, towering again
with his silver head, honored and praised. When first he came into the
Queen's presence she had trembled a little and turned pale, and there
was water in her eyes. "Master Christopherus, forgive us! Whereupon,"
said the letter, "I wept with her."

Apparently all honors were back; he moved Admiral and Viceroy. His
brothers, his sons, all his house walked in a spring sun. He had been
shown the letters from Bobadilla, and he who was not lengthy in speech
had spoken an hour upon them. His word rang gold; Christ gave it, he
said, that his truth was believed. Don Francisco de Bobadilla would quit
Hispaniola--though not in chains.

Fray Juan Perez stirred the fire. Upon the table stood a flask of wine
and a dish of figs. We were comfortable in La Rabida.

Days passed, weeks passed, time passed. Word from the Admiral, word of
the Admiral, came not infrequently to white La Rabida. He himself, in
his own person, stood in bright favor, the Queen treasuring him, loving
to talk with him, the Court following her, the King at worst only a
cool friend. But his affairs of office, Fray Juan Perez and I gathered,
sitting solicitous at La Rabida, were not in so fair a posture. He and
his household did not lack. Monies were paid him, though not in full his
tithe of all gains from his finding. What never shook was his title
of The Admiral. But they seemed, the Sovereigns, or at least King
Ferdinand, to look through "Viceroy" as though it were a shade. And in
Hispaniola, though charged, reproved, threatened, still stayed Bobadilla
in the guise of Governor!

"They cannot leave him there," I said. "If the Colombos are not men for
the place, what then is Bobadilla?"

Fray Juan Perez stirred the fire. "King Ferdinand, I say it only to you
and in a whisper, has not a little of the King of the Foxes! Not, till
he has made up his mind, doth he wish there a perfect man. When he has
made it up, he will cast about--"

"I do not think he has any better than the Adelantado!"

"'Those brothers are one. Leave him out!' saith the King. I will read
you his mind! 'Master Christopherus Columbus hath had too much from the
beginning. Nor is he necessary as he was. When the breach is made, any
may take the fortress! I will leave him and give him what I must but no
more!' He will send at last another than Bobadilla, but not again, if he
can help it, the old Viceroy! Of course there is the Queen, but she has
many sorrows these days, and fai