s free, he is going to turn the town upside down and ruin
all our work. I am lost."

_FLIGHT_

Caesar confided to his wife that he was daunted; his lack of courage was
a nightmare to him.

Amparito said that they ought to take a long trip. Laura had invited
them to come to Italy. It was the best thing they could do.

Caesar accepted her solution, and, as a matter of fact, they went to
Madrid and from there to Italy.

The Workmen's Club telegraphed to Caesar when the time for the trial
came, and Amparito answered the telegram from Florence, saying that her
husband was ill.

Never had Caesar felt so agitated as then. He bought the Spanish
newspapers, and expected to find in some one of them the words: "Senor
Moncada is a coward," or "Senor Moncada is a sorry creature and a
traitor."

When they knew that judgment had been pronounced and Juan condemned to
eight years in the penitentiary, they returned to Madrid.

Caesar felt humiliated and ashamed; he did not dare show himself in
Castro. The congratulations that some people sent him on the restoration
of his health made his cheeks hot with shame in the solitude of his
office.

The editor of a newspaper in the Capital of the Province came to call on
Caesar, who was so dispirited that he confided to his visitor that he
was ready to retire from politics. Two days later Caesar saw a big
headline on the first page of the Conservative newspaper of the Capital,
which said: "Moncada is about to retire."

Amparito applauded her husband's decision, and Caesar made melancholy
plans for the future, founded on the renunciation of all struggle.

A few days later Caesar received a letter from Castro Duro which made
him quiver. It was signed by Dr. Ortigosa, by San Roman, Camacho, the
apothecary, and the leading members of the Workmen's Club. The letter
was in the doctor's handwriting. It read thus:

"Dear Sir: We have read in the newspaper from the Capital the
announcement that you are thinking of retiring from politics. We believe
this announcement is not true. We cannot think that you, the champion of
liberty in Castro Duro, would abandon so noble a cause, and leave the
town exposed to the intrigues and the evil tricks of the Clericals.
There is no question in this of whether it would suit you better to
retire from politics, or not. That is of no importance. There is a
question of what would suit our country and Liberty better.

"If because of the seductions of an eas