My sojourn there had been fortunate, for I came to it
poor and left it a rich man, to say nothing of what I had gained in
experience, which was much. Yet I was glad to be gone, for here Juan de
Garcia had escaped me, here I had lost my best friend and seen Isabella
de Siguenza die.
I came to Cadiz in safety and without loss of any of my goods or gold,
and taking boat proceeded on board the 'Adventuress,' where I found her
captain, whose name was Bell, in good health and very glad to see me.
What pleased me more, however, was that he had three letters for me, one
from my father, one from my sister Mary, and one from my betrothed, Lily
Bozard, the only letter I ever received from her. The contents of these
writings were not altogether pleasing however, for I learned from them
that my father was in broken health and almost bedridden, and indeed,
though I did not know it for many years after, he died in Ditchingham
Church upon the very day that I received his letter. It was short and
sad, and in it he said that he sorrowed much that he had allowed me
to go upon my mission, since he should see me no more and could only
commend me to the care of the Almighty, and pray Him for my safe return.
As for Lily's letter, which, hearing that the 'Adventuress' was to sail
for Cadiz, she had found means to despatch secretly, though it was not
short it was sad also, and told me that so soon as my back was turned on
home, my brother Geoffrey had asked her in marriage from her father, and
that they pushed the matter strongly, so that her life was made a misery
to her, for my brother waylaid her everywhere, and her father did
not cease to revile her as an obstinate jade who would fling away her
fortune for the sake of a penniless wanderer.
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