This was just what Sophia was waiting for. She sprang to her feet, and, turning to the people, "Clan of Capsas!" she cried. "You of the clan!"
In an instant at the clan cry there was a scene of wildest confusion. Old Christos jumped up; Anastasi overturned his chair and stood on the other side of Sophia; Michael raged furiously about in the ecstasy of excitement, and from the crowd that stood round men sprang forward, taking their places in rows behind the Capsina till their ranks stretched half-way down the quay.
Then the Capsina called: "The clan of Capsas is with me?"
And a great shout went up. "It is with you."
She turned to Father Nikolas.
"If you or any other have any quarrel with the clan, name it," she said.
Father Nikolas looked round, but found blank faces only.
"I have no quarrel with the clan," he said, and his voice was the pattern of ill-grace.
"Then," said Sophia, "again I propose Kanaris as a member of this committee."
The appeal to the clan had exactly the effect Sophia intended. It divided the committee up into those for the clan and those against it, and that strong and cheerful phalanx seemed to be terrorizing to waverers. Amid dead silence the votes were given in and counted, and Tombazes announced that Kanaris was elected by sixteen votes to nine.