"O, yes! Before I forget it: let the scrupulous people know (for some may fear to speak to me) that I am no longer excommunicated. The Archbishop invited me to dine with him." "Pshaw! señor! We don't take any notice of excommunications. We are all excommunicated. Dather Dámaso is himself; however, he goes on, as fat as ever." "How's that?" "I feel sure about it. A year ago he gave the coadjutor a blow with his cane, and the coadjutor is as much a priest as he. Who takes any notice of excommunications, señor?" Ibarra caught sight of Elias among the workmen. He saluted him like the others, but with a look that gave Ibarra to understand that he wanted to speak with him. "Ñor Juan," said Ibarra, "will you bring me a list of the workmen?" Ñor Juan disappeared and Ibarra approached Elias, who was alone, raising a large stone and loading it in a cart. "If you are able, señor, to grant me some hours of conversation, come this afternoon to the shore of the lake and embark in my banca, for I want to talk with you about some serious matters," said Elias. Ibarra gave a nod of assent and went away. Ñor Juan brought the list, but Ibarra read it in vain. The name of Elias was not on it. CHAPTER XXX THE VOICE OF THE PERSECUTED. Before the sun went down, Ibarra put his foot into Elias's banca on the shore of the lake. He seemed displeased about something, as though he had been opposed or contradicted. "Pardon me, señor," said Elias on seeing him. "Pardon me for having ventured to make this appointment with you. I would like to speak with you freely, and here we have no witnesses. We can return within an hour." "You are mistaken, friend Elias," replied Ibarra, trying to smile. "You will have to take me to that town over there, where you see that belfry. Fate obliges me to go there." "Fate?" "Yes; on my way here, I met the alferez. He insisted upon accompanying me. I thought about you, and knew that he would recognize you, and, in order to get rid of him, I told him that I was going to that town. Now I will have to remain there all day to-morrow, for the man whom I am going to see will not look for me till to-morrow afternoon." "I am obliged to you for your thoughtfulness, but you might have simply told him to accompany you," replied Elias with naturalness. "How's that? And what about you?" "He would never have recognized me. The only time that he ever saw me, I don't believe that he thought to take down a description of me." "I am in hard luck!" sighed Ibarra, thinking of Maria Clara. "What have you to say to me?" Elias looked around him. They were far from the shore. The sun had already sunk below the horizon, and, as the twilight in these latitudes is very short, the darkness was falling over the earth, and the disk of the full moon was already shining. "Señor," replied Elias, in a grave voice, "I am the spokesman of many unfortunate people." "Unfortunate people. What do you mean?"