nd interesting period in Rizal's life. Reading between
the lines of the letters he was allowed to send to his friends, there
was evidence of his being weighed down with _ennui_ from inactivity,
and his friends in Europe took the opportunity of bringing pressure
on the Madrid Government to liberate him. In a house which I visit
in London there were frequent consultations as to how this could be
effected. In the end it was agreed to organize a bogus "Society for
the Liberation of Prisoners in the Far East." A few ladies met at the
house mentioned, and one of them, Miss A----, having been appointed
secretary, she was sent to Madrid to present a petition from the
"Society" to the Prime Minister, Canovas del Castillo, praying for
the liberation of Rizal in exchange for his professional services
in the Spanish army operating in Cuba, where army doctors were much
needed. Hints were deftly thrown out about the "Society's" relations
with other European capitals, and the foreign lady-secretary played
her part so adroitly that the Prime Minister pictured to himself
ambassadorial intervention and foreign complications if he did not
grant the prayer of what he imagined to be an influential society with
potential ramifications. The Colonial Minister opposed the petition;
the War Minister, being Philippine born, declined to act on his own
responsibility for obvious reasons. Repeated discussions took place
between the Crown advisers, to whom, at length, the Prime Minister
disclosed his fears, and finally the Gov.-General of the Philippines,
Don Ramon Blanco, was authorized to liberate Rizal, on the terms
mentioned, if he saw no objection. As my Philippine friend, who went
from London to Madrid about the matter, remarked to the War Minister,
"Rizal is loyal; he will do his duty; but if he did not, one more or
less in the rebel camp--what matters?" The Gov.-General willingly
acted on the powers received from the Home Government, and Rizal's
conditional freedom dated from July 28, 1896. The governor of Dapitan
was instructed to ask Rizal if he wished to go to Cuba as an army
doctor, and the reply being in the affirmative, he was conducted on
board the steamer for Manila, calling on the way at Cebu, where crowds
of natives and half-castes went on board to congratulate him. He had
become the idol of the people in his exile; his ideas were _then_
the reflection of all Philippine aims and ambitions; the very name of
Rizal raised their hopes to