On the following morning, as I was taking my usual stroll outside the walls, and along a road leading to the river Arga, Don Joaquin suddenly emerged from a bypath. We both started. I had left him in his house less than an hour before busied in his usual occupation; and yet here he was, striding across the high-road, evidently anxious to strike into a lane on the other side of it; in his right hand was a stout, short, knotted staff which he held in the centre.

"Hola! Don Juan," said he, "who would have thought of seeing you here?"

"We are both taken by surprise, my friend," said I; and we stood looking at each other. At last I told him I had merely wandered thus far for a walk. Then Don Joaquin said:

"I know I may place confidence in you;" and pointing to the not far distant mountains he added; "I am going there to look after Julian."

"Vaya usted con Dios, my friend-may God speed you," I replied. "Give my love to Julian; tell him how glad I shall be if he will return. If you cannot persuade him to do so, beg of him to stick to his Latin like a prudent estudiante, and not trouble his head with politics."

Don Joaquin shook me affectionately by the hand, and bounded over the hedge with the agility of a young man of twenty.

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He returned on the following day-but alone. Julian was firm. The father made arrangements for his maintenance with his uncle, and also with the Cura of the hamlet to give him instruction. But Julian did not remain there; he joined the Carlist army, not however as a combatant, but as he wrote a good hand and had excellent abilities, he was employed as a clerk in one of the civil departments, and remained until the pacification of the country by the Convention of Bergara.

One day I had a long conversation with Don Joaquin about French intervention, which was much spoken of at that time. He fired up at the bare idea; and telling me that he had served under Mina during the war of independence, declared that if French troops were again to enter Navarre, they would if possible meet with still rougher treatment than they did at that memorable period.

The Navarrese are a robust race; they consume much

animal food, and although it is very rare to see an intoxicated person, they partake freely of the potent wine of the country. The women are handsome, and have remarkably fine hair, which the peasant classes and servants wear in one or two plaits falling down generally far below their waists. It was pleasant to see the numbers of these beautiful girls who were congregated, in the morning, around the fountain in the centre of the Plaza del Castillo to fill their buckets with water. Their atti

tudes in lifting them on their heads were truly graceful, as was also their gait. On their way home, sometimes, the bucket-scrupulously clean and encircled with two or three rows of polished iron hoops-might be seen to totter a little when one of the damsels was met by a handsome soldier, who would chuck her under the chin and pass on ; a few drops of water would perhaps fall on the fair one's arms, but all found its equilibrium in an instant, and the smile that played about the muchacha's mouth indicated that, after all, she was not displeased at the salutation. It is but just to say that more good-natured beings do not exist than the Spanish soldiers. So well understood are they all over the country, that the young women, instead of being offended at such little familiarities as I have just described, seem to expect them, and would regard as a dolt any precise Simon Pure who might pass them by without a chuck of the chin, or a gallant expression. But so many other occasions for describing the Spanish soldier will occur in the course of this humble work, that I will leave him here with this slight introduction, which it will be admitted is not in his disfavour.

The society of Pamplona is good and agreeable. When the head-quarters of the army happened to be there for a few days, all was gaiety. The houses of the most respectable families were open to the officers; and the tertulias were animated and attractive, for they were em

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SOCIETY OF PAMPLONA.

bellished by the presence of amiable and beautiful ladies many of whom I fear had to endure severe heartaches; for it not unfrequently occurred that on the return of the army, after a few weeks' absence, the high-spirited and happy youth who had succeeded in winning the affections of a beautiful girl, was no longer to be found with his companions in arms-he had fallen in some encounter with the enemy. And when the regiment arrived near the gates of Pamplona, the band playing, the officers all gay and exulting, the men recognising, in a serio-comic way, as they marched in disciplined order, their sweethearts and friends, some poor Doña Antonia, or Carmen, looking in vain for her lover, would read in the countenance of his brother officers some sad omen, and at last find that she was indeed bereaved.

Frequently during my sojourn in Spain did I revisit Pamplona, and always with pleasure. May its inhabitants be in future exempt from the frightful evils inva. riably attendant on a state of civil war!

Change of servant-General Cordoba-Generous conduct of the Spanish soldiers-Lérin-Posada at Lérin-Fords of the Ebro-Telegraph stations-Miránda de Ebro-Busy scene -A novel Larder-Revolving reading desk-Old Francisco -The Patrona-Refreshing siesta-Murillo-Church of Miranda de Ebro-A musical corporal-The Quinta.

Ar Pamplona I discovered that Sebastian was much better suited to his original calling of a custom-house carabinero than to that of a servant. So we came to an amicable understanding, and he returned to Zaragoza.

A young man was recommended to me whose uncle was a respectable mechanic of Pamplona. Felix had belonged to a cuerpo franco, or free corps, raised for the purpose of harassing the enemy, and for escorting and protecting parties moving from one military station to another. His relatives were anxious to get him out of this service, which brought him into contact with companions of doubtful reputation. A gentleman who took an interest in the family told me his history, and said he