head
stretched over me inquisitively with its long neck, starting back as I
rose with still more ugly timidity!"

This, with all other painful consequences of his past miseries, soon
wholly vanished, from Fadrique's mind, and they cheerfully set out on
their journey to Tunis. The consciousness, indeed, of his injustice to
Heimbert and its unavoidable results often lay like a cloud upon the
noble Spaniard's brow, but it also softened the natural proud severity
of his nature, and Antonia could cling the more tenderly and closely to
him with her loving heart.

Tunis, which had been before so amazed at Zelinda's magic power and
enthusiastic hostility against the Christians, now witnessed Antonia's
solemn baptism in a newly-consecrated edifice, and soon after the three
companions took ship with a favorable wind for Malaga.

CHAPTER XVII.

Beside the fountain where she had parted from Heimbert, Dona Clara was
sitting one evening in deep thought. The guitar on her knees gave
forth a few solitary chords, dreamily drawn from it, as it were, by her
delicate hands, and at length forming themselves into a melody, while
the following words dropped softly from her partly opened lips:

"Far away, 'fore Tunis ramparts,
Where the Christian army lies,
Paynim host are fiercely fighting
With Spanish troops and Spain's allies.
Who from bloodstained lilies there,
And death's roses pale and fair--
Who has borne the conquerer's prize?

"Ask Duke Alba, ask Duke Alba,
Which two knights their fame have proved,
One was my own valiant brother,
The other was my heart's beloved.
And I thought that I should crown them,
Doubly bright with glory's prize,
And a widow's veil is falling
Doubly o'er my weeping eyes,
For the brave knights ne'er again
Will be found mid living men."

The music paused, and soft dew-drops fell from her heavenly eyes.
Heimbert, who was concealed under the neighboring orange-trees, felt
sympathetic tears rolling down his cheeks, and Fadrique, who had led
him and Antonia there, could no longer delay the joy of meeting, but
stepping forward with his two companions he presente