The Social Cancer, by José Rizal - Home
The Social Cancer, by José Rizal - Home
The Social Cancer, by José Rizal - Home
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CHAPTER XXX 146<br />
Ibarra stood in one corner while Maria Clara knelt near the high altar in a space which the curate had had the<br />
courtesy to order the sacristans to clear for her. Capitan Tiago, in a frock coat, sat on one of the benches<br />
provided for the authorities, which caused the children who did not know him to take him for another<br />
gobernadorcillo and to be wary about getting near him.<br />
At last the alcalde with his staff arrived, proceeding from the sacristy and taking their seats in magnificent<br />
chairs placed on strips of carpet. <strong>The</strong> alcalde wore a full-dress uniform and displayed the cordon of Carlos III,<br />
with four or five other decorations. <strong>The</strong> people did not recognize him.<br />
"Abá!" exclaimed a rustic. "A civil-guard dressed as a comedian!"<br />
"Fool!" rejoined a <strong>by</strong>stander, nudging him with his elbow. "It's the Prince Villardo that we saw at the show<br />
last night!"<br />
So the alcalde went up several degrees in the popular estimation <strong>by</strong> becoming an enchanted prince, a<br />
vanquisher of giants.<br />
When the mass began, those who were seated arose and those who had been asleep were awakened <strong>by</strong> the<br />
ringing of the bells and the sonorous voices of the singers. Padre Salvi, in spite of his gravity, wore a look of<br />
deep satisfaction, since there were serving him as deacon and subdeacon none less than two Augustinians.<br />
Each one, as it came his turn, sang well, in a more or less nasal tone and with unintelligible articulation,<br />
except the officiating priest himself, whose voice trembled somewhat, even getting out of tune at times, to the<br />
great wonder of those who knew him. Still he moved about with precision and elegance while he recited the<br />
Dominus vobiscum unctuously, dropping his head a little to the side and gazing toward heaven. Seeing him<br />
receive the smoke from the incense one would have said that Galen was right in averring the passage of<br />
smoke in the nasal canals to the head through a screen of ethmoids, since he straightened himself, threw his<br />
head back, and moved toward the middle of the altar with such pompousness and gravity that Capitan Tiago<br />
found him more majestic than the Chinese comedian of the night before, even though the latter had been<br />
dressed as an emperor, paint-bedaubed, with beribboned sword, stiff beard like a horse's mane, and high-soled<br />
slippers. "Undoubtedly," so his thoughts ran, "a single curate of ours has more majesty than all the emperors."<br />
At length came the expected moment, that of hearing Padre Damaso. <strong>The</strong> three priests seated themselves in<br />
their chairs in an edifying attitude, as the worthy correspondent would say, the alcalde and other persons of<br />
place and position following their example. <strong>The</strong> music ceased.<br />
<strong>The</strong> sudden transition from noise to silence awoke our aged Sister Puté, who was already snoring under cover<br />
of the music. Like Segismundo, [87] or like the cook in the story of the Sleeping Beauty, the first thing that<br />
she did upon awaking was to whack her granddaughter on the neck, as the child had also fallen asleep. <strong>The</strong><br />
latter screamed, but soon consoled herself at the sight of a woman who was beating her breast with contrition<br />
and enthusiasm. All tried to place themselves comfortably, those who had no benches squatting down on the<br />
floor or on their heels.<br />
Padre Damaso passed through the congregation preceded <strong>by</strong> two sacristans and followed <strong>by</strong> another friar<br />
carrying a massive volume. He disappeared as he went up the winding staircase, but his round head soon<br />
reappeared, then his fat neck, followed immediately <strong>by</strong> his body. Coughing slightly, he looked about him with<br />
assurance. He noticed Ibarra and with a special wink gave to understand that he would not overlook that youth<br />
in his prayers. <strong>The</strong>n he turned a look of satisfaction upon Padre Si<strong>by</strong>la and another of disdain upon Padre<br />
Martin, the preacher of the previous day. This inspection concluded, he turned cautiously and said, "Attention,<br />
brother!" to his companion, who opened the massive volume.<br />
But the sermon deserves a separate chapter. A young man who was then learning stenography and who<br />
idolizes great orators, took it down; thanks to this fact, we can here present a selection from the sacred oratory