“But I haven’t anything to do with that,” muttered his Excellency.  “He should address the head secretary, [22] the governor of the province, or the nuncio.”

“I want to tell you,” declared Padre Camorra, “that this little schoolmaster is a discontented filibuster.  Just imagine—­the heretic teaches that corpses rot just the same, whether buried with great pomp or without any!  Some day I’m going to punch him!” Here he doubled up his fists.

“To tell the truth,” observed Padre Sibyla, as if speaking only to Padre Irene, “he who wishes to teach, teaches everywhere, in the open air.  Socrates taught in the public streets, Plato in the gardens of the Academy, even Christ among the mountains and lakes.”

“I’ve heard several complaints against this schoolmaster,” said his Excellency, exchanging a glance with Simoun.  “I think the best thing would be to suspend him.”

“Suspended!” repeated the secretary.

The luck of that unfortunate, who had asked for help and received his dismissal, pained the high official and he tried to do something for him.

“It’s certain,” he insinuated rather timidly, “that education is not at all well provided for—­”

“I’ve already decreed large sums for the purchase of supplies,” exclaimed his Excellency haughtily, as if to say, “I’ve done more than I ought to have done.”

“But since suitable locations are lacking, the supplies purchased get ruined.”

“Everything can’t be done at once,” said his Excellency dryly.  “The schoolmasters here are doing wrong in asking for buildings when those in Spain starve to death.  It’s great presumption to be better off here than in the mother country itself!”

“Filibusterism—­”

“Before everything the fatherland!  Before everything else we are Spaniards!” added Ben-Zayb, his eyes glowing with patriotism, but he blushed somewhat when he noticed that he was speaking alone.

“In the future,” decided the General, “all who complain will be suspended.”

“If my project were accepted—­” Don Custodio ventured to remark, as if talking to himself.

“For the construction of schoolhouses?”

“It’s simple, practical, economical, and, like all my projects, derived from long experience and knowledge of the country.  The towns would have schools without costing the government a cuarto.”

“That’s easy,” observed the secretary sarcastically.  “Compel the towns to construct them at their own expense,” whereupon all laughed.

“No, sir!  No, sir!” cried the exasperated Don Custodio, turning very red.  “The buildings are already constructed and only wait to be utilized.  Hygienic, unsurpassable, spacious—­”

The friars looked at one another uneasily.  Would Don Custodio propose that the churches and conventos be converted into schoolhouses?

“Let’s hear it,” said the General with a frown.

“Well, General, it’s very simple,” replied Don Custodio, drawing himself up and assuming his hollow voice of ceremony.  “The schools are open only on week-days and the cockpits on holidays.  Then convert these into schoolhouses, at least during the week.”