get ruined."

"Everything can't be done at once," said his Excellency dryly. "The
schoolmasters here are doing wrong in asking for buildings when those
in Spain starve to death. It's great presumption to be better off
here than in the mother country itself!"

"Filibusterism--"

"Before everything the fatherland! Before everything else we are
Spaniards!" added Ben-Zayb, his eyes glowing with patriotism, but he
blushed somewhat when he noticed that he was speaking alone.

"In the future," decided the General, "all who complain will be
suspended."

"If my project were accepted--" Don Custodio ventured to remark,
as if talking to himself.

"For the construction of schoolhouses?"

"It's simple, practical, economical, and, like all my projects,
derived from long experience and knowledge of the country. The towns
would have schools without costing the government a cuarto."

"That's easy," observed the secretary sarcastically. "Compel the
towns to construct them at their own expense," whereupon all laughed.

"No, sir! No, sir!" cried the exasperated Don Custodio, turning
very red. "The buildings are already constructed and only wait to be