"Of course we should still have to pay some of it to the King as our sovereign."
"Yes, but King Charles is not Spain. What would become of the Consulado of Cadiz if they lost the monopoly of our trade? What would become of the lazy Spanish grandees, who draw their revenues from us and do nothing in return?"
"We are the subjects of King Charles as much as they are; if the King consents to be our sovereign just as he is the sovereign of Spain, and lets us have a Cortes of our own, what can the Consulado of Cadiz or the Spanish nobles do against us?"
"You know as well as I do that all Spaniards, from the King downwards, look upon us as their slaves and consider all that we have as their property. From Don Alfonso you can never have got such ideas as these."
"There is Gordon," said Marcelino, interrupting Evaña. "Don Alejandro!" he added, calling to Lieutenant Gordon, "come here and help me."
Then as Gordon returned to the verandah and resumed his seat, he continued:
"You remember the conversation we had with my grandfather and Don Alfonso that day we were at the quinta?"
"Perfectly," replied Gordon.
"Now tell me again what made your colonies in North America revolt against England?"