All the distinguished people of the province were united in the carpeted and decorated booth. The alcalde was at one end of the table, Ibarra at the other. The talk was animated, even gay. The meal was half finished when a despatch was handed to Captain Tiago. He asked permission to read it; his face paled; then lighted up. "Senores," he cried, quite beside himself, "His Excellency the captain-general is to honor my house with his presence!" And he started off running, carrying his despatch and his napkin, forgetting his hat, and pursued by exclamations and questions. The announcement of the tulisanes could not have put him to greater confusion. "Wait a moment! When is he coming? Tell us?" Captain Tiago was already in the distance. "His Excellency asks the hospitality of Captain Tiago!" the guests exclaimed, apparently forgetting that they spoke before his daughter and his future son-in-law. "He could hardly make a better choice," said Ibarra, with dignity. "This was spoken of yesterday," said the alcalde, "but His Excellency had not fully decided." "Do you know how long he is to stay?" asked the alferez, uneasily. "I'm not at all sure! His Excellency is fond of surprising people." Three other despatches were brought. They were for the alcalde, the alferez, and the gobernadorcillo, and identical, announcing the coming of the governor. It was remarked that there was none for the curate. "His Excellency arrives at four this afternoon," said the alcalde, solemnly. "We can finish our repast." It might have been Leonidas saying: "To-night we sup with Pluto!" The conversation returned to its former course. "I notice the absence of our great preacher," said one of the clerks, an honest, inoffensive fellow, who had not yet said a word. Those who knew the story of Ibarra's father looked significantly at one another. "Fools rush in," said the glances of some; but others, more considerate, tried to cover the error. "He must be somewhat fatigued----" "Somewhat!" cried the alferez. "He must be spent, as they say here, malunqueado. What a sermon!" "Superb! Herculean!" was the opinion of the notary. "Magnificent! Profound!" said a newspaper correspondent. In the other booth the children were more noisy than little Filipinos are wont to be, for at table or before strangers they are usually rather too timid than too bold. If one of them did not eat with propriety, his neighbor corrected him. To one a certain article was a spoon; to others a fork or a knife; and as nobody settled their questions, they were in continual uproar. Their fathers and mothers, simple peasants, looked in ravishment to see their children eating on a white cloth, and doing it almost as well as the curate or the alcalde. It was better to them than a banquet.