d impatiently, drawing one hand through the other, with him a
recurring gesture. "It is the women! Certain of our men--" I saw him
look at Gutierrez who passed.

"Tomaso Passamonte, too," I said.

"Yes. And others. It is the old woe! Now they have only to kill a man!"

He arraigned short-sightedness. I said, "But still we are from heaven?"

"Still. But some of the gods--just five or six, say--have fearful ways!"
He laughed, sorrowfully and angrily. "And you think there is little
gold, and that we are very far from clothed and lettered Asia?"

"So far," I answered, "that I see not why we call these brown, naked
folk Indians."

"What else would you call them?"

"I do not know that."

"Why, then, let us still call them Indians." He drummed upon the rail
before him, then broke out, "Christ! I think we do esteem hard, present,
hand-held gold too much!"

"I say yes to that!"

He said, "We should hold to the joy of Discovery and great use
hereafter--mounting use!"

"Aye."

"Here is virgin land, vast and beautiful, with a clime like heaven, and
room for a hundred colonies such as Greece and Rome sent out! Here is a
docile, unwarlike people ready to be industrious servitors and peasants,
for which we do give them salvation of their souls! It is all Spain's,
the banner is planted, the names given! We are too impatient! We cannot
have it between dawn and sunset! But look into the future--there is
wealth beyond counting! No great amount of gold, but enough to show that
there is gold."

I followed the working of his mind. It was to smile somewhat
sorrowfully, seeing his great difficulties. He was the born Discoverer
mightily loving Discovery, and watching the Beloved in her life through
time. But he had to serve Prince Have-it-now, in the city Greed. I said,
"Senor, do not put too much splendor in your journal for the King and
Queen and the Spanish merchants and the Church and all the chivalry that
the ended war releases! Or, if you prophesy, mark it prophecy. It is a
great trouble in the world that men do not know when one day is talked
of or when is meant great ranges of days! Otherwise you will have
all thirsty Spain sailing for Ophir and Golden Chersonesus, wealth
immediate, gilding Midas where he stands! If they find disappointment
they will not think of the future; they will smite you!"

I knew that he was writing in that book too ardently, and that he was
even now composing letters to great persons to be dis