Richard kissed the queen’s hands, highly prizing the favour she had conferred upon him, and went and knelt before Isabella.  He tried to speak to her, but could not, for he felt as if there was a knot in his throat that paralysed his tongue.  He strove with all his might to keep down the tears that started into his eyes, but he could not conceal them from the queen.  “Shame not to weep, Richard,” said her majesty, “nor think less of yourself for allowing such evidence of a tender heart to escape you, for it is one thing to fight the enemy, and another to take leave of one who is dearly loved.  Isabella, embrace Richard, and give him your blessing:  his affection well deserves it.”

Isabella’s heart ached to see Richard so cast down.  She could not understand what her majesty said.  Conscious of nothing but her grief, motionless, and blinded by her tears, she looked like a weeping statue of alabaster.  The anguish of the two lovers drew tears from most of the beholders.  In fine, Richard and Isabella separated without exchanging a word; and Clotald and his friends, after saluting the queen, left the hall full of grief and pity.  Isabella felt like an orphan whose parents have just been buried, and dreaded lest her new mistress should make her abandon the rule of life in which she had been brought up.

Two days afterwards, Richard put to sea, distracted among many other sources of incertitude by two reflections—­one was that he had to perform exploits by which he might merit Isabella’s hand; and the other, that he could perform none without violating his conscience as a catholic, which forbade him to draw his sword against those of his own faith, but unless he did so, he should be denounced as a catholic or as a coward, to the peril of his life and his hopes.  But, in fine, he determined to postpone his inclinations as a lover to his duty as a catholic, and in his heart he prayed heaven to send him occasions in which he might show himself at once valiant and a true Christian,—­might satisfy his queen and merit Isabella.

For six days the two vessels sailed with a prosperous wind, shaping their course for the Western Islands, for, in that direction they could not fail to fall in with Portuguese East India men, or vessels returning from the West Indies; but on the seventh day the wind became contrary and continued that way so long that they could not make the islands, but were forced to run for the coast of Spain.  On nearing it at the entrance of the straits of Gibraltar, they discovered three vessels, one very large and two small.  Richard steered towards his commander’s ship to know if it was his intention they should attack the three vessels just discovered; but on nearing it, he saw them hoist a black flag, and presently he heard a mournful sound of trumpets, indicating that either the general or one of his chief officers was dead.  When he came within hail, which had not before been the case since they put to sea, there