termined.

It was not until the end of September that, upon the pretext of hunting,
he went to the monastery of San Pedro de la Espina, a league from
Villagarcia, and ordered Don Luis to seek him there with the boy. He was
to leave the latter wholly unembarrassed, and not even inform him that
the gentleman whom he would meet was the King.

His decision, he had added in the chilling manner characteristic of him,
would depend upon circumstances.

Quijada, with a throbbing heart, obeyed, but Geronimo had no suspicion
of what awaited him, and only wondered why his mother took so much
trouble about his dress, since they were merely going hunting. The tears
glittering in her eyes he attributed to the anxiety which she often
expressed when he rode with the hunters on the fiery young Andalusian
which his father had given him. He was then twelve years and a half old,
but might easily have been taken for fourteen.

"It was a splendid sight," Wolf went on, "as the erect figure of the
dark Don Luis, on his powerful black stallion, galloped beside the fair,
handsome boy with his white skin and blue eyes, who managed his spirited
dun horse so firmly and joyously.

"Dona Magdalena and I followed them on our quiet bays. Her lips moved
constantly, and her right hand never stirred from the rosary at her belt
while we were riding along the woodland paths.

"To soothe her, I began to talk about the pieces of music which his
Majesty had brought from Brussels, but she did not hear me. So I
remained silent until the monastery glimmered through the trees. The
blood left her cheeks, for at the same moment the thought came to us
both that King Philip was taking him to the monks.

"But we had scarcely time to confide what we feared to each other ere
the blast of horns echoed from the forest.

"Then, to calm the anxious mother's heart, I remarked, 'His Majesty
would not have the horns sounded in that way if he were taking the pious
brothers a new companion,' and Dona Magdalena's wan cheeks again flushed
slightly.

"The forest is cleared in front of the monastery, but it surrounds on
all sides the open glade amid whose grass the meadow saffron was then
growing thickly.

"I can still see Geronimo as he swung himself from the saddle to gather
some of the flowers. His mother needed them as medicine for a poor woman
in the village.

"We stopped behind the last trees, where we had a good view of the
glade. Don Luis left the boy to himself