Daybreak Author:Elizabeth Miller Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III "TO WATCH HIM PASS!" "GrvE you good den, Jose!" the young person thus addressed responded promptly. "How goes it with An- tonia's preux chevalier... more » ? " "Right well, thank you. But anybody would know that you are a demoiselle." "Wrong! A big knight rode with me a league and called me a damoiseau and laughed at my little muscle," the girl said. "But I must call you cavalier instead of chevalier, because you speak more of Spanish than French. But what make you in this piece? Some ca- ballero full of aguardiente will load a charge of powder behind you and fire Jose as a salvo to her Majesty!" "I can see your eyes," the boy commented, "though it is dark all around. Like little wax tapers they are." "Eyes! Say naught of eyes to me! I saw a pair of eyes through a crack this evening that I can see yet! But where is your ama, Jose?" "I went away while she was watching Don Alonso de Quintanilla's portero neglect his business." "Aha! And what will your lady mother say? But, Jose, let us have a secret." "Well." "Let us call it a secret that you thought that I was a man." "Well. And let us have another secret. Let us say it is a secret that I am in the lombard." "Capital! But what make you there ? Comedown, gossip! You will besmirch your pretty doublet." "That is the rest of the secret. I am here to see my father ride in." "Oh!" exclaimed the girl, remonstrating. "Your father is a blessed saint!" "Non, and that he is not," the child observed placidly. "But, Jose, I am shocked!" the girl insisted, crossing herself. "Your father has been a blessed saint these three years." " Go ask my lady mother," the boy's level voice went on. "She will tell you what. He is coming to wed a maid for a duchy. My lady mother hath had sparks in her eyes al...« less