s adventurous voyage. King John freely
expressed his astonishment and delight, and calling around him the
members of his household, familiarly questioned Botello as to all the
little details of his voyage.

There was a pause in the conversation. Botello threw himself upon his
knees. "There is one point," he exclaimed, "upon which your majesty has
not condescended to question me."

"What is that?" demanded the king.

"My reasons," replied Botello, "for undertaking this long and hazardous
voyage. Your majesty knows, or at least many of your majesty's enemies
know, that I am one not over cautious in confronting danger, either by
sea or land; but I should never have had the courage to make myself the
bearer of tidings however important, as I have done, without some reason
other than the desire of astonishing the world by a feat which by many
will be pronounced simply fool-hardy. Your majesty will believe me--I
had another and a better reason."

"And that reason was--"

"The favor of my sovereign, and the removal of the undeserved suspicions
with which my motives and feelings had been visited."

"Rise," replied the king, extending his hand, and smiling graciously.
"Our suspicions were of the slightest. We will take some fitting
opportunity of showing that they are gone for ever."

The courtiers overwhelmed Botello and his companions with
congratulations. The king accompanied him to see the boat, and upon
dismissing him, renewed his assurances of favor and reward--assurances
which Botello found were destined never to be realized. The next day a
change had come over the royal countenance--the jealousy of trade had
been aroused. It would be a terrible blow to the commercial monopoly,
already threatened from so many quarters, to have it known that the
voyage from the East Indies had been performed in an open boat. Botello
was informed that, for reasons of state, his boat must be destroyed, but
that he himself should ever continue to enjoy the favorable opinion of
his sovereign. As an earnest of the royal favor, which was some day to
exhibit itself more openly, he was appointed to an office of no great
consequence, and which had also the disadvantage attached to it of a
residence in the interior of the country.

Once installed, he found that he was little better than a prisoner for
life. His movements were closely watched by the officials around him;
his communications with the capital cut off, and to all his
remonstran