not told you more? Then I"ll arrest her!"
"No; I cannot consent to it. The tribunal of penitence is the throne of G.o.d of forgiveness."
"Neither G.o.d nor forgiveness count in this matter. I"ll arrest her."
"You are losing your head. What you ought to do is to prepare yourself. Arm your soldiers quietly and put them in ambush. Send me four Guards for the convent and notify the people on the Government steamboat."
"The boat is not here. I"ll send to other sections for aid."
"They would notice that and would not go on with their plans. No, don"t do that. What is important is that we catch them alive and make them talk; I say, you will make them disclose the conspiracy. I, in the capacity of a priest, ought not to mix myself in these matters. Now"s your chance! Here you can win crosses and stars. I ask only that you make it evident that I am the one who warned you."
"It will be made evident, Father, it will be made evident! And perhaps a mitre will fall to you!" replied the radiant alferez.
"Be sure and send me four un-uniformed Civil Guards, eh? Be discreet! To-night at eight o"clock, it will rain stars and crosses."
While this was going on, a man came running down the road which led to Ibarra"s house, and quickly went up the stairs.
"Is the Senor at home?" asked Elias of the servant.
"He is in his laboratory at work."
Ibarra, in order to pa.s.s the time while he impatiently waited for the hour when he could make explanations to Maria Clara, had gone to work in his cabinet.
"Ah, is it you, Elias?" he exclaimed. "I was thinking about you. Yesterday, I forgot to ask you for the name of that Spaniard in whose house your grandfather lived."
"Don"t bother yourself, Senor, about me...."
"Look!" continued Ibarra, without noting the agitation of the young man, and putting a piece of bamboo to a flame. "I have made a great discovery. This bamboo is incombustible...."
"Don"t talk about bamboo now, Senor. Talk about collecting your papers and fleeing in a minute."
Ibarra looked at him surprised, and, on seeing the seriousness in Elias"s countenance, he dropped the object which he had in his hands.
"Burn everything that can possibly implicate you in any way and put yourself in a more secure place within an hour."