"Thanks be to God, sirs, for bringing us to such good quarters; for, if I

do not deceive myself, the ground we stand on is that of Velez Malaga

unless, indeed, all my years of captivity have made me unable to

recollect that you, senor, who ask who we are, are Pedro de Bustamante,

my uncle."

The Christian captive had hardly uttered these words, when the horseman

threw himself off his horse, and ran to embrace the young man, crying:

"Nephew of my soul and life! I recognise thee now; and long have I

mourned thee as dead, I, and my sister, thy mother, and all thy kin that

are still alive, and whom God has been pleased to preserve that they may

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enjoy the happiness of seeing thee. We knew long since that thou wert in

Algiers, and from the appearance of thy garments and those of all this

company, I conclude that ye have had a miraculous restoration to

liberty."

"It is true," replied the young man, "and by-and-by we will tell you

all."

As soon as the horsemen understood that we were Christian captives, they

dismounted from their horses, and each offered his to carry us to the

city of Velez Malaga, which was a league and a half distant. Some of them

went to bring the boat to the city, we having told them where we had left

it; others took us up behind them, and Zoraida was placed on the horse of

the young man's uncle. The whole town came out to meet us, for they had

by this time heard of our arrival from one who had gone on in advance.

They were not astonished to see liberated captives or captive Moors, for

people on that coast are well used to see both one and the other; but

they were astonished at the beauty of Zoraida, which was just then

heightened, as well by the exertion of travelling as by joy at finding

herself on Christian soil, and relieved of all fear of being lost; for

this had brought such a glow upon her face, that unless my affection for

her were deceiving me, I would venture to say that there was not a more

beautiful creature in the world--at least, that I had ever seen. We went

straight to the church to return thanks to God for the mercies we had

received, and when Zoraida entered it she said there were faces there

like Lela Marien's. We told her they were her images; and as well as he

could the renegade explained to her what they meant, that she might adore

them as if each of them were the very same Lela Marien that had spoken to

her; and she, having great intelligence and a quick and clear instinct,

understood at once all he said to her about them. Thence they took us

away and distributed us all in different houses in the town; but as for

the renegade, Zoraida, and myself, the Christian who came with us brought

us to the house of his parents, who had a fair share of the gifts of

fortune, and treated us with as much kindness as they did their own son.




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