Don Servando said to him, without looking
at him, and as though he were speaking with the above-mentioned
corner:--

"I received word from the Senor Governor that you were to arrive this
afternoon, and I take it for granted that you will do me the honor of
accepting modest hospitality at my house."

"Provided that you are Senor Bustelo."

"The house that you see yonder, where there is a belvedere, is mine, my
dear sir. Have the goodness to go on ahead, and I will immediately
follow."

Miguel did what he commanded, without understanding the meaning of all
this mystery. Afterwards he had just as little an idea, but it no longer
surprised him.

Don Servando's predominant characteristic, which was manifested in all
his acts, and never failed him, was caution. He never asked directly
more than he already knew; what he was anxious to find out he always
accomplished by means of a long series of circumlocations, and hiding
his design. He never gave a straightforward and prompt answer to
questions, no matter how insignificant or meaningless they were.

After being a few hours in his company Miguel became convinced that it
was idle to try to find out anything about his personality. It was,
above all, on account of this quality that he was greatly admired by all
his friends and feared by his opponents. He talked little, and never
looked a man in the face.

After they had eaten supper, and the guest's luggage had been brought in
with infinite precautions, the two shut themselves into Don Servando's
office, where, in less than an hour, he imbibed six bottles of beer.

"It seems to me that you are fond of beer, Senor Bustelo."

"Psh! so, so.... I prefer wine," he replied, with the gravity and the
Galician accent peculiar to him.

On the following days Miguel had the opportunity of observing that he
scarcely touched wine.

One after another, and as though some desperately dangerous conspiracy
were in progress, the official candidate received the calls of Don
Servando's partisans, who promised great success in the coming election.
Nevertheless Miguel was quick to see that the forces were very evenly
balanced; indeed, so well that while in what we might name the urban
region of Serin, in the brain of the community, the Casina party was
predominant, it was in a large minority in the rural districts. Official
influence was as little at the complete disposition of this party; while
the town authorities[51] of Serin were thei