The Admiral, utterly revering the Queen who was gone,
wrote to the daughter Queen a stately letter of high comfort
and offer and promise of service. He would have the
Adelantado, no less a man, bear this to Laredo. Don Bartholomew
spoke aside to Juan Lepe. "If I do as he wished,
I do not know if I will see him again."
"I do not know," I answered. "But his heart is set on..."
"Then I will go," he said. "And many's the time I
have thought, `I shall never see him again', and still we met."
For several days after this I thought that after all he
might recover. Perhaps even sail again on earthly discoveries.
Then, in a night, came the unmistakable stroke
upon the door.
He sank, and knew now that he was putting off the body.
Fray Juan Perez stayed beside him. His sons and his brother
Diego waited with reddened eyes. It was full May, and
the bland wind strayed in and out of window and fluttered
his many papers upon the great table. It was toward evening
of Ascension Day. His son Fernando threw himself on
the bed, weeping. The Admiral's great hand fell upon the
youth's head. He looked to the window and said clearly,
"A light--yonder is a light!" and after a moment, "_In
manus tuas Domine coinmendo spiritum meum_."
The sea by Palos and June in Andalusia. Juan Lepe,
staying at La Rabida, walked along the sands and saw Life
like a mighty, breathing picture.
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