Montezuma's Daughter

arch. As it chanced a vessel was about to sail from Yarmouth to Cadiz. She was named the 'Adventuress,' of one hundred tons burden, and carried

m the Yarmouth firm of merchants to their agents in Cadiz, in which they were advised to advance me such sums as I mi

en we had sworn our troth I had gained no sight of Lily except once at my mother's burial, and then we had not spoken. Now it seemed that I must go without any parting word, for her father had sent me notice that if I came near the Hall his serving men had orders to thrust me from t

loss, and if need be to give my life for t

e answered; 'and a man may do what he wills with his own. Still I will help you if I can, at t

h its master. The serving man looked at me askance, remembering his orders,

e; 'you are welcome here, but you bring one wit

will not bind us closer. The lad rides to-night to take ship for Spain to seek that man who murdered his mother. He goes of his own fre

nd in a strange country,' said the Squire. 'Still I l

, and for my own part I think it too early for him to set his fancy in the way of marriage. But if he wou

thought a wh

hould think unkindly of me when I am dead. Go without, Thomas Wingfield, and stand under yonder beech-Lily shall join you there and you may sp

d up to me, a more welcome sight to my eyes than any angel out of heaven. And, inde

ad greeted her, 'is this true that yo

to come to you, Lily, that I let him go, now I must let you go to come to him. Nay, d

t be widowed, Thomas, before I am a wife

went over seas and came back safe,

n far countries there are ladies great and fair, and how shall

r to yo

hen we must hope to meet in heaven. At the least be sure of this, while I live I will be true to you, and father or no father, I will die before I break my troth. I am young to speak so largely, but it shall be as I say. O

. Meanwhile we have our lives to live. Let us pray that we may live them to each other.

if they do, it is but to lose them. At the least we love, and let us be thankful that we have learned what love

hope and sorrow, as young folks so placed are wont to do, ti

. My father beckons me from t

unk of the old beech. And there I caught her in my arms and kiss

emory of this woman as she was then, and of her farewell look, overruns them all. Whenever I gaze down the past I see this picture framed in it and I know that it is one which cannot fade. Are there any sorrows like these sorrows of our youth? Can any bitterness equal the bitterness of such good-byes? I know but one of which I was fated to taste in af

set upon my withered hand, gleaming in the winter sunlight as I trace these words. Through the long years of wild adventure, through all the time of after peace, in love and war, in the shine of the camp fire, in the glare of the sacrificial flame, in the light of lonely stars

art, Though

ndeed, and one that has

enough that so soon as my back was turned he would try to take my place at her side, as indeed happened. I forgive it to him; in truth I cannot blame him much, for what man is there that would not have desired to wed Lily who knew her? Once we were dear friends, Geoffrey and I, but whe

telling her all that had passed between me and Lily, I prayed her to stand my friend and Lily's, should it ever be in her power to do so. This Mary promised to do readily enough, and though she did not give the reason, I could see that she thought it possible that she might b

re I was born, and my heart grew full to bursting. Had I known all that must befall me, before my eyes beheld that scene again, I think indeed that it would have burst. But God, who in his wisdom has laid many a burden upon the backs of men, h

ndeed, that at the last hour he changed his mind and wished to hold me back from going. But having put my hand to the plough and suffered all the bitterness of farewell, I would not return to be mocked by my brother and my neighbours. 'You speak too late,

or my heart is broken. Perhaps I should have remembered that vengeance is in the hand of the Lord, who wreaks it at His own time and without our help. Do not think unki

at you owe me anything, pay it by holding back my brother f

things must follow their own fate. Do not forget your God or your home wherever you chance to wander, Thomas: keep yourself from brawling, beware of women that are the snare of youth, and set a watch upon your tongue and your temper which is not of

t saved me from many a sorrow. Then he embraced me and cal

est him also! He was a true-hearted man, but more wrapped up in his love for my mother than it is well for any man to be who would look at life largely and do right by all. For such love, though natural to women, is apt to turn to something that partakes of selfishness, and to cause him who bears it to thin

tle to be told. We met with contrary winds in the Bay of Biscay and were driven into the harbour