"I have laughed at it, of course."
"Yes," said he, with his face in a frown. "But the rumour grows. I
doubt if laughter is enough"; and then he banged his fist violently
upon the table and cried: "I suppose Santiago Calavera is at the
bottom of it!"
Santiago had become something of an obsession to the President. I
think he excused to himself his brutality towards Olivia by imagining
everywhere Don Santiago's machinations. As a fact, the rumour was
spontaneous in Santa Paula. It was generally suspected that the
President had annexed the war indemnity and any other portions of the
revenue which he could without too open a scandal. He was a bachelor.
The whole of Santa Paula put itself in his place. What else should he
do but retire secretly and expeditiously to some country where he
could enjoy the fruits of his industry in peace and security? Calavera
had nothing whatever to do with the story. But I did not contradict
Ballester, and he continued:
"It is said that I have taken my passage in the _Ariadne_."