Citizens of San Diego," he said, "we have the honor of presiding
at a ceremony whose importance you know without explanations. We are
founding a school, and the school is the basis of society, the book
wherein is written the future of each race.

"Citizens of San Diego! Thank God, who has given you these
priests! Thank the Mother Country, who spreads civilization in these
fertile isles and protects them with the covering of her glorious
mantle. Thank God, again, who has enlightened you by his priests from
his divine Word.

"And now that the first stone of this building has been blessed, we,
the alcalde of this province, in the name of His Majesty the King,
whom God guard; in the name of the illustrious Spanish Government,
and under the protection of its spotless and ever-victorious flag,
consecrate this act and begin the building of this school!

"Citizens of San Diego, long live the king! Long live Spain! Long
live the religious orders! Long live the Catholic church!"

"Long live the Senor Alcalde!" replied many voices.

Then the high official descended majestically, to the strains of the
orchestras, put his trowel of cement on the stone, and came back as
majestically as he had gone down.

The Government clerks applauded.

Ibarra offered the trowel to the curate, who descended slowly in his
turn. In the middle of the staircase he raised his eyes to the great
stone suspended above, but he stopped only a second, and continued
the descent. This time the applause was a little warmer, Captain
Tiago and the monks adding theirs to that of the clerks.

The notary followed. He gallantly offered the trowel to Maria Clara,
but she refused, with a smile. The monks, the alferez, and others
descended in turn, Captain Tiago not being forgotten.

Ibarra was left. He had ordered the stone to be lowered when the
curate remembered him.

"You do not put on your trowelful, Senor Ibarra?" said the curate,
with a familiar and jocular air.

"I should be Juan Palomo, who made the soup and then ate it," replied
Crisostomo in the same light tone.

"You go down, of course," said the alcalde, taking him by the arm
in friendly fashion. "If not, I shall order that the stone be kept
suspended, and we shall stay here till the Day of Judgment!"

Such a menace forced Ibarra to obey. He exchanged the silver trowel
for a larger one of iron, as some people noticed, and started out
calmly. Elias gave him an indefinable look; his whole being