The National tribune., 1899-04-20

vert parted from the knlght at HIS o"ii
| commando"
"To gather him followers for the crusade
meditated against the infidels OF Bar,
bary," said the novice,-"a brave and
pious enterprise, from which the emperor
was quickly diverted by other projects.
This change being proclaimed, there re-
manned nothing for me to do, but, ike
| faithful friend and servant, to return to my
| kinSman. Had | done so, what present
| ai1liction and disturbing memories might
not have been prevented! know, 1ather'
| for | tell thee the truth, that it was my
fortune, or rather my unhapplneSS, ~
discover, at the seaport in which 1 SO
| journed, Moorish maiden, OF so obscure,
and, doubtless, so base a birth, that even
the noble lady who gave her protection,
knew not the condition oi her parents:
| Yet, Notwithstanding this baseness OF
origin, and the great pride OF my own
heart Cfor truly | am come OF the noolest
blood in tn e landl, | was so gained upon
by the beauty and excellent worth OF TINS
maiden tfor l swear to thee, her superior
lives not in the worldl, that forgot even
that she was the daughter OF an luoidlef'
and loved her."
"a Moorish infidel," said the confessor.
at is not possible thou couldst pledge
thy faith to an unbeliever"
.'Holy father" said Don Amador, TINS
sin was at least spared me. The MAIDEN
was a Christian, tenderly nurtured in all
ignorant that the race from which she
drew her blood, knew any other; ana.
father, | thought, until this day, that tne
soul of Leila dwelt among the serapns'
Moreover, if the plighting of troth be SIN,
ful, am again innocent; for before nao
spoken of love, she was Snatched away
from me. A..
"She is dead. then'" demanded the
padre. 49,. ,;,
mournfuIly; "yet l know not the uyinG
creature that wots of her fate. Fatherl
the sin of deserving my kinsman was
first visited to me through her; ana pc
cause | was a sinner, Leila perlshed.-
How, father, cannot tell thee. She van
ished away by night,-carried OIL as
some averred, by certain Moorish eAlieS
who. that night, set sail for. Barbary; or,
AS others dreamed, murdered by. some
villain, and cast into the sea; for the van
she wore was found the day after dasheo
ashore by the surf. But, whether Sne oe
dead, or yet living, again l say, kLLoT
not; though affirm on the cross winch 1
hold i'm nv hand, beheld her this day'
or some fiend in her likeness, under the
similitude of a priestess, or diVlhIty'
know not which, carried on the shoulders
of the infidels, and by them worSh1peut
The Confessor started back IN aia1In'
surveying the excited features ol the penn
tent. and again cast his eyes towards
Don Gabriel. Then, laying his hand on
the head of the cavalier, he sad eehtly'
but warningly: s,,.
thou become like to thy kinsman!
"Ayp' cried the cavalier, claSpne ms
hands, and turning an eye oil shorrol on
the father,-''thou speakest continuation
of mine own fears; for have SAID TO my
self, this is frenzy, and therefore l nave
come, at last, to be like my klnsman;
The thing that l have, seen, is not; and
the reason that made me man, mas heo
from mep a,.
endeayoring to soothe the agitation he
had in paIt caused. 81 desired only to
have thee guard thyself against the
effects of thy fancy which is, at present,
greatly over-excited. l believe that thou
didst indeed see some pagan hlalueh
strongly resembling the Moorish Lella;
"a circumstance greatly aided by the
similnrity OF hue between the two races
"And dost thou think" said the caya-
lier, his indignation rising In spite OF MS
grief, chat the adored and most angeuc
Leila could, in any wise, resemble tne
coarse maids Of this copper-tinted, par
barous peoplef / swear to thee, she was
fairer than the Spanish girls OF Almeria,
and a thousand times more beautfuli
r .In this i will not contend with theer
said the father, benignantiy, wen satis-
fed that anger should take the place oil a
more perilous passion. But | may as.
sure thee that, among the Processes Oh
the royal household, whom, ! think, thou
hast not yet seen, there are many won
drous lovely to look upon; and, to snow
thee that even barbarian may resenDie
a Christian, il is only needful to mention
that when, at our first coming to these
shores, the portrait of Cortez, done by an
Indian painter, was carried to MohteZuna'
he sent to us, by the next messengers
with rich presents, noble OF ms court SO
strongly resembling Don Hernando, both
in figure and visage, that we were aii
filled with amaZement."
"Well, indeed, thou speakest TO me
words OF comfort" said Don Amador,
more composedly, though still very sadly;
"but would to heaven l might look again
on this woman, OF this hend, loi kho"
not if she may not be DEVIL In TRUTH
| thought / beheld a specter, when she
turned her eyes upon me; and, oh, fatheri
YOU may Judge my grief, when thus think-
ing, and beholding her spirit worship
ed by idalaters, l knew she must be oi the
accurSedp'
a have heard of this woman from
others who beheld her," said the father,
"and, doubt not, she is a mortal woman,
esteemed holy, because priestess, ana
therefore received by the people with
those marks OF respect, which thou dldst
mis-, axe for alteration. 1t was reported 10
me, that she was of marvellous great
beauty" ,
"Marvellous, indeed" said the youth.
"But, father, here is another circumstance
that greatly troubled me; and, in good
sooth, it troubles me yet. 1t is known to
thee that my kinsman had, until yeSter-
night, little page,-a Moorish boy, greatly
beloved by us both. AS for myself,
loved him because he was of the race OF
Leila; and protest TO thee, unnatural as
it may seem, / bore not for my young
brother a greater affection than for this
most unlucky urchin. A foolish fellow
charged him to be an enchanter; and
sometimes / bethink me OF the accusa-
tion, and suppose he has given me magi-
cal love-p -potions. Last night he was
snatched away, | cannot say how, but
what is very wonderful, my kinsman and
two OF his people saw, almost at the same
moment, terrific phantom. Father, you
smilel If it were not for my sorrow,
could smile too, and at myself; for greatly
am | changed, since | set foot on this
heather land. A month since, l held a
belief in ghosts and witchcraft to be alb
surd, and even irreligiOus. At this mo-
ment, there is no menial in this palace
more given over TO doubts and fears and
more superstitiOus. Is not this the hfst
breathing of that horrible maladyi"
at is the first perplexity of a scene OF
novelty and excitement. Fatigue doth
itself produce a temporary distraction, as
is very evident when we come to fling our
over-wOrn bodies on our couches, to sleep.
This is the land Of devils, because OF