The coffee which the slave served up
was accompanied by dried fruits and
other refreshments, to which was added
the rich wine of Xeres, nectar delicious
enough to tempt the Moslem to break the
laws of his Prophet. While Alfonzo was
engaged in doing justice to the hospitable
repast set before him after his fatigues of
the day, Athir entered, and standing silently,
waited to be noticed by his master,
as if he were indeed Alfonso's slave.
The keen glance of the Spaniard rested
on him steadfastly for a moment, and
then turning quickly to his guest, he said
with surprise, not untinged with something
like rising suspicion,—

`Thy servant is a Moor! There is no
deception in that eye and brow. He is
a Moor—how is this?'

`He is a Moor, Senor,' answered Alfonzo;
`but he can be trusted. He is
faithful to me, and will be to thee.'

`I never yet knew one I could trust,'
answered Velez. `How! Is he thy
slave? I have never yet known a Moor
the slave of a Christian.'

`I will tell thee about it, Senor,' answered
Alfonzo; and he then proceeded
to relate to him the facts touching his
history, which have already been repeated
to the reader. When he had done,
the Spanish noble called to Athir, and
gave him his hand.

`Young man, I honor thy fidelity! I
will also trust thee, if Alfonzo hath done
so. Thou mayest be of service to us.
Elec,' he added, after clapping his hands
and bringing in the Nubian slave, `see
that thou givest refreshment to this youth,
and that he has a mat spread down in the
room of the fountain, where thou wilt
also prepare a couch for his master.—
See, too, that his horse wants nothing.'

The Nubian clasped his hands above
his head, and bowed to the ground in
token of obedience, and departed, followed
by Athir.

`Now, my brave friend,' said the
Spanish noble, turning to his guest, `let
us talk over the wrongs of Spain, and
let us see what can be done to redress
them. I converse with thee with full confidence.
I know thy courage and influence
well with the mountaineers; and
when news reached me three years ago
that a young mountaineer had armed
and led on his neighbours, and driven
the banditti from the Sierras, I blessed
God that there was yet one stout arm
and brave heart left in Spain, though it
were but a mountain youth's. And when
a few month's later the rumor came that
this same youth had stormed a castle,
and driven El Zegris forth a fugitive, I
again blessed God, and began to believe
that there were yet good men left in
Spain, who feared not the Moor. When
more recently came the intelligence that
El Zegris had again been attacked and
overthrown by thee, his person made
captive, and his right hand struck off by
thy scymetar, I said in my heart—

`If Spain shall ever call for a champion,
that youth, whose prowess is in all
men's mouths, is the man to lead her to
victory. But then I knew no more than
this, that thou werest a humble herdsman.
Since, the holy Abbot Godfrey, hath
given me the outline of thy history, and
his opinion did but confirm my own, that
thou shouldst one day be the mover of a
revolt agaiust our masters. He said that
you were a lover of your country, and
mourned her wrongs, but that you were
doubtful of your influence, and too modest
to know its wide extent. He felt
sure, however, that you would one day
rouse up, and stand in your native power,
and call on your countrymen to arm for

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God and Spain. To this end, he said,
he had been watching over your mind
and heart, and so training thee to be one
day the saviour of thy country.'

`What I am, I owe to my excellent
friend,' answered Alfonzo, who had sat
quietly under the high language of eulogium,
that flowed from the lips of Senor
Velez. `What he has made me, that
my country shall have the benefit of.—
But, Senor, I never looked to so wide a
feld of action as opens so unexpectedly
before me, and which I seem to be irresistibly
thrust upon. I looked only to be
the leader of a small band of my fellow
herdsmen, to hold the Sierras free from
step of the Moslem, whether soldier or
bandit. Beyond this, I dare not aspire,
though my heart has secretly burned at
the thought, that I should like to be the
saviour of my country. I have wished
that my voice might rouse all the men in
Spain, as it hath stirred the breasts of
my fellow peasants when I have called
upon them to rally around me, to drive
the robber from his fastnesses, or attack
a horde of wolves in their lair.'

`Do not shrink. Heaven will gird thee
with strength. We want a man whom
Spain has heard of, and the Moors too!”

`I shall not shrink. I have a motive
that urges me onward side by side with
the desire I have to see Spain free. It
is revenge for my sister's wrongs. Within
the last twelve hours, Senor Velez,
my only sister, loved and lovely beyond
compare, has been stolen by the troops
of Abdelasis from her pure home, and
carried away to his harem.'

`Is this so? Alas, I pity thee. Thou
hast reason to take arms, young man.—
But this is no new thing that it should be
made a reason.'

`No—but to me it is. I should have
moved ere this to avenge others. But I
lingered ignobly, timid and hesitatingly,
till the blow came home to me. Then I
became earnest. Then, and only till
then, I am ashamed to acknowledge, did
I resolve that I would not rest till I had
roused a spirit of resistance in the length
and breadth of the land!'

`This decision must have filled the
holy Abbot's heart with joy; for the weal
of Christian Spain is the theme of his
daily prayer. For this he only lived.'

`His joy I cannot describe! So often
had he talked to me of the glory that
should fall upon him who should, whether
prince or peasant, lead Spain against the
Moslem once more; so often had he implored
me to take a bold stand, humble
as I was, for God and liberty; so often
had he told me that I owed to Spain what
influence I procured over my friends
about me; that when I told him I had at
length got awake and had resolved to
kindle the flames of revolt, and I could
almost have believed that he had been
instrumental in the abduction of my sister,
that my heart might thereby be
roused; for it seems it wanted this to
move me, Senor,' he added, bitterly
smiling.

`I can imagine his joy. My own heart
is young again when I look upon thy noble
form and think that Christian Spain, in
Alfonzo the Destroyer has once more a
Champion!'

`But how will Spain receive me, Senor?
'

`With open arms!'

`I do not doubt but that among the
Sierras I shall be able to assemble at
least two thousand brave men. Not that
I am known to one third of this number,
but those I do know are acquainted with
others, and will influence them. This
day I was one of an assembly of fifty in
the cork forest of Debal; fifty brave
men, including my father, Gaspar. Hast
thou heard of him?'

`I knew him, when he was one of the
bravest nobles in Spain. He has had a

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hard fate. From father Godfrey I have
from time to time heard of him and of
his great prowess. As Gaspar, the WolfSlayer,
his name is celebrated even
among the Moors.'

`When didst thou see the Abbot last?'

`He left here this morning, disguised
as a Hadji, and when he parted from me
he promised me that ere many days he
should send to me the Deliverer of
Spain. `And,' he added, `whomsoever
comes to thee bringing this cross, receive
him as a friend. It may possibly
be my Alfonzo, if not some other who will
give the tidings of things in the Sierras!'
These were the Abbot's words to me;
and little did I expect to embrace thee
so soon!'

`Nor wouldst thou have seen me to-night,
but for the outrage put upon me in
taking my beloved sister away by force.
I could almost be persuaded to believe
that father Godfrey had an agency in
sending the troop to capture her; for he
knew I needed this to move me to my
duty!'

`Art thou in earnest in this suspicon?'

`God forbid. I did but speak of the
coincidence between the fact and the result.
He loves me, and is too good for
this, even though he thought he could
free Spain thereby.'

`If ever father loved a son, the Abbot
loves thee. I know not what there is that
hath, for years, as I know, bound him to
thee, beyond thy good qualities and noble
countenance, which no man would
look upon without feeling an interest in
thee. But for what didst thou get these
fifty brave mountaineers together in the
forest?'

`They assembled at the cry that the
Moors had poured upon our hamlet and
borne away the Star of the Sierras, as
they loved to call Xariffa. But pursuit
was in vain. I then swore solemnly before
my maker that I would never rest
till I had rescued her, or driven the Spoiler
out of Spain, if men would arm and
follow me!'

`Brave words. St. Diego be thanked!
This sounds like steel ringing on steel.
What said they?'

`They received my words with acclamations.
It inspired me. I saw in their
readiness the spirit of all others. The
Abbot came suddenly upon us, and when
he knew what had been determined on,
tears of joy came into his eyes. He would
have embraced my knees. He clasped
me to his heart, saying,

`For this hour have I watched over
thee—for this hour have I lived!'

`Thou must have felt rewarded already
at witnessing the happiness he felt.'

`I was, Senor. But you will be surprised
to know that he made me kneel,
and did there in a most solemn manner
consecrate me by prayer and anointing
with holy oil, to the service of my country.
I would have resisted, but he held
me down; and I submitted, though I
trembled, at the awful ceremony;—for
I did not feel equal to what men seemed
to call upon me to perform.'

`I tell thee, son, God will give thee
strength. Thou art raised up his servant
and Captain; of this be assured, and go
forward with courage to thy duty. But
this is singular indeed!—kings only are
anointed; and what is more extraordinary,
the Abbot himself anointed Amalaric,
our last Christian Gothic king, whom
Taric the conqueror slew, with the royal
Princes of his house.'

`Were but one of those young Princes
alive now, Senor, and proclaiming himself
such, should raise the standard of the
cross, all Spain would rise as one man to
rally around him. But for me, I have no
more than the wrongs of Spain, the oppression
of the Moor, to appeal to.'

`And what more do you ask? all men
in Spain will respond to the appeal.'

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