hypocritical condescension of the canon.

"Why should they not be told?" said Dona Perfecta. "He does not seem
ashamed of his conduct himself. I assure you all that I keep this from
my dear daughter only because, in her nervous condition, a fit of anger
might be dangerous to her."

"Come, it is not so serious as all that, senora," said the Penitentiary.
"I think the matter should not be again referred to, and when the one
who was stoned says that, the rest may surely be satisfied. And the blow
was no joke, Senor Don Jose. I thought they had split my head open and
that my brains were oozing out."

"I am truly sorry for the occurrence!" stammered Pepe Rey. "It gives me
real pain, although I had no part in it--"

"Your visit to those Senoras Troyas will be talked about all over
the town," said the canon. "We are not in Madrid, in that centre of
corruption, of scandal--"

"There you can visit the vilest places without any one knowing it," said
Dona Perfecta.

"Here we are very observant of one another," continued Don Inocencio.
"We take notice of everything our neighbors do, and with such a system
of vigilance public morals are maintained at a proper height. Believe
me, my friend, believe me,--and I do not say this to mortify you,--you
are the first gentleman of your position who, in the light of day--the
first, yes, senor--_Trojoe qui primus ab oris_."