In the morning Cæsar went to the dressing-room, and a short while later
came back clean and dressed up as if he were at a ball.
“How spruce you are!” Alzugaray said to him.
“Yes, that’s because they will come to receive me at the station.”
“Honestly?”
“Yes.”
“Ha... ha... ha...!” laughed Alzugaray.
“What are you laughing at?” asked Cæsar, smiling.
“At your having arranged a reception and brought me along for a
witness.”
“No, man, no,” said Cæsar; “I have arranged nothing. The workmen of the
Club will come down out of gratitude.”
“Ah, that’s it! Then there will be only a few.”
At this juncture the car door opened and a man in the dirty clothes of a
mechanic appeared.
“Don Cæsar Moncada?” he inquired.
“What is it?” said Cæsar.
“I belong to the Castro Workmen’s Club and I have come to welcome you
ahead of anybody else,” and he held out his hand. “Greetings!”
“Greetings! Regards to the comrades,” said Cæsar, shaking his hand.
“Damn it, what enthusiasm!” murmured Alzugaray.
The employee disappeared. On arriving at the station, Alzugaray looked
out the window and saw with astonishment that the platform was full of
people.
As the car entered the covered area of the station, noisy applause broke
out. Cæsar opened the door and took off his hat courteously.
“Hurrah for Moncada! Hurrah for the Deputy from Castro! Hurrah for
liberty!” they heard the shouts.
Cæsar got out of the car, followed by Alzugaray, and found himself
surrounded by a lot of people. There were some workmen and peasants, but
the majority were comfortable citizens.
They all crowded around to grasp his hand.
Surrounded by this multitude, they left the station. There Cæsar took
leave of all his acquaintances and got into a carriage with Alzugaray,
while hurrahs and applauses resounded.
“Eh? What did you think of the reception?” asked Cæsar.
“Magnificent, my boy!”
“You can’t say I behaved like a demagogue.”
“On the contrary, you were too distant.”
“They know I am like that and it doesn’t astonish them.”
Cæsar had a rented house in Castro and the two friends went to it.
All morning and part of the afternoon committees kept coming from the
villages, who wanted to talk with Cæsar and consult him about the
affairs of their respective municipalities.