Lolita placed the wreath on the señora's head. "As thy friends acclaim, so I do. You are pronounced queen of heart-breakers."
What reply the señora made could not be heard for the applause, but she kissed first one hand, then the other, to the señoritas and the caballeros.
Mendoza was standing by his place at the table. He motioned again and again for silence before it was obtained. Finally they listened to him.
"To the ballroom for you youngsters! Come with me."
"Will you stay with us in the ballroom, señor? We want you," laughed a girl.
"I'll start you going in the dance, then return to the table. We elders like to linger a while over our coffee and burnt brandy. But come now, children."
They followed him through the green archway into the ballroom.
When the señor had left the supper room, taking the younger contingent with him, the others had moved toward his end of the table. Barcelo insisted that Moraga should at once accompany him to the card room; whereupon rather reluctantly Moraga left his old friends.
Marcel Hernandez arose to his feet.
"Fellow rancheros, and your ladies," bowing gallantly, "Señor Mendoza, occupied with the young people, is temporarily absent from the room—he is quite a boy, is the señor—and I take occasion to say a word to you. The old government here is worn out, ready to fall to pieces like a used-up carreta. We, the leaders of the people, must find another government—find another; yes, and soon. We have talked it over this evening; in fact, have talked of little else for weeks and months. Let us take action to-night."