than their dawning loves, yet how could any love be held innocent on the
part of a maiden who was the kinswoman of an archbishop and was his
destined choice for the duties of an abbess? The fact that she had never
yet taken her preliminary vows or given her consent to take them, counted
for nothing in the situation; though any experienced lady-superior could
have told the archbishop that no maiden could be wisely made an abbess
until she had given some signs of having a vocation for a religious life.

From that moment the youthful pair met no more for weeks. It seemed
always necessary for Luis to be occupied elsewhere than in the Cathedral
city; as the best architect on the island, he was sent here, there, and
everywhere; and the six other churches rose with more rapidity because the
archbishop preferred to look after his own. The once peaceful natives
found themselves a shade less happy when they were required to work all
day long as quarry-men or as builders, but it was something, had they but
known it, that they were not borne away as slaves, as happened later on
other islands to so many of their race. To Luis they were always loyal for
his cheery ways, although there seemed a change in his spirits as time
went on. But an event happened which brought a greater change still.

A Spanish caravel was seen one day, making towards the port and showing
signals of distress. Luis, having just then found an excuse for visiting
the Cathedral city, was the first to board her and was hailed with joy by
the captain. He was a townsman of the youth's and had given him his first
lessons in navigation. He had been bound, it seemed, for the Canary
Islands, and had put in for repairs, which needed only a few days in the
quiet waters of a sheltered port. He could tell Luis of his parents, of
his home, and that the northern part of Spain, under Arab sway, was
humanely governed, and a certain proportion of Christian churches allowed.
In a few days the caravel sailed again at nightfall; but it carried with