ve done had I been in your place...."

And quickly turning the conversation, he asked: "You have told me
that you come from Europe; were you in Madrid?"

"Yes, senor; for some months."

"You have perhaps heard of my family?"

"Your Excellency had just left when I had the honor to be presented
to it."

"And why, then, did you come here without bringing some letter of
introduction?"

"Senor," replied Ibarra bowing, "because I do not come directly from
Spain, and because, having heard of Your Excellency's character,
I thought that a letter of introduction would not only be useless,
but even offensive. All Filipinos are recommended to you."

A smile appeared on the lips of the old officer and he replied slowly,
as if weighing and measuring his words:

"It flatters me to learn that you think so ... and ... so it ought to
be. However, young man, you ought to know what loads we bear upon our
shoulders here in the Philippines. Here, we, old army officers, have to
do and be everything: King, Secretary of State, of War, of Agriculture,
of Internal Affairs and of Justice. The worst part of it is the fact
that in regard to everything we have to consult our distant Mother
Country, which approves or rejects our propositions, according to
circumstances, sometimes blindly. And you know how we Spaniards say:
'Grasp much, get little.' Then, too, we come here ignorant of the
country and we leave it as soon as we begin to know it. With you I can
be frank, for it would be useless to appear otherwise. In Spain, where
each branch of the Government has its own Minister, born and brought
up in the country, where they have the press and public opinion, the
opposition is open and before the eyes of the Government, and shows
up its faults; yet, even there, all is imperfect and defective. And
when you consider the conditions here, it is a wonder that all is
not upset, with all those advantages lacking, and with the opposition
working in the dark. Good intentions and wishes are not wanting in us
governing officials, but we find ourselves obliged to make use of eyes
and arms which frequently we do not know, and which, perhaps, instead
of serving the country, serve only their own interests. That is not
our fault; it is the fault of circumstances. You arouse my interest
and I do not want our present system of government to prejudice you
in any way. I cannot watch everything, nor can I attend to all. Can
I be useful to you in any way? Have you