omized loyalty to Sovereign and Pope.

With the inauguration of hostilities no fears were felt by the
Rincon family for the ultimate success of the royalist arms, and
Don Ignacio immediately despatched word to his Sovereign in Madrid
that the wealth and services of his house were at the royal
disposal. Of this offer Ferdinand quickly availed himself. The Rincon
funds were drawn upon immediately and without stint to furnish men
and muniments for the long and disastrous struggle. Of the family
resources there was no lack while its members held their vast
possessions of lands and mines. But when, after the first successes
of the patriots, reprisals began to be visited upon the Tories of
Cartagena, and their possessions fell, one after another, into the
hands of the successful revolutionists, or were seized by former
slaves, Don Ignacio found it difficult to meet his royal master's
demands. The fickle King, already childish to the verge of imbecility,
gave scant thanks in return for the Rincon loyalty, and when at last,
stripped of his fortune, deserted by all but the few Tory families
who had the courage to remain in Cartagena until the close of the
war, Don Ignacio received with sinking heart the news of the battle
of Ayacucho, he knew full well that any future appeal to Ferdinand for
recognition of his great sacrifices would fall upon unhearing ears.

But to remain in republican Cartagena after the final success of the
revolutionists was to the royalist Don Ignacio quite impossible. Even
if permitted the attempt, he was so attached to the ancient order of
things that he could not adjust himself to the radically changed
conditions. So, gathering about him the sorrowing remnant of his
family, and converting into a pitifully small sum his few remaining
possessions, he took passage on an English trader and sailed for the
mother-country, to begin life anew among those whose speech and
customs were most familiar to him.

He settled in Seville, where the elder of his two sons, Rafael de
Rincon, a lad of fifteen, was studying for the priesthood, under the
patronage of the Archbishop. There he established himself in the wine
business, associating with him his second son, Carlos, only a year the
junior of his brother. But, broken in spirit as well as in fortune, he
made little headway, and two years later died pitiably in poverty and
obscurity.

Through the influence of the Archbishop, the business, which Carlos
was far too y