They continued rowing as they discoursed, so that before night they reached another island also uninhabited, but there were trees upon it, and many of them, and full of fruit, though dried, and past the season, yet fit to eat. They leaped ashore, drew up their boats, and began with great speed to despoil the trees, and make a hut to keep themselves from the cold that night; they also kindled a fire by rubbing dry sticks together, a common and well-known practice, and as all worked, it was not long before they had built up this poor shelter, where they all assembled, supplying the inconveniences of the place by a good fire, this appearing to all the first thing necessary to their comfort. After satisfying their hunger they would have prepared themselves to sleep, if it had not been that the desire Periander felt to learn the adventures of the musician prevented him, and he entreated that he would, if it were possible, let them hear the story of his misfortunes, for misfortunes they must have been, to have brought him into such a situation. The singer was courteous and without more entreaty, began thus. [Illustration] CHAPTER X. _The Story of the enamoured Portuguese._ "In the briefest possible words with which a tale can be told, I will give you the history of my life, which will itself be brief also, if I am to give any credit to a certain dream which disturbed my repose last night. "I am, sirs, a Portuguese, of noble blood, rich in fortune's gifts, and not poor in those of nature. My name is Manuel de Sosa Coutiño; Lisbon my native place; and my profession that of a soldier. Near my father's house, with only a wall between, was that of another gentleman, of the ancient family of the Pereiras, who had an only daughter, sole heiress of his wealth, which was great, the hope and prop of her family, who, for her high birth, riches, and beauty, was sought in marriage by all the best and greatest of the land; and I, who as a near neighbour, had many opportunities of seeing her, saw her, knew her, and adored her, with but a faint hope of ever obtaining her as my wife. To save time, and knowing that neither words nor gifts would avail, I determined that one of my relations should ask her of her father for me, since neither in birth, nor condition, nor yet in age, was there any difference between us. The answer I obtained was, that his daughter Leonora was as yet too young to marry; that two years should pass, and that he would give his promise not to dispose of his daughter during that time without letting me know of it. This was the first blow upon the shoulders of my patience, and on the shield of my hopes; but not for this did I cease to declare publicly my open suit, which was soon known throughout the city; but she, retired into the citadel of her prudence and the recesses of her discretion, modestly and with her father's