ls, they say, in health."

"It may be," said Juan Lepe. "I myself were content for him to rest The
Admiral only. But his mind is yet a hawk towering over land and sea and
claiming both for prize. He mingles the earthly and the heavenly."

"It is true," said Fray Juan Perez, "that age comes upon him. And true,
too, that King Ferdinand may say, 'Whatever it was at first, this world
in the West becomes far too vast a matter for one man and the old,
first, simple ways!'"

"You have it there," I answered, and we covered the embers and went to
bed in La Rabida.

Winter passed. It was seen that the Admiral could not sail this week nor
the next.

Juan Lepe, bearded, brown as a Moor, older than in the year Granada
fell, crossed with quietness much of Castile and came on a spring
evening to the castle of Don Enrique de Cerda. Again "_Juan Lepe from
the hermitage in the oak wood_."

Seven days. I would not stay longer, but in that time the ancient trees
waved green again.

Don Enrique had been recently to Granada. "King Ferdinand will change
all matters in the West! Your islands shall have Governors, as many
as necessary. They shall refer themselves to a High Governor at San
Domingo, who in his turn shall closely listen to a Council here."

"Will the High Governor be Don Cristoval Colon?"

"No. I hear that he himself agrees to a suspension of his viceroyalty
for two years, seeing well that in Hispaniola is naught but faction,
everything torn into 'Friends of the Genoese' and 'Not friends!'.
Perhaps he sees that he cannot help himself and that he less parts with
dignity by acceding. I do not know. There is talk of Don Nicholas de
Ovanda, Commander of Lares. Your man will not, I think, be sent before
a steady wind for Viceroy again--never again. If he presses too
persistently, there can always be found one or more who will stand and
cry, 'He did intend, O King--he doth intend--to make himself King of
the Indies!' And King Ferdinand will say he does not believe, but it is
manifest that that thought must first die from men's minds. The Queen
fails fast. She has not the voice and the hand in all matters that once
was so."

"He is one who dies for loyalties," I said. "He reverences all simply
the crowns of Castile and Leon. For his own sake I am not truly so
anxious to have him Viceroy again! They will give him ships and let him
discover until he dies?"

"Ah, I don't think there is any doubt about that!" he answered.

We