e 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."

"Man, man, man!"

"What a lovely idea!"

"What's the matter with you, Don Custodio?"

"That's a grand suggestion!"

"That beats them all!"

"But, gentlemen," cried Don Custodio, in answer to so many
exclamations, "let's be practical--what places are more suitable
than the cockpits? They're large, well constructed, and under a
curse for the use to which they are put during the week-days. From
a moral standpoint my project would be acceptable, by serving as a
kind of expiation and weekly purification of the temple of chance,
as we might say."

"But the fact remains that sometimes there are cockfights during the
week," objected Padre Camorra, "and it wouldn't be right when the
contractors of the cockpits pay the government--" [23]

"Well, on those days close the school!"

"Man, man!" exclaimed the scandalized Captain-General. "Such an outrage
shall never be perpetrated while I govern! To close the schools in
order to gamble! Man, man, I'll resign first!" His Excellency was
really horrified.

"But, General, it's better to close them for a few days than for
months."

"It would be immoral," observed Padre Irene, more indig