small show-window, full of rattles, Moorish anklets, necklaces, little
crosses, et cetera; a narrow, dark shop, then a long passage, and at the
rear, a workroom with a window on a court.

"As his assistant in the silver-shop, Don Platon has a boy who is a
nonsuch. I believe that if you took him to London and exhibited him,
saying beforehand: 'Bear in mind, gentlemen, that this is not a monkey
or an anthropoid, but a man,' you would rake in a mad amount of pounds
sterling.

"We went into Don Platon's little shop, we asked the young macaco for
him, and we passed on into the workshop.

"Senor Peribanez is a man of medium stature, dressed in black, with a
trimmed white beard, grey eyes, and modest manners. He speaks coldly,
thinks closely of what he is saying; he has a monotonous, slow voice,
and nothing escapes him.

"Don Calixto presented me to him; the silversmith gave me his hand as if
with a certain repugnance, and the boss explained who I was and what I
was after.

"Don Platon said that he could not reply categorically without
consulting with his friends and with Father Martin. The Father has other
candidates; one the Duke of Castro himself; and the other a rich farmer
of the town.

"The Duke of Castro presents no other drawback than that he has been
arrested in Paris for an insignificant swindle he has committed; but
it seems that a rich Cuban wants to get him out of his difficulties on
condition that he will marry his daughter.

"If he comes out of jail and gets married, then they will nominate him
as Deputy from here.

"I said to Don Platon, in case the worthy Duke does not come out of
jail, would he have difficulties over my being his candidate. He replied
that I am very young, and after many circumlocutions he said flatly that
he doesn't know if I would be accepted or not as a candidate by his
followers; but in case I were, the conditions precedent would be: first,
that I would not interfere in any way in the affairs of the district,
which would be ventilated in the town, as previously; secondly, that I
should bear the costs of the election, which would amount approximately
to some ten thousand pesetas.

"Don Calixto looked at me questioningly, and I smiled in a way to make
it understood that I agreed, and after extracting a promise from Don
Platon that he will give us a definite answer this week, we took leave
of him and went to the Casino.

"There I was introduced to the judge, an Andalusian who ha