an 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-class satisfactions," he thought; "but to live
for a patriotic ideal, to shove Spain forward, and to form with the
flesh of