The friar-journalist, in spite of his respect for the cowled gentry, was always at loggerheads with Padre Camorra, whom he regarded as a silly half-friar, thus giving himself the appearance of being independent and refuting the accusations of those who called him Fray Ibanez.

Padre Camorra liked his adversary, as the latter was the only person who would take seriously what he styled his arguments.

They were discussing magnetism, spiritualism, magic, and the like.

Their words flew through the air like the knives and balls of jugglers, tossed back and forth from one to the other.
That year great attention had been attracted in the Quiapo fair by a head, wrongly called a sphinx, exhibited by Mr.Leeds, an American.

Glaring advertisements covered the walls of the houses, mysterious and funereal, to excite the curiosity of the public.