not your wife. I have seen many a there went she. He might baffle the stout fellow, who would stand fire police, not her. Hunger had often without blinking, show the white forced him to accept her aid. As feather at a scold's tongue. But then soon as he received it, he hid from he must be spliced to her—"

her again, burying himself deeper Cutts, that griffin does not scold and deeper in the mud, like a perse-she preaches. She wants to make cuted tench. He associated her idea me spooney, Cutts—she talks of my with all the ill-luck that had befallen young days, Cutts she wants to him. Several times some villanous blight me into what she calls an scheme on which he had counted to honest man, Cutts ; — the virtuous make his fortune, had been baffled in dodge! She snubs and cows me, the most mysterious way; and just and frightens me out of my wits, when baffled-and there seemed no Cutts. For I do believe that the choice but to cut his own throat or witch is determined to have me, body some one else's — upturned grim and soul, and to marry me some day Arabella Crane, in the iron-grey in spite of myself, Cutts. And if ever gown, and with the iron-grey ringlets you see me about to be clutched in -hatefully, awfully beneficent-ofthose horrible paws, poison me with fering food, shelter, gold-and some ratsbane, or knock me on the head, demoniacal, honourable work. Often Cutts.”

had he been in imminent peril from The little man laughed a little watchful law or treacherous accomlaugh, sharpand elritch, at the strange plice. She had warned and saved cowardice of the stalwart daredevil. him as she had saved him from the But Jasper did not ccho the laugh. fell Gabrielle Desmarets, who, un“ Hush !” he said timidly,

"and able to bear the sentence of penal let me have a bed, if you can; I have servitude, after a long process denot slept in one for a week, and my fended with astonishing skill, and nerves are shaky."

enlisting the romantic sympathies of The imp lighted a candle-end at young France, had contrived to the gas-lamp, and conducted Losely escape into another world by means up the stairs to his own sleeping- of a subtle poison concealed about room, which was less comfortless her distinguée person, and which she than might be supposed. He resigned had prepared years ago with her own his bed to the wanderer, who flung bloodless hands, and no doubt scienhimself on it, rags and all. But sleep tifically tested its effect on others. was no more at his command than it The cobra capella is gone at last ! is at a king's.

“Souviens-toi de ta Gabrielle," o Why the did you talk of Jasper Losely! But why Arabella that witch ?” he cried peevishly to

Crane should thus continue to watch Cutts, who was composing himself over him whom she no longer proto rest on the floor. “I swear I fessed to love how she should thus fancy I feel her sitting on my chest have acquired the gift of ubiquity like a nightmare."

and the power to save him-Jasper He turned with a vehemence which Losely could not conjecture. The shook the walls, and wrapt the cover- whole thing seemed to him weird lid round him, plunging his head into and supernatural

. Most truly did , its folds. Strange though it seem to he say that she had cowed him. He the novice in human nature,—to Jas- had often longed to strangle her; per Losely the woman who had so when absent from her, had often long lived but for one object-viz. to resolved upon that act of gratitude.

save him from the gibbet, was as his The moment he came in sight of her evil genius, his haunting fiend. He stern, haggard face - her piercing

, — had conceived a profound terror of

the moment he heart her, from the moment he perceived her slow, dry voice in some such that she was resolutely bent upon sentences as these — “ Again you making him honest. He had broken come to me in your trouble, and from her years ago

fled — resumed ever shall. Am I not still as your his evil courses — hid himself from mother, but with a wife's fidelity, her – in vain. Wherever he went, till death us do part? There is the

lurid eyes

portrait of what you were-look at minence of the perils from which he it, Jasper. Now turn to the glass— had so narrowly escaped-hence the see what you are. Think of the fate utterness of his present destitution. of Gabrielle Desmarets! But for me But man, however vile, whatever his what, long since, had been your peril, whatever his destitution, was own ? But I will save you, I have born free, and loves liberty. Liberty sworn it. You shall be wax in these to go to Satan in his own way was hands at last ;"—the moment that to Jasper Losely a supreme blessing voice thus claimed and insisted on compared to that benignant compasredeeming him, the ruffian felt a cold sionate espionage, with its relentless shudder his courage oozed — he eye and restraining hand. Alas and could no more have nerved his arm alas ! deem not this perversity unagainst her than a Thug would have natural in that headstrong self-delifted his against the dire goddess of stroyer! How many are there whom his murderous superstition. Jasper not a grim hard - featured Arabella could not resist a belief that the life Crane, but the long-suffering, divine, of this dreadful protectress was, omniscient, gentle Providence itself, somehow or other, made essential to seeks to warn, to aid, to save -- and his—that, were she to die, he should is shunned, and loathed, and fled perish in some ghastly and preter- from, as if it were an evil genius! natural expiation. But for the last How many are there who fear nofew months he had, at length, escaped thing so much as the being made from her-diving so low, so deep into good in spite of themselves '? - how the mud, that even her net could not many ?-- who can count them ? mesh him. Hence, perhaps, the im

FROM SPAIN TO PIEDMONT.

WHEN last I wrote to you, oh ed, arid, leafless, and calcined. The Ebony, it was from the banks of the nights are so short and hot that the Manzanares ; I resume my pen upon earth never cools

the tiles on the the shores of the Po. Those, when house-tops glow in the glare--the I left them, bordered a tiny stream- visible heat quivers over the ground let, daily dwindling under the double the insidious white dust provokes suction of a fierce sun and a thirsty dire ophthalmiathe rarified air of -sand; between these, as I write, the the elevated and blazing plateau ir

. waters rush swift, deep, and troubled ritates every nerve and fibre of the over their rugged bed, dashing down human frame. In Madrid you are rocky ledges, circling and foaming not melted and made languid, as by round snow-capped 'islets. Spain in the heat of most other places, but you July was true to its torrid reputation; are baked, high-dried, and your nerves Italy, in February, is faithless to its are strained like fiddle-strings. The fame as a land of sunshine and flowers. pinguid portion of your body is ex

Frequent change of place is the hausted by some mysterious process, destiny and duty of your Vedette ; until you become all bone and tenand generally by the straightest line, don and tightly-stretched skin, and and with little pause, he speeds his you get to feel quite brittle, and go way from point to point. This time about in a state of morbid apprehenhe must beg of you to bear with and sion lest somebody should run against accompany him on a more circuitous you and crack you. The houses are and desultory march. The start was saturated with heat; beds are voted a joyful one. Of all the capitals, a nuisance, and you prefer a plank whence men desire to escape in sum- to a blanket-a tightly-stuffed pailmer, Madrid is surely that whence lasse to cushions of feathers : everydeparture is most urgent. Of all the thing eatable and drinkable is dried parched cities in which human beings up, faded, tepid, or in some way pauever passed July and August, and

The vegetables, brought from lived, it assuredly is the most scorch- afar, would be denounced by a Covent

a

gardener as fit only for the dung- find a nook. The mail had no places heap;

and you must eat your mutton for a month to come; the diligences as tough as boot-leather if you will were booked full inside and out for not have it higher than venison. You nearly as long, and there were applilive chiefly on liquids, and ingurgi- cations from living subjects to be tate oceans of iced drinks; but even taken as luggage on the roof. I the ice, or rather snow-for that is would have gone round by Saragossa, the substitute for it in Madrid--be- a long and wearisome route, but the comes, at that time of year, unworthy coaches to that city were engaged for of the name, and has little coolness the next three weeks. I began to deleft in it. A certain portion of the liberate on the propriety of ridingaborigines contrive to support life not very pleasant in that blazing under this complication of trials ; but weather, over Spanish roads, and in the flit is general amongst all who Spanish saddles-when, luckily, a can get away; and by the middle of place fell vacant in a diligence prosummer the clubs are deserted, the ceeding to Bayonne by way of Soria theatres closed, and the number of and Pampeluna. dogs in Madrid has greatly diminish- For persons who are not nice about ed, those intelligent quadrupeds hav- provender, the Soria route is pleaing wandered away from the sultry santer than the more usual one by shadeless capital in search of water Burgos, since one sooner escapes from to drink and a bush to lie under. So the dreary and desolate plains of Casthat, in fact, there is nobody left to tile, where everything one beholds, converse with.

landscape and houses, men's faces and These things duly considered, you clothes, are of one monotonous brown will not wonder that it was with de- and sun-baked tint. But although light, as intense as the prevailing inns in Spain generally afford but heat, that I received, soon after the poor entertainment, the doubt may departure of my last despatch to you, be permitted, whether, on any road

, the route for France, and that I in- in that most backward country of stantly sallied forth in quest of a Europe, more villanous baiting-places conveyance, proposing, if possible, to are to be met with than those bestart next morning. But in Spain, ţween Madrid and Pampeluna. The stage-coaching, like many otherthings, heat, however, in the latter half of is managed in a fashion peculiar to last July, was such as to leave little the country. At Madrid, in summer, appetite even for more tempting the supply by no means meets the viands than those detestable ventas demand, and families anxious to get afforded. As everywhere in Spain, north are sometimes detained until good chocolate and excellent white the journey is scarcely worth making bread were always to be obtained ;

. The prudent, whose plans are fixed, and with these, the favourite refreshsecure places weeks, and even months, ment of the nation, and of which they beforehand; but persons compelled never weary, any more than the to start on a sudden are often greatly Frenchman does of his coffee, or the embarrassed. Posting in the Pen- Englishman of his tea, the foreigner insula is troublesome work; and, will do wisely to content himself out of consideration for the ill-paid when travelling in that season and in postmasters, the number of orders that country. Anything hotter than granted for horses is very limited. the whole of that sixty-five hours' Rail-less Spain still continues, and journey I do not remember to have may long remain, the most incon- felt. It was painful to witness the venient country in Europe to travel perspiring agonies of the women, who through. In summer it is common formed the majority of the occupants to see advertisements in the Madrid of the interior and rotunda of the papers, offering high premiums for diligence. There was one corpulent places by mail or diligence, but often Madrilenian matron (Spanish women, in vain. As a solitary traveller, how- after a certain age, are much inclined ever, not particular about the nature to obesity), with a yellow skin, a strong or compartment of the vehicle in mustache, and formidable eyebrows, which I should journey, I trusted to but inclining to calvity as regarded

more

no

her head, who, I thought, must have years previously he had laid aside given up the ghost before reaching the clerical robe, and had taken up her destination. She had a shining the sabre in defence of the rights of skin, and, round her apoplectic-look- Don Carlos. He related many ining neck, many rolls of fat, which cidents of the war, which, from the soon got much begrimed by the dust lips of one who had witnessed or of the road. Whenever I got down borne a part in them, possessed an at the relays, she was sure to be lean- interest they might perhaps lose ing with her fat flabby cheek against upon paper. One or two anecdotes, the side of the window, moaning however, appeared to me so characpiteously, and dabbling heavily with teristic as to be worth retaining. eau-de-cologne, and every few leagues Don Geronimo (it was the priest's she had a fainting-fit. Her hus. name) had been with Zumalacarregui band, a wizened, grizzled little Span- early in the war, when Lord Eliot iard, seemed used to her ways, and was sent to Biscay, and succeeded in took no heed of her miseries, beguil- making the convention that bears ing his time by the perpetual fab- his name, and that gave a rication and consumption of paper merciful character to the strife which cigars, which profitable and intel- had commenced with the cry of lectual occupation -- and possibly quarter.” To the mountain camp of also an insufficient recognition of the the royalist chief, the English lord, virtues of soap—had brought his with justifiable mistrust of its refinger-tips to the tint of a cocoa-nut. sources, and a true Englishman's Two daughters, miniatures of their care for the creature comforts, took mother, and, like her, inclining to with him a string of mules, well embonpoint, a young officer, who laden with provisions. Zumalacarflirted'indifferently with one or other regui was shocked at this

. “What!” of the sisters; a lady’s-maid, and a he exclaimed to his officers, amongst poodle (the latter very large, tail-less, whom were then to be found some slightly mangy, and of fea-bitten of the best soldiers and best blood in aspect), completed the party in the Spain,“ does he think we are starvinterior, amongst which I sincerelying?

ing? We will show him the conthanked my guardian angel for not trary.” The fact was, that, whathaving placed me. I had been so ever their deficiencies in various refortunate as to obtain a seat in the spects, in arins, uniforms, and money, coupé, and still more lucky did I the Carlists, holding some of the deem myself in having two lean and most fertile valleys of Biscay and intelligent companions, who took Navarre, and having the population little room, discoursed agreeably, entirely in their favour, and devoted smoked moderately, and spat not at to the king, were then, and during all. One of them, a priest, was at the greater part of the war, abunfirst taciturn, as is not uncommon dantly supplied with food, and lived, with men of his cloth and country. indeed, on the fat of the land. ZumaHe was tall, wiry, and hard-featured, lacarregui was put upon his mettle near upon fifty, with a furrowed by the sumpter-mules of the British brow, and of ascetic aspect--the very envoy. He ordered a dinner to be model of a panish priest, as Velas- prepared at Segura, his

prepared at Segura, his native town, quez has painted many. When a in honour of Lord Eliot. He had little courtesy and attention, the three capital Guipuzcoan cooks; and, offer of a cigar, and one or two com- that the service might be worthy of pliments paid to his country, haul the fare, he borrowed plate from all Tured him out of his reserve and the country round. It was willingly into conversation, he proved to be a and abundantly contributed ; and, man of the world, and of education probably, so motley and remarkable such as is not often found amongst a dinner-service was never before or Spanish churchmen. He had led an since got together. Cups, jugs, and eventful life, and, like many of his salvers, that had been for generations fraternity, had been largely mixed up in the ancient Basque families— in Spanish political convulsions and heirlooms much prized, but many of civil contests. More than twenty which, at a later period, were cheer

66

When

fully thrown into the melting-pot to accent when he spoke to me in support the identified causes of legi- capital English, betrayed him to be timacy and the Biscayan fueros— a German. He was by no means poured in on the requisition of the difficult to draw out; and before our beloved general; and the table, when journey was half over we had oblaid, would have been in its place in tained from him, without much quesa museum of antiquities. Old wine, tioning, a graphic sketch of his too, of rare vintage, was not want- adventurous life. He had just left ing; the cooks did their utmost for a German university when the revothe honour of their province; and lutions of 1848 broke out, and, having Lord Eliot was fain to admit that he a hot head and notions somewhat had underrated the resources of his exaggerated as to the amount of hospitable entertainer. On another liberty for which the Fatherland was occasion, the Carlist leader invited ripe, he plunged at once into the him to breakfast near Estella, and contest, and, after many adventures gave secret orders that, during the and narrow escapes, found himself in repast, his guerillas should provoke the ranks of the Hungarian army. the Christinos, and bring on a skir- The war at an end, Gerinany was no mish. At the sudden sound of fir- place for one so compromised as he ing close at hand, Lord Eliot, by a was; and after pining for a short natural impulse, started from his time in idleness in England, he proseat, as did a foreign aide-de-camp ceeded to India, and entered the serof Zumalacarregui's there present. vice of a native prince. There he “ Don't disturb yourself, my lord,” passed several eventful years, saw said the general quietly.

some fighting, and improved his they know that I am here, they will knowledge of English ; but, becomnot come on.” And the meal was ing disgusted with his position, he finished to the music of the mus- accepted an offer of service in the ketry. Lord Eliot, Don Geronimo Persian army. On his way from added, took a great' liking to Zuma- India, and before entering the Perlacarregui, who seems to have had sian Gulf, the native vessel, in which the power of inspiring all who ap- he had taken passage, was captured proached him with sentiments of by pirates, and carried into a little esteem and respect, and remained port on the coast of Oman. Everywith him, for the sake of his society, body on board was massacred except for some days after the object of bis himself. He saved his life by promission was attained.

claiming himself a physician. He If the priest was an interesting could not have hit upon a happier companion, especially to one who device. The brother of the piratical had seen something of the war, in chief of the small town at which he reminiscences of which he abounded, was landed had long been ill of fever; iny other fellow-traveller proved still native art had afforded him no relief, more so. He was a slender, smartly- and the Frank doctor was called made, alert-looking man of about upon immediately to cure him. Forthirty-five, with aquiline features, an tunately he had with him quinine expressive and determined counte- and other drugs, suitable to the most nance, a frank and pleasing smile, ordinary diseases of those climates ; and a face clean-shaven, except of and, stimulated by the promise of his a wiry mustache. Nothing in his liberty if he effected a cure, and by dress betrayed the soldier ; but still the threat of instant death if he it was impossible to doubt that he failed, he proceeded to administer had served, and probably for a long remedies. Perhaps the malady was time. There were lines on his face not very obstinate, but at any rate which told of hardship and suffering, they proved effectual, and the sick although these seemed in no degree man recovered. The doctor gained to have depressed his spirits, or to great praise, and was told that he have impaired his youthful 'vigour should shortly be released; but he and activity. He was a good lin- soon found that the Arabs had no guist, talked French admirably, intention of depriving themselves of Spanish tolerably, and only a slight the valuable assistance of so skilful a