scan from
under his glasses. The two foreigners paused a moment, stared with an
expression of mingled severity and reproof, then immediately continued
their promenade.

"He's in a bad humor because you haven't treated him with deference,"
murmured Senor Laruja into the ear of the rubicund youth.

"What does your Reverence mean? What's the trouble?" inquired the
Dominican and the lieutenant at the same time, but in different tones.

"That's why so many calamities come! The ruling powers support
heretics against the ministers of God!" continued the Franciscan,
raising his heavy fists.

"What do you mean?" again inquired the frowning lieutenant, half
rising from his chair.

"What do I mean?" repeated Fray Damaso, raising his voice and facing
the lieutenant. "I'll tell you what I mean. I, yes I, mean to say that
when a priest throws out of his cemetery the corpse of a heretic,
no one, not even the King himself, has any right to interfere and
much less to impose any punishment! But a little General--a little
General Calamity--"

"Padre, his Excellency is the Vice-Regal Patron!" shouted the soldier,
rising to his feet.

"Excellency! Vice-Regal Patron! What of that!" retorted the Franciscan,
also rising. "In other times he would have been dragged down a
staircase as the religious orders once did with the impious Governor
Bustamente. [22] Those were indeed the days of faith."

"I warn you that I can't permit this! His Excellency represents his
Majesty the King!"

"King or rook! What difference does that make? For us there is no
king other than the legitimate [23]--"

"Halt!" shouted the lieutenant in a threatening tone, as if he were
commanding his soldiers. "Either you withdraw what you have said or
tomorrow I will report it to his Excellency!"

"Go ahead--right now--go on!" was the sarcastic rejoinder of Fray
Damaso as he approached the officer with clenched fists. "Do you think
that because I wear the cloth, I'm afraid? Go now, while I can lend
you my carriage!"

The dispute was taking a ludicrous turn, but fortunately the
Dominican intervened. "Gentlemen," he began in an authoritative
tone and with the nasal twang that so well becomes the friars,
"you must not confuse things or seek for offenses where there are
none. We must distinguish in the words of Fray Damaso those of the
man from those of the priest. The latter, as such, _per se_, can
never give offense, because they spring from absolute truth, while