As soon after breakfast as she knew definitely that her husband
had gone out, she telephoned to General Alfarez, making an
appointment to call on him at eleven.
It was the first time she had ever gone to see him, for she was in
the habit of bringing people to her, but this was no ordinary
occasion, and she knew the crafty old Spaniard would be awaiting
her with eagerness.
Her interview with him was short, however, and when she emerged
from his house she ordered the coachman to drive directly to the
Garavel Bank. This time she stayed longer, closeted with the
proprietor. What she told him threw him into something like a
panic. It seemed that Anibal Alfarez was by no means so well
reconciled to the death of his political hopes as had been
supposed. On the contrary, in spite of all that had been done to
prevent it, he had been working secretly and had perfected the
preliminaries of a coup which he intended to spring at the
eleventh hour. Through Ramon, he had brought about an alliance
with the outgoing Galleo, and intended to make the bitterest
possible fight against Garavel. Such joining of forces meant
serious trouble, and until the banker's position was materially
strengthened it would be most unwise to announce his candidacy as
had been planned.
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