and consent of all--and were never broken. "Except," he added, still
more engagingly, "she would remember, in her case--with their consent."

"And your caballeros break not the rules?"

"No."

"Then they shall not break the rules of me--at MY TIENDA! Look! I have
made the rule that I shall not have a caballero drunk at my house; I
have made the rule that I shall not sell him the aguardiente when he
have too mooch. I have made the rule that when he gamble too mooch, when
he put up too mooch money, I say 'No!' I will not that he shall! I make
one more rule: that he shall not quarrel nor fight in my house. When he
quarrel and fight, I say 'Go! Vamos! Get out!'"

"And very good rules they are too, Miss Mendez."

Jovita fixed her shining black eyes on the smiling Parks. "And when he
say, 'No, nevarre, damn the rules!' When he come drunk, remain drunk,
play high and fight, YOU will not poonish him? YOU will not take him
out?"

"Well, you see, the fact is, I have not the power."

"Are you not the Alcalde?"

"No. There is a Justice of the Peace at Fiddletown, but even he could
do nothing to enforce your rules. But if anything should happen, you can
make a complaint to him."