"And now that the first stone of this building has been blessed, we, the alcalde of this province, in the name of His Majesty the King, whom God guard; in the name of the illustrious Spanish Government, and under the protection of its spotless and ever-victorious flag, consecrate this act and begin the building of this school! "Citizens of San Diego, long live the king! Long live Spain! Long live the religious orders! Long live the Catholic church!" "Long live the Senor Alcalde!" replied many voices. Then the high official descended majestically, to the strains of the orchestras, put his trowel of cement on the stone, and came back as majestically as he had gone down. The Government clerks applauded. Ibarra offered the trowel to the curate, who descended slowly in his turn. In the middle of the staircase he raised his eyes to the great stone suspended above, but he stopped only a second, and continued the descent. This time the applause was a little warmer, Captain Tiago and the monks adding theirs to that of the clerks. The notary followed. He gallantly offered the trowel to Maria Clara, but she refused, with a smile. The monks, the alferez, and others descended in turn, Captain Tiago not being forgotten. Ibarra was left. He had ordered the stone to be lowered when the curate remembered him. "You do not put on your trowelful, Senor Ibarra?" said the curate, with a familiar and jocular air. "I should be Juan Palomo, who made the soup and then ate it," replied Crisostomo in the same light tone. "You go down, of course," said the alcalde, taking him by the arm in friendly fashion. "If not, I shall order that the stone be kept suspended, and we shall stay here till the Day of Judgment!" Such a menace forced Ibarra to obey. He exchanged the silver trowel for a larger one of iron, as some people noticed, and started out calmly. Elias gave him an indefinable look; his whole being seemed in it. The Mongol's eyes were on the abyss at his feet. Ibarra, after glancing rapidly at the block over his head, at Elias, and at the Mongol, said to Senor Juan, in a voice that trembled: "Give me the tray and bring me the other trowel." He stood alone. Elias no longer looked at him, his eyes were riveted on the hands of the Mongol, who, bending over, was anxiously following the movements of Ibarra. Then the sound of Ibarra's trowel was heard, accompanied by the low murmur of the clerks' voices as they felicitated the alcalde on his speech. Suddenly a frightful noise rent the air. A pulley attached to the base of the crane sprang out, dragging after it the capstan, which struck the crane like a lever. The beams tottered, the cables broke, and the whole fabric collapsed with a deafening roar and in a whirlwind of dust. A thousand voices filled the place with cries of horror. People fled in all directions. Only Maria Clara and Brother Salvi remained where they were, pale, mute, incapable of motion.