They have
turned the King a little their way. I knew that, ere I went
to find that great new land where are pearls, that slopes
upward by littles to the Height of the World and the Earthly
Paradise. Turned the King, but not the Queen. But now
I make it they have worked upon her. I make it that she
does not know the character of Don Francisco de Bobadilla. I make it that, holding him to be far wiser than
he
is, she with the King gave him great power as commissioner.
I make it that they gave him letters of authority, and a
last letter, superseding the Viceroy, naming him Governor
whom all must obey. I make it that he was only to use this
if after long examination it was found by a wise, just man
that I had done after my enemies' hopes. I make it that
here across Ocean-Sea, far, far from Spain, he chose not
to wait. He clucked to him all the disaffected and flew with
a strong beak at the eyes of my friends." He moved his
arms and his chains clanked. "I make it that this severity
is Don Francisco de Bobadilla's, not King Ferdinand's, not
--oh, more than not--the good Queen's!"
Juan Lepe thought that he had made out the probabilities,
probably the certainties.
"If I may win to Spain!" he ended. "It all hinges on
that! If I may see the Sovereigns--if I may see the good
Queen! I hope to God he will soon chain me in a ship and
send me!"
Had he seen Don Francisco de Bobadilla?
No, he had not seen Don Francisco de Bobadilla.
Pages:
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339