“What are you saying?” demanded his surprised auditors.
“Listen,” said Don Filipo. “This morning I ran across old Tasio. He said to me: ‘Your enemies are more opposed to your person than to your ideas. Is there something you don’t want to have go through? Propose it yourself. If it’s as desirable as a mitre, they will reject it. Then let the most modest young fellow among you present what you really want. To humiliate you, your enemies will help to carry it.’ Hush! Keep the secret.”
The gobernadorcillo had come in. Conversation ceased, all took places, and silence reigned.
The captain, as the gobernadorcillo is called, sat down in the chair under the king’s portrait. His look was harried. He coughed, passed his hand over his cranium, coughed again, and at length began in a failing voice:
“Señores, I’ve taken the risk of convening you all—hem, hem!—because we are to celebrate, the twelfth of this month, the feast of our patron, San Diego—hem, hem!”
At this point of his discourse a cough, dry and regular, reduced him to silence.
Then from among the elders arose Captain Basilio:
“Will your honors permit me,” said he, “to speak a word under these interesting circumstances? I speak first, though many of those present have more right than I, but the things I have to say are of such importance that they should neither be left aside nor said last, and for that reason I wish to speak first, to give them the place they merit. Your honors will, then, permit me to speak first in this assembly, where I see very distinguished people, like the señor, the present gobernadorcillo; his predecessor, my distinguished friend, Don Valentine; his other predecessor, Don Julio; our renowned captain of the cuadrilleros, Don Melchior, and so many others, whom, for brevity, I will not mention, and whom you see here present. I entreat your honors to give me the floor before any one else speaks. Am I happy enough to have the assembly accede to my humble request?” And the speaker bowed respectfully, half smiling.
“You may speak, we shall hear you with pleasure!” cried his flattering friends, who held him a great orator. The old men hemmed with satisfaction and rubbed their hands.
Captain Basilio wiped the sweat from his brow and continued: