don't see any danger, Father. The Alcalde and the Governor General,
my superiors, have been talking with him all the afternoon, and it
is not for me to give them a lesson."

"If you don't put him out of here, we will leave."

"I am very, very sorry, but I cannot put any one out of here."

The curate repented having said what he did, but now there was no
alternative. He made a signal to his companion, who laboriously rose
to his feet and both went out. The persons attached to the friars
imitated the priests, not, however, without first glancing with hatred
at Ibarra.

Murmurs and whispers increased. Then various persons approached and
saluted the young man and said:

"We are with you. Take no notice of them."

"Who are 'them'?" he asked with surprise.

"Those who have gone out in order to avoid contact with you."

"To avoid contact with me? Contact with me?"

"Yes, they say that you are excommunicated."

Ibarra, surprised, did not know what to say and looked around him. He
saw Maria Clara, who was hiding her face behind her fan.

"But is it possible?" he exclaimed at last. "Are we still in the
darkness of the Middle Ages? So that----"

And turning to the young women and changing his tone, he said:

"Excuse me; I have forgotten an appointment. I will return to accompany
you home."

"Stay!" said Sinang. "Yeyeng is going to dance in the 'La
Calandria.' She dances divinely."

"I cannot, my little friend, but I will certainly return."

The murmurs increased.

While Yeyeng, dressed in the style of the lower class of Madrid, was
coming on the stage with the remark: "Da Uste su permiso?" (Do you
give your permission?) and as Carvajal was replying to her "Pase uste
adelante" (Pass forward), two soldiers of the Civil Guard approached
Don Filipo, asking him to suspend the performance.

"And what for?" asked he, surprised at the request.

"Because the alferez and his Senora have been fighting and they
cannot sleep."

"You tell the alferez that we have permission from the Alcalde,
and that no one in the town has any authority over him, not even the
gobernadorcillo, who is my on-ly su-per-ior."

"Well, you will have to suspend the performance," repeated the
soldiers.

Don Filipo turned his back to them. The guards marched off.

In order not to disturb the general tranquillity, Don Filipo said
not a word about the matter to any one.

After a piece of light opera, which was heartily applauded, the Prince