Part 60 (1/2)

”Nothing.”

Caesar gave precise instructions to the landlord of the cafe, and on bidding Uncle Chinaman good-bye, he told him:

”I know already that you are really on my side.”

”You believe so?”

”Yes.” On Sunday the elections began with absolute inanimation. In the city the Republicans were getting the majority, especially in the suburbs. Padilla was far behind. Nevertheless, it was said at the Casino that it was possible Padilla would finally win the election, because he might have an overwhelming majority in five or six rural wards.

At four in the afternoon the results in the city gave the victory to Moncada. Next to him came San Roman, and in the last place Padilla.

The returns began to come in from the villages. In all of them the results were similar. It was found that the official element voted for the Government candidate, and those who had been attached to the preceding town-council for the Liberal.

At eight in the evening the returns arrived from the first village where Padilla expected a victory. The messenger, surrounded by four men from Cidones, was in a terrified condition. He handed over the returns and left. The result was the same as in all the other rural districts.

In one village alone, the presiding officer had been able to evade the vigilance of the guards sent by Caesar and Uncle Chinaman, and change the number of votes in the returns; but despite this, the election was won for Caesar.

The next day the exact result of the election was known. It stood:

Moncada, 3705. Garcia Padilla, 1823. San Roman, 750.

When it was known that Caesar had played a trick on his enemies under their noses, he came into great estimation.

The judge said:

”I believe you were all deceived. You supposed Don Caesar to be a sucking dove, and he is going to turn out to be a vulture for us.”

Caesar listened to felicitations and accepted congratulations smiling, and some days later returned to Madrid.

IX. CaeSAR AS DEPUTY

TRIPPING THEM UP

People who didn't know Caesar intimately used to ask one another: ”What purpose could Moncada have had in getting elected Deputy? He never speaks, he takes no part in the big debates.”

His name appeared from time to time on some committee about Treasury affairs; but that was all.

His life was completely veiled; he was not seen at first nights, or in salons, or on the promenade; he was a man apparently forgotten, lost to Madrid life. Sometimes on coming out of the Chamber he would see Amparito in an automobile; she would look for him with her eyes, and smile; he would take his hat off ostentatiously, with a low bow.

Among a very small number of persons Caesar had the reputation of an intelligent and dangerous man. They suspected him of great personal ambition. It would not have been logical to think that this cold unexpansive man was, in his heart, a patriot who felt Spain's decadence deeply and was seeking the means to revive her.

”No pleasures, no middle-cla.s.s satisfactions,” he thought; ”but to live for a patriotic ideal, to shove Spain forward, and to form with the flesh of one's native land a great statue which should be her historic monument.”

That was his plan. In Congress Caesar kept silence; but he talked in the corridors, and his ironic, cold, dispa.s.sionate comments began to be quoted.

He had formed relations with the Minister of the Treasury, a man who pa.s.sed for famous and was a mediocrity, pa.s.sed for honourable and was a rogue. Caesar was much in his company.

The famous financier realized that Moncada knew far more than he did about monetary questions, and among his friends he admitted it; but he gave them to understand that Caesar was only a theorist, incapable of quick decision and action.