akaraig, the young man at the head
of the movement. This student occupied in that house, by himself, two
rooms, luxuriously furnished, and had his servant and a cochero to look
after his carriage and horses. He was of robust carriage, of refined
manners, fastidiously dressed, and very rich. Although studying law
only that he might have an academic degree, he enjoyed a reputation for
diligence, and as a logician in the scholastic way had no cause to envy
the most frenzied quibblers of the University faculty. Nevertheless
he was not very far behind in regard to modern ideas and progress,
for his fortune enabled him to have all the books and magazines that a
watchful censor was unable to keep out. With these qualifications and
his reputation for courage, his fortunate associations in his earlier
years, and his refined and delicate courtesy, it was not strange that
he should exercise such great influence over his associates and that
he should have been chosen to carry out such a difficult undertaking
as that of the instruction in Castilian.

After the first outburst of enthusiasm, which in youth always takes
hold in such exaggerated forms, since youth finds everything beautiful,
they wanted to be informed how the affair had been managed.

"I saw Padre Irene this morning," said Makaraig with a certain air
of mystery.

"Hurrah for Padre Irene!" cried an enthusiastic student.

"Padre Irene," continued Makaraig, "has told me about everything that
took place at Los Banos. It seems that they disputed for at least
a week, he supporting and defending our case against all of them,
against Padre Sibyla, Padre Fernandez, Padre Salvi, the General,
the jeweler Simoun--"

"The jeweler Simoun!" interrupted one of his listeners. "What has that
Jew to do with the affairs of our country? We enrich him by buying--"

"Keep quiet!" admonished another impatiently, anxious to learn how
Padre Irene had been able to overcome such formidable opponents.

"There were even high officials who were opposed to our project,
the Head Secretary, the Civil Governor, Quiroga the Chinaman--"

"Quiroga the Chinaman! The pimp of the--"

"Shut up!"

"At last," resumed Makaraig, "they were going to pigeonhole the
petition and let it sleep for months and months, when Padre Irene
remembered the Superior Commission of Primary Instruction and proposed,
since the matter concerned the teaching of the Castilian tongue,
that the petition be referred to that bod