Page:The Social Cancer.djvu/73

 "What do you mean?" again inquired the frowning lieutenant, half rising from his chair.

"What do I mean?" repeated Fray Damaso, raising his voice and facing the lieutenant. "I'll tell you what I mean. I, yes I, mean to say that when a priest throws out of his cemetery the corpse of a heretic, no one, not even the King himself, has any right to interfere and much less to impose any punishment! But a little General—a little General Calamity—"

"Padre, his Excellency is the Vice-Regal Patron!" shouted the soldier, rising to his feet.

"Excellency! Vice-Regal Patron! What of that!" retorted the Franciscan, also rising. "In other times he would have been dragged down a staircase as the religious orders once did with the impious Governor Bustamente. Those were indeed the days of faith."

"I warn you that I can't permit this! His Excellency represents his Majesty the King!"

"King or rook! What difference does that make? For us there is no king other than the legitimate—"

"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