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fourth through fraud, they, the people of Merry Town, said. People had got it into their heads that he was corrupt practising graft in the government property. Rumor also had it that he was not fair-he was a petty official-who recklessly used and expended the peo-ple's money and who did not render the services as everybody expected him to perform. He was one of those guy officials who thought that office-holding was only a matter of money-making proposition instead of manly shouldering the responsibilities of the dignified office to which he was elected and conscientiously running the ship of state of the province, of which he was, by law, father and governor. So he led, they said, and that is what they said, a truly easy governor's life in an easy way, ay, in the truest sense and meaning of the word-fine, luxurious and care-free and extravagant-his favorites and compadres bringing him gifts and presents every now and then. The story also circulated that before assuming the governorship he was soaked in debts but now he became a money-lender and a wealthy merchant and landowner besides. But the people around in the neighboring districts just com- plained, complained of his many unfulfilled promises to do this and that. But that was a thing of the past. "That was no longer the question at issue. He was already elected. He was, at the time of opening the story, governor-what more? He got and obtained what he wanted.through means fair or foul. Yes, what matters when he was already governor? For how