Page:Pictures of life in Mexico Vol 1.djvu/266

238 watchword was change—political and universal change. He knew his greatness; he proclaimed his own merits; and evidently felt himself to be the man for the times!

I was proceeding to note the characteristics of the few remaining officials—who, by-the-way, appeared the least remarkable persons of the assembly—when a clock in the apartment struck two. The circumstance seemed neither strange nor important;—but the sound was no sooner heard than every individual of the ayuntamiento—whether sulky; important, shabby, foppish, or injured—let his arguments fall to the ground at once, and hastily retreated into an inner room; so that I saw them no more. The clock had chimed the dinner-hour.