THE TWO CAPTAINS.
Page: 2

Presently the Spanish captain, Don Fadrique Mendez, approached him;
he was a youth like the other, and was equally skilled in martial
exercises, but he was generally as austere and thoughtful as Heimbert
was cheerful and gentle. "Pardon, Senor," began the solemn Spaniard,
"if I disturb you in your meditations. But as I have had the honor
of often seeing you as a courageous warrior and faithful brother in
amrs in many a hot encounter, I would gladly solicit you above all
others to do me a knightly service, if it does not interfere with
your own plans and projects for this night." "Dear sir," returned
Heimbert courteously, "I have certainly an affair of importance to
attend to before sunrise, but till midnight I am perfectly free, and
ready to render you any assistance as a brother in aims." "Enough,"
said Fadrique, "for at midnight the tones must long have ceased with
which I shall have taken farewell of the dearest being I have ever
known in this my native city. But that you may be as fully
acquainted with the whole affair as behoves a noble companion, listen
to me attentively for a few moments.

"Some time before I left Malaga to join the army of our great emperor
and to aid in spreading the glory of his arms through Italy, I was
devoted, after the fashion of young knights, to the service of a
beautiful girl in this city, named Lucila. She had at that time
scarcely reached the period which separates childhood from ripe
maidenhood, and as I--a boy only just capable of bearing arms--
offered my homage with a childlike, friendly feeling, it was also
received by my young mistress in a similar childlike manner. I
marched at length to Italy, and as you yourself know, for we have
been companions since then, I was in many a hot fight and in many an
enchantingly alluring region in that luxurious land. Amid all our
changes, I held unalterably within me the image of my gentle
mistress, never pausing in the honorable service I had vowed to her,
although I cannot conceal from you that in so doing it was rather to
fulfil the word I had pledged at my departure than from any impelling
and immoderately ardent feeling in my heart. When we returned to my