besides, Ramon's mother clung tenaciously to the
traditional Mexican ways, and she would not have tolerated any breach of
them. At this moment she and her two daughters were likewise lying in
their rooms, clad in new black silk and surrounded by other sorrowing
females.

It was so still in the room that Ramon could hear the buzz of a fly in the
vicinity of the solitary sunbeam, but from other parts of the house came
occasional human sounds. One of these was an intermittent howling and
wailing from the _placita_. This he knew was the work of two old Mexican
women who made their livings by acting as professional mourners. They did
not wait for an invitation but hung about like buzzards wherever there was
a Mexican corpse. Seated on the ground with their black shawls pulled over
their heads, they wailed with astonishing endurance until the coffin was
carried from the house, when they were sure of receiving a substantial
gift from the grateful relatives. Ramon resolved that he would give them
ten dollars each. He felt sure they had never gotten so much. He was
determined to do handsomely in all things connected with the funeral.

He could also hear faintly a rattle of wagons, foot steps and low human
voices coming from the front of the house. A peep had shown him that
already a line of wagons, carriages and buggies half a block long had
formed in the street, and he could hear the arrival of another one every
few minutes. These vehicles brought the numerous and poor relations of Don
Delcasar who lived in the country. All of them would be there by night.
Each one of them would come into Ramon's room and sit by his bedside and
take his hand and express sympathy. Some of them would weep and some would
groan, although all of them, like himself, were profoundly glad that the
Don was dead. Ramon hoped that they would make their expressions brief.
And later, he knew, all would gather in the room where the casket rested
on two chairs. They would sit in a silent solemn circle about the room,
drinking coffee and wine all night. And he would be among them, trying
with all his might to look properly sad and to keep his eyes open.

All the time that he lay there in enforced idleness he was longing for
action, his imagination straining forward. At last his chance had come--his
chance to have her. And he would have her. He felt sure of it. He was now
a rich man. As soon as the will had been read and he had come into his
own, he would buy