father and his former enemy were friends, and that since they were so, they must have considered all the circumstances of his case thoroughly. Pleased and contented with this good news, he set off again on his journey with his companions, to whom he told all he had heard of his affairs, and that a brother of the man he had considered his enemy, had inherited the estates, and was living on the same friendly terms with his father as his deceased brother had done. It was Antonio's wish that none of them should do anything but as he ordered, as he intended to make them known to his father, not suddenly, but in some circuitous way, so as to increase the pleasure of the discovery, for sometimes too sudden a joy will kill like a sudden grief. About three days' more travel brought them at dusk to his father's house. The father and mother were sitting at the door of their house, enjoying the freshness of the evening air, for it was the summer season. They all approached together, and Antonio spoke first to his father. "Is there by chance in this place a hospital for pilgrims, sir?" he asked. "As our inhabitants are good Christians," replied the father, "every house is an hospital for pilgrims, and if no other should be so, mine, as far as it goes, may serve for you all." "Is not this place called Quintanas de la Orden, sir," asked Antonio; "and does not a person live here called by some a gentleman of the name of Villaseñores? I ask you this, because I knew a man of this name in far distant countries, and if he was here, neither I nor my companions need go anywhere for a lodging." "And what was the name of this Villaseñores of whom you speak?" asked the mother. "He was called Antonio," replied Antonio, "and his father's name was, if I remember right, Diego de Villaseñor." "Ah, sir!" cried the mother, rising from her seat, "and to my sorrow it is now seventeen years that he has been missing from his native land. How many tears, sighs, and prayers, have been exhausted for his restoration to me; would to God that these eyes may ever again behold him, before they are closed in eternal night. Tell me, is it long since you saw him? is it long since you left him? was he in good health? did he talk of returning home? does he remember his parents, to whom he may now come back, for he has no enemies to hinder his doing so. Those who caused his departure from his own country, are now friends." The old father listened to all these words, and then called aloud to his servants to bring lights, and to admit into the house the pilgrim guests, and going up to his as yet unknown son, he embraced him closely, saying, "For your sake alone I would gladly give you all lodging, even though it were not my custom to receive pilgrims, but now this glad tidings that you have brought increases my inclination to do so, and makes me doubly desirous to serve you."