we surrender ourselves to God
and wail. "My God!" cried her heart, "why shouldst thou separate me
thus from him I love? Why deny me the love of others? Thou dost not
deny me the sun, nor the air, nor dost thou hide the heavens from my
sight. Why dost thou deny me love, when it is possible to live without
sun, without air, and without the heavens, but without love, never?"

"Mother, mother," she was moaning.

Aunt Isabel came to take her from her grief. Some of her girl friends
had arrived and the Governor General also desired to talk with her.

"Aunt, tell them that I am ill!" begged the frightened maiden. "They
wish to make me play the piano and sing."

"Your father has promised it. You are not going to go back on your
father?"

Maria Clara arose, looked at her aunt, clasped her beautiful arms
about her and murmured: "Oh, if I had ..."

But, without finishing the sentence, she dried her tears and began
to make her toilet.

CHAPTER XIX

HIS EXCELLENCY.

"I want to speak with that young man," said His Excellency to an
adjutant. "He has awakened my interest."

"They have already gone to look for him, General! But there is a young
man here from Manila who insists on being introduced. We have told
him that Your Excellency has no time and that you have not come to
give audiences, but to see the town and the procession. But he has
replied that Your Excellency always has time to dispense justice."

His Excellency turned to the Alcalde as if in doubt.

"If I am not mistaken," said the latter, making a slight bow, "it
is a young man who this morning had a difficulty with Father Damaso
about the sermon."

"Still another? Has this friar undertaken to disturb the province,
or does he think that he is in command here? Tell the young man to
come in!"

His Excellency was walking nervously from one end of the sala to
the other.

In the lower part of the house, in the ante-room, were several
Spaniards, mingled with army officers and officials of the town of
San Diego and some of the neighboring villages. They were grouped in
little circles and were conversing about one thing and another. All
of the friars were there except Father Damaso, and they wanted to go
in and pay their respects to His Excellency.

"His Excellency, the Governor General, begs Your Reverences to wait
a moment," said the adjutant. "Walk in, young man!"

The young man from Manila entered the sala, pale and trembling.

Everybody was