“For this very reason, because what you propose doing is a suggestion of evil, because it perpetuates once more that system of violence and disorder which is the root of all misery.  Why do you hate the rich, if what they do in sweating the poor is just the same as what you are doing in taking possession of a thing for yourselves—­understand me well—­for yourselves—­and not for all.  The robbery does not scare me, for I do not believe in ownership nor in the sanctity of things, but for this very reason I detest this appropriation to yourselves and I oppose it.  Why do you wish to possess all this?  You say it is to remedy your poverty.  That is not true.  It is to be rich, to enter into the privileged group, to be three individual men of that detested minority which desires to enjoy prosperity by enslaving humanity.  If all the poor of Toledo were now shouting outside the doors of the Cathedral, rebellious and emboldened, I would open the way for them, I would point out those jewels that you covet, and I would say, ’Possess yourselves of those, they are so many drops of sweat and blood wrung from your ancestors; they represent the servile work on the land of the lords, the brutal plundering of the king’s cavaliers, so that magnates and kings may cover with jewels those idols which can open to them the gates of heaven.  These things do not belong to you because you happen to be the most daring; they belong to all, as do all the riches of the earth.  For men to lay their hands on everything existing in the world would be a holy work, the redeeming revolution of the future.  To possess yourselves of some portion of what by moral right is not yours, would only be for you a crime against the laws of the land, for me it would be a crime against the disinherited, the only masters of the existing——­”

“Silence, Gabriel,” said the bell-ringer harshly; “if I let you, you would go on talking till dawn.  I do not understand you, nor do I wish to.  We came to do you a good turn, and you treat us to a sermon.  We wish to see you as rich as ourselves, and you answer us by talking of others, of a lot of people that you don’t know, of that humanity who never gave you a scrap of bread when you wandered like a dog.  I must treat you as I did in our youth when we were campaigning.  I have always loved you and I admire your talents, but we must really treat you like a child.  Come along, Gabriel!  Hold your tongue, and follow us!  We will lead you to happiness!  Forward, companions!” The Tato and the shoemaker stood up, walking towards the railings of the high altar, the Tato seized one of its gates, and half opened it.

“No!” shouted Gabriel with energy.  “Stop!  Mariano, you do not know what you are doing.  You believe your happiness will be accomplished when you have possessed yourselves of those jewels.  But afterwards?  Your families remain here.  Tato, think of your mother.  Mariano, you and the shoemaker have wives—­you have children.”