CHAPTER XXX
THE VOICE OF THE PERSECUTED.
Before the sun went down, Ibarra put his foot into Elias's banca
on the shore of the lake. He seemed displeased about something,
as though he had been opposed or contradicted.
"Pardon me, señor," said Elias on seeing him. "Pardon me for having
ventured to make this appointment with you. I would like to speak
with you freely, and here we have no witnesses. We can return within
an hour."
"You are mistaken, friend Elias," replied Ibarra, trying to smile. "You
will have to take me to that town over there, where you see that
belfry. Fate obliges me to go there."
"Fate?"
"Yes; on my way here, I met the alferez. He insisted upon accompanying
me. I thought about you, and knew that he would recognize you, and, in
order to get rid of him, I told him that I was going to that town. Now
I will have to remain there all day to-morrow, for the man whom I am
going to see will not look for me till to-morrow afternoon."
"I am obliged to you for your thoughtfulness, but you might have
simply told him to accompany you," replied Elias with naturalness.
"How's that? And what about you?"
"He would never have recognized me. The only time that he ever saw me,
I don't believe that he thought to take down a description of me."
"I am in hard luck!" sighed Ibarra, thinking of Maria Clara. "What
have you to say to me?"
Elias looked around him. They were far from the shore. The sun
had already sunk below the horizon, and, as the twilight in these
latitudes is very short, the darkness was falling over the earth,
and the disk of the full moon was already shining.
"Señor," replied Elias, in a grave voice, "I am the spokesman of many
unfortunate people."
"Unfortunate people. What do you mean?"
In a few words, Elias referred to the conversation which he had had
with the chief of the tulisanes, but omitted saying anything about the
doubts which the chief entertained, or the threats. Ibarra listened
attentively, and, when Elias concluded his story, a long silence
reigned. Ibarra was the first to break the spell.
"So that they desire----?"
"Radical reforms in the armed forces, in the religious matters,
and in the administration of justice. That is to say, they ask for
paternal care on the part of the Government."
"Reforms? In what sense?"
"For example: more respect for human dignity; more security for the
