signs of deep grief, he was going to the archbishop, who was anxious, like
everybody else, to know the cause of the disturbance.

"What's the matter?"

"Maese Perez has just expired."

In fact, when the first of the faithful rushed up the stairway, and
reached the organ-loft, they saw the poor organist fallen face down upon
the keys of his old instrument, which was still vibrating, while his
daughter, kneeling at his feet, was vainly calling to him with tears and
sobs.


III.

"Good-evening, my dear Dona Baltasara. Are you also going to-night to the
Christmas Eve mass? For my part, I was intending to go to the parish
church to hear it, but what has happened--where is Vicente going, do you
ask? Why, where the crowd goes. And I must say, to tell the truth, that
ever since Maese Perez died, it seems as if a marble slab was on my heart
whenever I go to Santa Ines. Poor dear man! He was a saint! I know one
thing--I keep a piece of his cloak as a relic, and he deserves it.
I solemnly believe that if the archbishop would stir in the matter, our
grandchildren would see his image among the saints on the altars. But,
of course, he won't do that. The dead and absent have no friends, as they
say. It's all the latest thing, nowadays; you understand me. What? You do
not know what has happened? Well, it's true you are not exactly in our
situation. From our house to the church, and from the church to our
house--a word here and another one there--on the wing--without any