Bishop! But--the old man--"

"_Na_, _Senor Padre_, but the Bishop is fairly young, you know. That
is, the new one--"

"The new one!" cried the uncomprehending Jose.

"To be sure, _Senor Padre_, the new Bishop--formerly Senor Don
Wenceslas Ortiz."

Jose beat the air feebly as his hand sought his damp brow. His
confused brain became suddenly stagnant.

"_Bien_, _Senor Padre_," put in Fernando gently, pitying the priest's
agony. "You had not heard the news. Don Mario received letters to-day.
The old Bishop of Cartagena died suddenly some days ago, and Don
Wenceslas at once received the temporary appointment, until the
vacancy can be permanently filled. There is talk of making Cartagena
an archbishopric, and so a new bishop will not be appointed until that
question is settled. Meanwhile, Don Wenceslas administers the affairs
of the Church there."

"And he--he--" stammered the stunned priest.

"To be sure, _Senor Padre_," interrupted Don Mario, laughing aloud;
"the good Don Wenceslas no doubt has learned of the beautiful Carmen,
and he cannot permit her to waste her loveliness in so dreary a place
as Simiti. And so he summons her to Cartagena, in care of his agent,
Padre Diego, who awaits the girl now in Banco to conduct her safely
down the river. At least, this is what Padre Diego writes me. _Bien_,
it is the making of the girl, to be so favored by His Grace!"

Jose staggered and would have fallen, had not Fernando supported him.
Don Mario turned into his house. But as he went he spitefully hurled
back:

"_Bien_, _Senor Padre_, whom have you to blame but yourself? You keep
a child from her suffering father--you give all your time to her,
neglecting the other poor children of your parish--you send Rosendo
into the mountains to search for La Libertad--you break your
agreement with me, for you long ago said that we should work
together--is it not so? You find gold in the mountains, but you do
not tell me. _Na_, you work against me--you oppose my authority as
Alcalde--_Bien_, you opposed even the authority of the good
Bishop--may he rest with the Saints! You have not made a good priest
for Simiti, _Senor Padre_--_na_, you have made a very bad one! And
now you wonder that the good Don Wenceslas takes the girl from you,
to bring her up in the right way. _Caramba_! if it is not already too
late to save her from your bad teachings!" His voice steadily rose
while he talked, and ended in a shrill pipe.

Jose made as if