Inez has so often
talked about you, and lamented the ill fortune that befell you
owing to your ardour."
"At six o'clock, then," Geoffrey said. "I generally dwell with my
father in law at Chelsea, but am just at present at home. My house
is in St. Mary Ave; anyone there will tell you which it is."
That evening the two friends had a long talk together. Geoffrey
learnt that Gerald Burke reached Italy without further adventure,
and thence took ship to Bristol, and so crossed over to Ireland.
On his petition, and solemn promise of good behaviour in future,
he was pardoned and a small portion of his estate restored to him.
He was now in London endeavouring to obtain a remission of the
forfeiture of the rest.
"I may be able to help you in that," Geoffrey said. "Sir Francis
Vere is high in favour at court, and he will, at my prayer, I feel
sure, use his influence in your favour when I tell him how you
acted my friend on my landing in Spain from the Armada."
Geoffrey then gave an account of his various adventures from the
time when he was struck down from the deck of the Barbary corsair
until the present time.
"How was it," he asked when he concluded, "that you did not write
to my parents, Gerald, on your return home? You knew where they
lived."
"I talked the matter over with Inez," Gerald replied, "and we agreed
that it was kinder to them to be silent.
Pages:
436
437
438
439
440
441
442
443
444
445
446
447
448
449
450
451
452
453
454
455
456
457
458
459
460