cha lightly.



XXIII

Life was very gay for a fortnight. An hour after
the Commandante's surrender he had despatched
invitations to all the young folk of the gente de
razon of Monterey, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles,
and San Diego, and to such of the older as would
brave the long journeys. The Monterenos had
arrived for the Mission entertainment, and during
the next few days the rest poured over the hills:
De la Guerras, Xime'nos, Estudillos, Carrillos,
Este'negas, Morenos, Cotas, Estradas, Picos,
Pachecos, Lugos, Orte'gas, Alvarados, Bandinis,
Peraltas, members of the Luis, Rodriguez, Lopez
families, all of gentle blood, that made up the
society of Old California; as gay, arcadian, irre-
sponsible, yet moral a society as ever fluttered over
this planet. Every house in the Presidio and val-
ley, every spare room at the Mission, opened to
them with the exuberant hospitality of the country.
The caballeros had their finest wardrobes of col-
lored silks and embroidered botas, sombreros laden
with silver, fine lawn and lace, jewel and sash, vel-
vet serape for the chill of the late afternoon. The
matrons brought their stiff robes of red and yellow
satin, the girls as many flowered silks and lawns,