“Run, at once, to the barracks; ask for Lieutenant Pérez, and urge him, from me, to come here immediately.” Pauline departed, encountered Antón, and gave the message; the lieutenant shrugged his shoulders and replied, with evident dislike: “I will come presently: I am busy, now.” No more than five minutes had elapsed, when the servant returned with new and more urgent summons to Antón, who displayed no more interest than before, responding abruptly: “I will come.” Doña Socorro was dying with impatience; the moments seemed like hours to her and she paced restlessly to and from the door anxious for Antón’s coming; but, he came not. Tired of waiting, she resolutely entered her room, threw a _rebozo_ over her shoulders, and went directly to the door of the barracks. Without her having to announce herself, a soldier ran to give notice to the lieutenant of the presence of the lady; this time, unable to escape, he advanced to the encounter. Doña Socorro, plainly desirous of losing no time, threw aside her natural pride, and without a word of reproach to Antón, said, with affected surprise: “But, what are you doing! child? Now is your time.” “I do not understand, madam.” “Then you are not in this world. If you let this chance escape, farewell to your hopes.” “But, I do not understand, madam.” “Ah! come now! then you no longer think of Rosalba----” “As God is my witness, madam; with greater desperation, now, than ever.” “Then, today is when you ought not to despair; today your hopes are realized. Your fate is in your own hands.” “In my hands?” exclaimed the astonished youth. “In your own hands, boy; Rosalba will be yours.” “Where is she?” he asked yet more surprised. “Here in your barracks.” Antón believed Doña Socorro was trifling with him, but she, without giving time for further surprises, hastened to explain herself. “You know that our party, the Imperialist, is composed of the best people of the country. If you join it, you will come into contact with the most elevated classes. Rosalba does not respond to your love for sheer pride, not because she is not interested in you, not because she does not love you--it is _I_, who tell this to you,--when she sees that you are not the insignificant ‘_pardo_’ of the village but a personage of consequence, or even of importance, she will herself make the advances and will surrender herself to you. I tell you true. Come--now or never! Place yourself in the first line, become the chief authority in the town, and who knows what more.--Your happiness depends upon yourself; it is in your own hands. Enter your barracks, ‘pronounce’ yourself and your soldiers for the Empire, and that the blow may be decisive, that you may at a single bound reach the greatest height, go and seize the two Méndez brothers, who are breakfasting at the house of Sánchez, make them prisoners, and you will gain the full favor and protection of General Arévolo. Go! do not hesitate.”