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As they passed the Castel Sant' Angelo, Caesar began to tell the story of Theodora and her daughter Marozia, the two women who lived there and who, for forty odd years, changed the Popes as one changes cooks. "You know the history of those women?" asked Caesar. "I don't," said the Canon. "Nor I," added Don Calixto. "Then I will tell it to you before we get to Saint Peter's.
At the head of the table sat the fierce old white-haired man, staring at us out of his sunken eyes as we entered. Half rising from his seat, he mentioned to me to take a chair near him, then, addressing Don Hilario, who sat opposite, he said, "This is my son Calixto, just returned from the wars, where, as you know, he has greatly distinguished himself." Don Hilario rose and bowed gravely.
"Yes, why not?" "Then, not another word, we will say no more about it. When the time comes, you will write to me and say: 'Don Calixto, the moment has arrived for you to remember your promise: I want to be a Deputy." "Very good. I will do it, and you shall present me as candidate for Castro... Castro... what?" "Castro Duro." "You will see me there then." "All right. And now, another favour.
This he did to make friends of the reigning party, when the Blancos had lost everything. Now he wishes to marry Dona Demetria to make himself owner of the land. Don Calixto is dead, and who is there to bell the cat? Even now he acts like the only owner; he buys and sells and the money is his.
Nevertheless, Caesar insisted that the crisis was imminent, and that it was the precise moment for him to enter politics. With this object he was taking a letter from Alarcos, the leader of the Conservatives, to Don Calixto Garcia Guerrero. "Your Don Calixto will be at San Sebastian or at some water-cure," said Alzugaray, taking his seat in the train. "It's all the same to me.
Don Calixto was killed and the Colonel lost his reason, then Don Hilario made himself all-powerful, doing what he liked with his master, and setting Dona Demetria's authority aside. Did he protect the interests of the estancia? On the contrary, he was one with our enemies, and when they came like dogs for our cattle and horses he was behind them.
In front of the Colosseum, his first exclamation was: "What a lot of stone!" Then recalling his role of orator, he exclaimed: "The spirits are certainly daunted and the mind darkened on thinking how men could have sunk to such abysses of evil." "Don Calixto is referring to those holes," thought Caesar, looking at the cellars of the Circo Romano.
"Do I not know what I am talking about, young sir? They are dead, I tell you dead as the past, dead as Oriental independence and honour. Did I not ride into the fight at Gil de los Medanos with the last of the Peraltas, Calixto, when he received his baptism of blood?
The moment for saying good-bye to Amparito and her father, it seemed to him, would be a difficult moment. Nevertheless, everything went off smoothly. The father offered his hand, without grudge. Amparito blushed a little and said: "We shall see each other again, Moncada?" "Yes, I'm sure of it," replied Caesar; and the two friends and Don Calixto took the carriage for the station.
Then they went along, looking at the tombs of the Popes. Caesar was several times mistaken in his explanations, but his friends did not notice his mistakes. The thing that surprised the Canon most was the tomb of Alexander VII, because there is a skeleton on it. Don Calixto stopped with most curiosity before the tomb of Paul III, on which one sees two nude women.
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