The Wanderers | Page 5

of my mother. We immediately
ordered our horses and rode off, accompanied by Don Antonio, a
physician of great repute, to whom our uncle, on receiving the
intelligence, forthwith sent requesting his assistance.
We found, on our arrival, that our father, unhappily, had not been
alarmed without reason. Our poor mother was dangerously ill, and the
physician gave us but slight hopes of her recovery. He was necessitated
to return at once to the town, but he promised to be back the next day.
Our mother rallied greatly, and when Don Antonio again appeared she
seemed to be much better. He, however, looked so grave, that on his
following Arthur and me into the sitting-room, we expected to hear him
express an unfavourable opinion of her case. But after looking about to
see that none of the servants were within hearing, he closed the door,
and said in a low voice:--
"It is not on account of your mother's health that I am anxious, but for
your sakes, my friends. You are supposed to be rank heretics; and I

have received information that unless you forthwith attend mass, go to
confession, and in all respects conform to the obligations of the
Catholic faith, the Inquisition intends to lay hands on you, and to
punish you severely as a warning to others. Even should your father
conform, he will be unable to shield you, and you will be equally liable
to punishment. If you will be advised by me, unless you are prepared to
adopt the religion of the country, you will, without delay, make your
escape to some part of the sea-coast remote from the capital, where you
may get on board a vessel bound to one of the neighbouring islands or
elsewhere. You know not the fearful punishment to which you may be
subjected, should you once fall into the hands of the Inquisition; and
though I myself run the risk of losing my liberty, not to speak of other
consequences, by thus warning you, I could not find it in my heart to
leave without doing so."
We warmly thanked our kind friend for the advice he had given us, and
he repeated what he had said to our father, who shortly afterwards came
into the room; but at the time he made no remark, though he was
evidently greatly agitated.
Scarcely had Don Antonio gone when my mother appeared to grow
much worse; and Arthur, throwing himself on horseback, galloped off
as hard as his horse could go to bring him back. We anxiously waited
his return with the physician, for every moment my mother grew worse
and worse. How thankful we were when Don Antonio arrived; but no
sooner had he felt her pulse, than, calling my father out of the room, he
told him that she was dying, and that he could do nothing for her. His
words proved too true. As we all stood round her bed, she entreated us
to adhere firmly to the faith in which we had been brought up; then,
desiring us to go out of the room, she had a conversation with my
father on the same subject, I suspect, for he seemed much moved when
we again entered. As daylight streamed into the room, she breathed her
last.
We all felt her loss greatly, and poor Marian was so overwhelmed with
grief that we were in serious anxiety on her account.
In that latitude, burial rapidly follows death. It was a sore trial to us to

see her carried to her grave, which had been prepared in a picturesque
spot on the side of a hill not far from the house. Scarcely had the coffin
been lowered into it, when two priests arrived to perform the
burial-service. They appeared to be highly indignant that the funeral
should have taken place without their presence, and, from expressions
which they let drop, it was very evident that they looked upon us all as
a family of heretics. My father tried to pacify them, however, and
fancied that he had sent them away satisfied.
"Remember the warning I have given you," observed Don Antonio, as
he bade us goodbye. "Do not be deceived, even should the friars who
may come here appear to be on friendly terms; their object will be to
betray you."
It had been arranged that Uncle Paul and Arthur should return to the
town and attend to business next morning, while I was to remain with
poor Marian to try and comfort her.
Some time after dark, while we were all assembled in the sitting-room,
there was a knock at the door, and Arthur went out to see who had
come to visit us. He quickly returned with a note for my father in his
hand, which he said