Carried Off

of most of the European nations, where Spaniards, French, English, and Dutch all hoped to make their fortunes in some way or other, and where, alas! the idle and good

, the original forests rise up like giants of nature whom no hand of man has laid low. In these forests are endless varieties of birds--parrots, pigeons, and hummingbirds of every colour. Here, too, can be found land-crabs which much resemble sea-crabs in shape and manner of walking; but instead of finding a home under rocks and boulders, these crabs burrow in the forests, and o

anta Teresa, you will find a steep path through the luxurious forest, leading over a drawbridge to the castle. What a view can be seen from thence over the port! But it was not the view

oking fellow a year older, with the long, grave-looking countenance of the Spanish nobility. He was dressed, after the fashion of that time, in embroidered doublet, short velvet

feet hardly appeared; a small stomacher sewn with seed pearls set off her lithe f

give orders about the repair of the bridge between the two islands. Do you think he is

if he suspected me; though of what I cannot imagine. And then--have you noticed?--he cannot make up his mind to anything; he orders something one day, and the next he has altered his mind. He promised

rage. These two children had been early left motherless; but old Catalina, a faithful servant, had done all she could to make their l

have made the change. But never mind, Carlo, this mood will pass by, and we shall be happy again. When our brave uncle, Don Alvarez, comes with d

ason of this was soon apparent, for at this moment a pretty, fair girl was seen running towards them with nimble feet down the

and the merchant has just come to offer us some beautiful cloth, and s

bs. To him she appeared like some angel, for he was accustomed to seeing only dark people, and t

e of command which showed she was accustomed to be first, even though her gentle manner

shwoman, I will buy you a pair; for, with the dislike to long petticoats that comes f

ow good you are to me!' All at once, however, the smile died away, and, sitting

pt your buckles: a prisoner has

y that? Do we not love you dearly? Am I not a sister to you? and Carlo a dear brother? D

Carlo, standing behind Etta and taking one of the fair curls in his h

d that I am really a prisoner. I once asked Don Estevan to send me back to England by one of the b

d in the garden, and Etta, being afraid to be seen crying, dried her tears and stooped down to play with Felipa's lit

onsequence his whole nature seemed to be changed. From a determined, clever administrator he had become peevish, undec

he took occasion to find fault with a slave who was watering the flower-beds. The sla

doffing his hat in the courtly

ldren?' the Marquis said. 'Is

ay; and I was coming to ask if Felipa and Etta might not

s looked u

ay; I have set workmen to repair the

and putting her hand on her father's arm, 'and Etta and I will

he slaves with you, for I hear several of the wild dogs have been seen i

d in England. Here the pleasant breeze played among the leaves of a huge fan palm with leaf-stalks ten feet long and fans twelve feet broad; next to it might be found a groo-groo or coco palm, and bananas and plantains; and below these giant trees of the tropics were lovely shrubs,

fruit Etta and Felipa loved to pick; and round about was a lovely wild garden where grew sensitive plants and scarlet-flowered balisiers and climbing ferns, over which twined convolvuli of eve

ted fancy names for many of them, and arranged with good taste a bunch of roses they picked from a bush twenty feet

s and ants, too; though Etta was never tired of watching the 'parasol ants' who walk in procession, each carrying a bit of

omes knew there were dangers that might come upon them, and St. Catherine had already been the scene of disasters which Etta could just remember,

hill again, for darkness would soon come upon them, there being no twilight in this lovely

ner. You would not care to leave me and beautiful Santa Teresa to go back to that dreadfully cold, foggy England? Surely

issed her friend,

was never to part with the letters she gave me, and that some day I must go home and find my rela

question again, when Carlo c

the Fort St. Jerome, and he says we may accompany him.' The girls, always ready for a little journey, as they seldom left Santa T