The Social Cancer, by José Rizal - Home
The Social Cancer, by José Rizal - Home The Social Cancer, by José Rizal - Home
CHAPTER I 30 "King or rook! What difference does that make? For us there is no king other than the legitimate [23]--" "Halt!" shouted the lieutenant in a threatening tone, as if he were commanding his soldiers. "Either you withdraw what you have said or tomorrow I will report it to his Excellency!" "Go ahead--right now--go on!" was the sarcastic rejoinder of Fray Damaso as he approached the officer with clenched fists. "Do you think that because I wear the cloth, I'm afraid? Go now, while I can lend you my carriage!" The dispute was taking a ludicrous turn, but fortunately the Dominican intervened. "Gentlemen," he began in an authoritative tone and with the nasal twang that so well becomes the friars, "you must not confuse things or seek for offenses where there are none. We must distinguish in the words of Fray Damaso those of the man from those of the priest. The latter, as such, per se, can never give offense, because they spring from absolute truth, while in those of the man there is a secondary distinction to be made: those which he utters ab irato, those which he utters ex ore, but not in corde, and those which he does utter in corde. These last are the only ones that can really offend, and only according to whether they preexisted as a motive in mente, or arose solely per accidens in the heat of the discussion, if there really exist--" "But I, by accidens and for my own part, understand his motives, Padre Sibyla," broke in the old soldier, who saw himself about to be entangled in so many distinctions that he feared lest he might still be held to blame. "I understand the motives about which your Reverence is going to make distinctions. During the absence of Padre Damaso from San Diego, his coadjutor buried the body of an extremely worthy individual--yes, sir, extremely worthy, for I had had dealings with him many times and had been entertained in his house. What if he never went to confession, what does that matter? Neither do I go to confession! But to say that he committed suicide is a lie, a slander! A man such as he was, who has a son upon whom he centers his affection and hopes, a man who has faith in God, who recognizes his duties to society, a just and honorable man, does not commit suicide. This much I will say and will refrain from expressing the rest of my thoughts here, so please your Reverence." Then, turning his back on the Franciscan, he went on: "Now then, this priest on his return to the town, after maltreating the poor coadjutor, had the corpse dug up and taken away from the cemetery to be buried I don't know where. The people of San Diego were cowardly enough not to protest, although it is true that few knew of the outrage. The dead man had no relatives there and his only son was in Europe. But his Excellency learned of the affair and as he is an upright man asked for some punishment--and Padre Damaso was transferred to a better town. That's all there is to it. Now your Reverence can make your distinctions." So saying, he withdrew from the group. "I'm sorry that I inadvertently brought up so delicate a subject," said Padre Sibyla sadly. "But, after all, if there has been a gain in the change of towns--" "How is there to be a gain? And what of all the things that are lost in moving, the letters, and the--and everything that is mislaid?" interrupted Fray Damaso, stammering in the vain effort to control his anger. Little by little the party resumed its former tranquillity. Other guests had come in, among them a lame old Spaniard of mild and inoffensive aspect leaning on the arm of an elderly Filipina, who was resplendent in frizzes and paint and a European gown. The group welcomed them heartily, and Doctor De Espadaña and his señora, the Doctora Doña Victorina, took their seats among our acquaintances. Some newspaper reporters and shopkeepers greeted one another and moved about aimlessly without knowing just what to do. "But can you tell me, Señor Laruja, what kind of man our host is?" inquired the rubicund youth. "I haven't been introduced to him yet."
CHAPTER I 31 "They say that he has gone out. I haven't seen him either." "There's no need of introductions here," volunteered Fray Damaso. "Santiago is made of the right stuff." "No, he's not the man who invented gunpowder," [24] added Laruja. "You too, Señor Laruja," exclaimed Doña Victorina in mild reproach, as she fanned herself. "How could the poor man invent gunpowder if, as is said, the Chinese invented it centuries ago?" "The Chinese! Are you crazy?" cried Fray Damaso. "Out with you! A Franciscan, one of my Order, Fray What-do-you-call-him Savalls, [25] invented it in the--ah the seventh century!" "A Franciscan? Well, he must have been a missionary in China, that Padre Savalls," replied the lady, who did not thus easily part from her beliefs. "Schwartz, [26] perhaps you mean, señora," said Fray Sibyla, without looking at her. "I don't know. Fray Damaso said a Franciscan and I was only repeating." "Well, Savalls or Chevas, what does it matter? The difference of a letter doesn't make him a Chinaman," replied the Franciscan in bad humor. "And in the fourteenth century, not the seventh," added the Dominican in a tone of correction, as if to mortify the pride of the other friar. "Well, neither does a century more or less make him a Dominican." "Don't get angry, your Reverence," admonished Padre Sibyla, smiling. "So much the better that he did invent it so as to save his brethren the trouble." "And did you say, Padre Sibyla, that it was in the fourteenth century?" asked Doña Victorina with great interest. "Was that before or after Christ?" Fortunately for the individual questioned, two persons entered the room.
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- Page 25 and 26: CHAPTER I 25 CHAPTER I A Social Gat
- Page 27 and 28: CHAPTER I 27 Quite in contrast, the
- Page 29: CHAPTER I 29 "No, sir, I've come at
- Page 33 and 34: CHAPTER II 33 started toward them i
- Page 35 and 36: CHAPTER III 35 But all the seats we
- Page 37 and 38: CHAPTER III 37 That night the rubic
- Page 39 and 40: CHAPTER IV 39 "I must believe that
- Page 41 and 42: CHAPTER IV 41 each other and even p
- Page 43 and 44: CHAPTER VI 43 CHAPTER VI Capitan Ti
- Page 45 and 46: CHAPTER VI 45 weeping piously, when
- Page 47 and 48: CHAPTER VI 47 pretty young woman of
- Page 49 and 50: CHAPTER VII 49 CHAPTER VII An Idyl
- Page 51 and 52: CHAPTER VII 51 "Could I forget you?
- Page 53 and 54: CHAPTER VII 53 the day for commemor
- Page 55 and 56: CHAPTER VIII 55 He met many carriag
- Page 57 and 58: CHAPTER IX 57 CHAPTER IX Local Affa
- Page 59 and 60: CHAPTER IX 59 For example, this unr
- Page 61 and 62: CHAPTER X 61 A few months after the
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- Page 65 and 66: CHAPTER XII 65 CHAPTER XII All Sain
- Page 67 and 68: CHAPTER XII 67 The gleam of the sil
- Page 69 and 70: CHAPTER XIII 69 "Because the fat cu
- Page 71 and 72: CHAPTER XIV 71 CHAPTER XIV Tasio: L
- Page 73 and 74: CHAPTER XIV 73 "Doesn't such a misf
- Page 75 and 76: CHAPTER XIV 75 purgatorial decree b
- Page 77 and 78: CHAPTER XV 77 "A hundred and sixty.
- Page 79 and 80: CHAPTER XVI 79 CHAPTER XVI Sisa Thr
CHAPTER I 31<br />
"<strong>The</strong>y say that he has gone out. I haven't seen him either."<br />
"<strong>The</strong>re's no need of introductions here," volunteered Fray Damaso. "Santiago is made of the right stuff."<br />
"No, he's not the man who invented gunpowder," [24] added Laruja.<br />
"You too, Señor Laruja," exclaimed Doña Victorina in mild reproach, as she fanned herself. "How could the<br />
poor man invent gunpowder if, as is said, the Chinese invented it centuries ago?"<br />
"<strong>The</strong> Chinese! Are you crazy?" cried Fray Damaso. "Out with you! A Franciscan, one of my Order, Fray<br />
What-do-you-call-him Savalls, [25] invented it in the--ah the seventh century!"<br />
"A Franciscan? Well, he must have been a missionary in China, that Padre Savalls," replied the lady, who did<br />
not thus easily part from her beliefs.<br />
"Schwartz, [26] perhaps you mean, señora," said Fray Si<strong>by</strong>la, without looking at her.<br />
"I don't know. Fray Damaso said a Franciscan and I was only repeating."<br />
"Well, Savalls or Chevas, what does it matter? <strong>The</strong> difference of a letter doesn't make him a Chinaman,"<br />
replied the Franciscan in bad humor.<br />
"And in the fourteenth century, not the seventh," added the Dominican in a tone of correction, as if to mortify<br />
the pride of the other friar.<br />
"Well, neither does a century more or less make him a Dominican."<br />
"Don't get angry, your Reverence," admonished Padre Si<strong>by</strong>la, smiling. "So much the better that he did invent<br />
it so as to save his brethren the trouble."<br />
"And did you say, Padre Si<strong>by</strong>la, that it was in the fourteenth century?" asked Doña Victorina with great<br />
interest. "Was that before or after Christ?"<br />
Fortunately for the individual questioned, two persons entered the room.
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