Montezuma's Daughter

beloved mother. Then I stooped to lift her and saw that she had been stabbed

en to slay me also when he learned that I was my mother's son. And I had held this devil in my power, and that I might meet my May, I had suffered him to escape my vengeance, who, had I known the

riding up from Bungay market, and there was that writte

thing has

'Our mother lies murdered yonder on the Vineyard Hill. A Spanish man has done the deed, Juan de Garcia by name.' When my father heard these words his face became livid as thoug

Spaniard? Have

earned my name he would have murdered me. But I played quar

and t

f the deed he had already wrought upon ou

n, Thomas, may the curse of God rest upon you till y

rses rather and ride for Yarmouth, for there his ship lies and thither he has

eeled their horses round and departed at full

ipped a while before in a boat which was in waiting for him, and passed to his vessel that lay in the Roads at anchor but with the most of her canvas set. Instantly she sailed, and now was lost in the night. Then my father caused

y of my mother. I drew near the first, for the men were afraid, and so indeed was I, though why I should fear her lying dead who living had loved me tenderly, I do not know. Yet I know this, that when I came to the spo

s hinges, and bore her home for the last time. And to me that path is still a haunted place. It is seventy years and more since my mother di

ning beneath their burden, were the forms of the four serving men. I heard the murmur of the river and the wind that seventy years ago whispered in the reeds. I saw the clouded sky flawed here and there with blue, and the broken light that gleamed on the white burden stretched upon the door, and the red stain at its breast. Ay, I heard myself talk as

that an hour or more before I met the Spaniard, a richly-dressed stranger had been seen walking along the church-path, and that he had tied his horse among some gorse and brambles on the top of the hill, where he stood as though in doubt, till my mother came out, when he descended and followed her. Also I learned that one of the men at work in the garden, which is not more than three hundred paces from where the deed was

rses, for their own were spent. In the afternoon also news followed them that the ships which had put

said nothing of this reason. Also that no drop might be lacking in my cup, Squire Bozard, who came with many other neighbours to view the corpse and offer sympathy with my father in his loss, told him at the same time that he took it ill that I should woo his daughter against his wish, and that if I continued in this course it would strain their ancient friendship. Thus I was hit on every side; by sorrow for my mother whom I had loved tenderly, by longing

ess of my father's grief broke from him in sobs and my sister Mary swooned away in my arms. Indeed there were few dry eyes in all that church, for my mother, notwithstanding her foreign birth, was much loved because of her gentle ways and the goodness of her heart. But it came to an end, and the noble Spanish lady and English wife was left to her long sleep

beside himself with grief, and by him was my brother. Presently he began to assail

ely. But by this it seems he has killed two birds with one stone, he has suffered the Spanish devil to escape when he knew that our mother feared

r. 'Thomas, your mother's

d bear this goading

le thought to it, my mind being full of other things. And now I will say something. You called down God's curse upon me, father, till such time as I should find this murderer and finish what I had begun. So be it! Let God's curse rest upon me till I do find him. I am young, but I am quick and strong, and so soon as may be I start for Spain to hunt him there till I shall run him down or know him to be dead. If you will give me money to hel

, holding up my hand to heaven that

st be wiped out with blood, but I am too broken in my health; also I am known in Spain and the Holy Office would claim me there

that he should g

rid of me because you desire to take my place at the side of a certain maid. Follow your natu

him who can wi

uy her from her father but you can never win her hear

an de Garcia-for in his hate he gave you his true name when he would have stabbed you-at play. Even then he had an evil fame, though he was scarcely more than a lad, but he was handsome in person, set high in birth, and of a pleasing manner. It chanced that he won of me at the dice, and being in a good humour, he took me to visit at the house of his aunt, his uncle's widow, a lady of Seville. This aunt had one child, a daughter, and that daughter was your mother. Now your mother, Luisa de Garcia, was affianced to her cousin Juan de Garcia, not with her own will indeed, for the contract had been signed when she was only eight years old. Still it was binding, more binding indeed

st he tried to be rid of me by challenging me to a duel, but we were parted before we could draw swords. Then he hired bravos to murder me as I walked the streets at night, but I wore a chain shirt beneath my doublet and their daggers broke upon it, and in place of being slain I slew one of them. Twice baffled, de Garcia was not defeated. Fight and murder had failed, but another and surer means remained. I know not how, but he had won some clue to the history of my life, and of how I had broken out from the monastery. It was left to him, therefore, to denounce me to the Holy

I was fed on food such as we should scarcely offer to a dog here in England. At length my offence of having esca

m. At first I laughed wildly, for I thought that this was but another torment, and not till I was freed of my fetters, clothed in decent garments, and set at midnight without the prison gates, would I believe that so good a thing had befallen me through the hand of God. I stood weak and wondering outside the gates, not knowing where to fly, and as I stood a woma

e "Mary" of Bristol, in which passage was taken for us. But the "Mary" was delayed in port by a contrary wind which blew so strongly that notwithstanding his desire to save us, her master dared not take the sea. Two days and a night we lay in the harbour, fearing all things not without cause, and yet most happy in each other's love. Now those who had charge of

ide and summoned the captain to heave to, that his ship might be boarded and searched under warrant from the Holy Office. It chanced that I was on deck at the time, and suddenly, as I prepared to hide myself below, a man, in whom I knew de Garcia himself, stood up and called out that I

and I pointed to the half-healed scars left by the red-hot pincers; "if you give me up, you send me back to more of this torment and to death b

Thomas Wingfield. If they want you and your sweet lady they must kill me first," and seizing a bow from the rack he

hers broke i

us, come aboard and take him, you

made no answer to the Spaniards, but bade half of the men hoist the sails with all

ad stood by while I was tormented. Then I grew mad at the thought of all that I had suffered, while that devil watched, bidding them lay on for the love of God. Snatching the bow from the hand of the So

man. The captain called to us to lay down our bows and take cover behind the bulwarks, for

ll be avenged upon you and all you love. Be assured of this, Luisa de Garcia, hide where you will, I shall find yo

for England, and th

f how I came to wed your mother whom I have bu

years he should have murdered her thus, whom you say he loved

Thomas that now they would see what truth there was in prophecies. What did de Garcia swear years since?-that she should come with him or he would kill her. Your mother was still beautiful, G

on as I could speak. 'Then there would have lived a devil the less

w how long that