"Ah!" exclaimed the Governor General. "Permit me, señorita, to express the desire to see you again before I leave town. I still have some very important things to say to you. Señor Alcalde, Your Lordship will accompany me for a walk after the conference which I will hold alone with Señor Ibarra." "Your Excellency will permit us," said Father Salví meekly, "to inform you that Señor Ibarra is excommunicated ..." His Excellency interrupted him saying: "I am glad that I have nothing more to deplore than the condition of Father Dámaso, for whom I sincerely wish a complete recovery, because at his age a voyage to Spain for his health would not be pleasant. But this depends on him ... and in the meantime, may God preserve the health of Your Reverences." They retired one after the other. "We will see who will make the journey first," said a Franciscan. "I am going off now right away!" said Father Sibyla, with indignation. "And we are going back to our provinces, too," said the Augustins. They could not endure that through the fault of a Franciscan His Excellency had received them coldly. In the entrance hall they met Ibarra, their host only a few hours ago. They exchanged no salutations, but their looks were eloquent. The Alcalde, on the contrary, when the friars had disappeared, greeted the young man and extended his hand to him in a familiar way. But the arrival of the adjutant, who was looking for Ibarra, did not give them an opportunity to converse. Ibarra was dressed in deep mourning. He presented himself in a calm manner, and bowed profoundly, despite the fact that the sight of the friars had not seemed a good omen for him. The Governor General advanced a few steps. "It gives me great satisfaction to shake your hand. Grant me your entire confidence." "Señor ... such kindness...!" "Your surprise offends me. It indicates that you did not expect a good reception from me. That is doubting my justice!" "A friendly reception, señor, for an insignificant subject like myself, is not justice, it is a favor." "Well, well!" said His Excellency, sitting down and pointing out a seat for Ibarra. "Let us speak frankly. I am very much pleased with your action and I have already proposed to His Majesty's Government that they grant you an insignia for your philanthropic intention of erecting a school.... If you had asked me, I would have attended the ceremony with a great deal of pleasure and perhaps the unpleasantness would have been avoided." "My idea of erecting a school seems to me so insignificant," replied the young man, "that I did not think it an occasion worthy of taking the attention of Your Excellency from your many duties and cares. Then, too, it was my duty to first address the highest authority of the province." His Excellency made a bow of satisfaction and adopting a still more intimate manner, continued: