He then
opened the door, and permitted his followers to enter. They came in
in single file, and ranged themselves silently along the wall. They
were tall, lean men in great circular Spanish cloaks of brown or
bottle-green, defective in the matter of footgear, and with
shapeless greasy hats in their ungloved hands. Their deportment was
as dignified as if they had been the chapter of a religious order,
and every face was turned with an air of contemplative solemnity
toward the countess. With nervous haste she wrote a few lines at the
foot of the document, read it over three or four times and altered a
word here and there; she then folded the paper, returned it to the
envelope, and handed it back to the consul. She sealed it with her
seal and wrote something on it, the seven men then advanced one by
one to the table, and with extreme gravity and precision put their
signatures on the envelope. The casket was then relocked and
resealed, and the company withdrew with a ceremonious bow, not,
however, without leaving behind them such a piercing smell of garlic
that the yellow salon was still full of it next day.
When Pilar found herself alone with Wilhelm, she asked: "I suppose
you would like to know what all this means?"
"Well, yes.
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