ssible time. Little did he guess that within some few years this very
question was to exercise the brain of Valdez and other great Spanish
captains.

Whilst he was thus occupied suddenly a rude voice called,

"Wake up, Spaniard," and a hard object--it was a green apple--struck
him on his flat cap nearly knocking out the feather. Adrian leaped
round with an oath, to catch sight of two lads, louts of about fifteen,
projecting their tongues and jeering at him from behind the angles of
the gate-house. Now Adrian was not popular with the youth of Leyden,
and he knew it well. So, thinking it wisest to take no notice of this
affront, he was about to continue on his way when one of the youths,
made bold by impunity, stepped from his corner and bowed before him till
the ragged cap in his hand touched the dust, saying, in a mocking voice,

"Hans, why do you disturb the noble hidalgo? Cannot you see that the
noble hidalgo is going for a walk in the country to look for his most
high father, the honourable duke of the Golden Fleece, to whom he is
taking a cockolly bird as a present?"

Adrian heard and winced at the sting of the insult, as a high-bred horse
winces beneath the lash. Of a sudden rage boiled in his veins like a
fountain of fire, and drawing the dagger from his girdle, he rushed at
the boys, dragging the hooded hawk, which had become dislodged from his
wrist, fluttering through the air after him. At that moment, indeed, he
would have been capable of killing one or both of them if he could have
caught them, but, fortunately for himself and them, being prepared
for an onslaught, they vanished this way and that up the narrow lanes.
Presently he stopped, and, still shaking with wrath, replaced the hawk
on his wrist and walked across the bridge.

"They shall pay for it," he muttered. "Oh! I will not forget, I will not
forget."

Here it may be explained that of the story of his birth Adrian had heard
something, but not all. He knew, for instance, that his father's name
was Montalvo, that the marriage with his mother for some reason was
declared to be illegal, and that this Montalvo had left the Netherlands
under a cloud to find his death, so he had been told, abroad. More than
this Adrian did not know for certain, since everybody showed a singular
reticence in speaking to him of the matter. Twice he had plucked up
courage to question his mother on the subject, and on each occasion her
face had turned cold and hard as sto