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quisite regale he promised, by relat-riority, in being of the same blood ing the events that caused his seclusion. The hermit bowed, saying, he would once again look at the patient, and then commence his narration. One of the noblemen took the lamp; the other carried the wine, jar, and a cup. The youth was asleep. His features recently distorted by excess of pain had resumed their natural expression-the hermit, with folded arms, contemplating the wasted visage, said in a low voice, "It must be so. These are the lineaments of the Esperanza family. Gallant sufferer in the most precious cause, whatever may be thy race, I shall tend thee with parental solicitude; but if thou art descended of Don Zelos del Esperanza, thy presence may revive a glow of former emotions in my withered feelings. He still sleeps. Compassionate strangers, I pray you to resume your turfseats, while I account for the savage life I have embraced."

with Cardinal Ximenes, the prime minister, who, in a regency of twenty months, achieved the aggrandizement of Spain to a degree unparalleled in history. I was a boy-husband, intoxicated by supposing myself entitled to authority, I knew not how to use, and my wife regarded and treated me as a child. Our contentions for power had little intermission; my wife silenced me by some reference to the prince cardinal, and I dared not dissent, as his eminence is reputed a saint; nor could I deny that he was uncle to the founder of my wife's nobility, whose valorous deeds at Oran and Tetuan were performed under the eye of that wondrous old ecclesiastic and prime minister, when, on the verge of fourscore, he led an army against the Moors of Barbary. Within two and twenty months and three weeks, I was the father of a boy and a widower, my wife having died in the preThe noblemen obeyed this injunc- mature birth of our second child. I tion, and the hermit continued: "I was released from conjugal fetters; am descended of warriors celebrated but my father held me in tutelage, the liberators of Grenada from and was indeed a wise administrator the Moorish yoke. Large grants of of my fortune. Would to heaven he land remunerated their services; but had exercised equal judgment in the a propensity to gambling in three ge- tuition of my son! His unbounded nerations preceding my father, dwin- fondness, his unbridled licence, were dled our possessions into narrow com- ill adapted to controul the furious pass. My father reprobated their passions Don Miguel inherited from infatuation; but he erred in a con- his mother, perhaps from both his trary extreme, and sacrificed me, his parents. Children are marvelously only offspring, to a thirst for wealth. quick-sighted, especially where they I had not the experience of sixteen can perceive any circumstance vac years on my head, when he compell- cording with their own propensities? ed me to feign a return to the pas- Don Miguel saw his grandfather pay sion of a lady almost double my age, little deference to my opinions, and We were joined, not matched:' I he grew up refractory and disobedi was an indulged boy; she a proud ent to me. My home was uncom heiress of immense riches, and in-fortable; an ample fortune allowed flated by ideas of unrivalled supe- me to seek amusement in the capi.

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tal: but I cannot accuse myself of, then be too insupportable. O young strangers! if either of you have a father still living, let me implore you, by every tie of nature and duty, to abstain from planting empoisoned seeds of discord in his heart. It is my calamity that I cannot relate the incidents of sorrowful years without implicating my son. I would not expose his transgressions if they could be buried in oblivion; their notorie ty is perhaps not unknown to you. Goaded by the whips and stings of conscience, he has become his own accuser, and after submitting to pub lic penance, he has entombed him self in monastic sequestration. I am the father of Don Miguel Avallos, who, at his own entreaty, underwent the discipline of the flagellants, and has embraced the most rigid order of St. Francis. May the saints (inter→ cede for his soul! But let me not distress my friends with individual feelings. I should rather bring my tedious recital to a close."

vicious pursuits; a guardian angel, in the form of a lovely and amiable girl, inspired me with ambition to render myself worthy of her acceptance. She was the only child of an Irish Catholic in the military service of Spain; her mother, of the same religion, was an English lady, and both parents confided in the prudence of Donna Mirabella, in conformity to the customs of Great Britain; a confidence their daughter never misused. Gentlemen of rank and character had free access to evening parties at the house, and Miss O'Neil was the bright, though unpretending centre of admiration. I had reason to hope my devoirs were not unwelcome to her; and from the colonel and his Lady I received evident encouragement. In this society I felt as it were a new, a nobler being; a perspective of the most elevating felicity infused delight into all present scenes: but I dare not pursue those recollections; the dreadful contrast would

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(To be concluded in our next.)

THE CONFESSIONS OF A RAMBLER.

No. XI.

WHEN Mrs. Ridley again recover- || she thought she was still environed ed her senses, she found herself lying upon a rude pallet, in a still ruder but, the walls of which were encrusted with a tapestry, " black as night," formed from the sooty particles of the smoke which arose from a bright fire in the middle of the room, curled in thick and revolving eddies around the roof. A dreadful feeling of oppression, a thickness of breath, an indescribable sensation of horror at the danger which she fancied still surrounded her (for to her troubled imagination the scene

in the wood was still present, and

by the burning forest), came over her, and threatened again to deprive her of that reason of which she had been bereft for several weeks. The voice of her faithful Hammond, speaking to some one without, however, attracted her attention, just as she was about to relapse into insensibility. She started up on her rude couch, and calling him by his name, the honest fellow was soon at her feet, enraptured to think that his beloved mistress was once more enabled to recognise him.

-"Where am I?" was the first ques

"But how came I here? and what dreary place is this?" again inquired Mrs. Ridley." It is the abode of a friend; but of such a one, that I scarcely dare say what or who he is. He has, however, been kind to you; the only being of his species to whom I should think he would be capable, of shewing kindness."

tion which our fair wanderer articu- | ter, who, I have ascertained since lated, after she had taken a few mi- we have been here, is removed to nutes to compose her spirits, and Trenton; from which place we are to gaze upon the scene of desola- only two days' journey." tion by which she was surrounded. The house was one of those "log buildings," as they are termed, so common in America, formed of wood unhewn and unshapen, the boughs merely being lopped off after the tree is felled. The interstices in the walls were filled up with clay, and the floor was formed of the same material. A kind of lattice at one end let in light and air, and a hole in the centre of the roof was intended for the emission of the smoke; little of which, however, found its way through the aperture, the greater part collecting on the walls, which were encrusted with soot, formed in many fantastic shapes, and hanging from the roof in pendent drapery, ready to fall upon the heads of its inhabitants.

The furniture of this hovel was of a piece with the architecture. A stump of a large tree served for a table, and a raised bench, formed of clay, and covered with leaves, constituted the only seat. A few gourdshells, and a skillet for baking the cakes of Indian corn, were all the cooking utensils that were to be seen; and the pallet, which was formed of leaves of the Indian corn, and covered with skins, on which Mrs. Ridley lay, completed the catalogue of the "goods and chattels" of the wretched owner or owners of this miserable abode.

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"Where am I?" articulated Mrs. Ridley, as she looked around and fixed her eager gaze on Hammond. "You are safe, dear madam," he replied;" and I trust a short time will now convey you to my dear mas

"Indeed! is he such a fearful man?" inquired Mrs. Ridley; "and is there no female, no wife or daugh ter? am I alone amongst men?"

"There is a daughter, who is as mild and benevolent as her father is. rough and savage. She has watched by you, nursed you, prayed for you; and is now culling simples in her little garden, to prepare something for your morning repast. But here comes our host."

Their conversation was interrupted by the entrance of a figure whose upright posture alone bespoke him allied to humanity; for what could be seen of his features had such abideous appearance, that the eye instinctively revolted from the horrid sight, and the gazer shudderingly asked of himself, "Is this a man?" The pitiable object of this revolting feeling saw that Mrs. Ridley as soon as she beheld him, shrunk un-t der the skins which formed the covering of her couch, and covered her eyes with her hands. He approached, and in a hollow guttural tone exclaimed:

"You, too, whom I have shelter ed, whose life I have preserved, whom I rescued from the flames at the hazard of my own existence, you shrink from and avoid me! What

then have I to do with life? An out- || ed Mrs. Ridley, who had been alarm+ cast from my species, an alien to my ed: at the violence of her host: the country, persecuted, despised, tram- kind-hearted girl soothed the invalid, pled upon, what have I to do with and endeavoured to inspire her with life!?" confidence and hope. "My father is kind, though seemingly uncouth: he has been cruelly abused; his sen ses have almost left him; but he would not hurt a worm."

Oh! much, much, my father!" said a young and interesting girl, who had followed him unobserved into the apartment, and now clung to his arm, as he raised it with frantic "And I," said Hammond, "harsh violence, as if about to commit some||ly said, my mistress was perhaps the

desperate act upon himself." Live for me, for your child! live to your God!"

"True, my child, my Emily, true! I should live for you, for you do love me. And yet why should I live to expose you to the scorn and contempt of the world, or to condemn you to this wild and dreary and desolate existence? When I am gone, my child, my ruthless enemies will cease to persecute you; and you may return to claim and enjoy that property of which your father has been deprived."

"Claim-enjoy-property! O my father, deem not so meanly of your child! Think you that I could enjoy what you had been deprived of? Oh no! together we will share this wilderness; or together return to civilized society, to the world, and to happiness.'

Happiness, ha! ha! ha!" retorted her father, with a maniac laugh; and fell into the arms of Hammond, who had been an unwilling listener to the conversation I have just related, and who now sedulously strove to reanimate the wretched sufferer, who, as soon as he was a little recovered from his swoon, acknowledged his attentions by a grateful pressure of the hand.

only being of his species to whom he was capable of shewing kindness. Forgive me, but appearances misled me."

Forgive thee, young man, alas! I have nothing to forgive. Neither my form nor face is calculated to ins spire either confidence or friendship. You thought of me as I seem, and I seem what cruelty has made me a wretch, whom but to know were degradation and disgrace."

"Say not so," interrupted Mrs. Ridley: "your daughter has told me how, attracted by my shrieks, you rushed into the midst of the burning wood, and bore my senseless form in safety to your hut; and then returned for my faithful follower, whom fatigue and despair had completely overpow ered. She says, you have hunted the deer to procure me food, and toiled to fetch me a cool and refreshing beverage from a distant spring. That I live then, I owe to you; and whilst I exist never can I forget my preserver, never couple his idea with that of disgrace."

"Thanks, dear lady, thanks! Thine are the first words of peace (except my child's) that have for months vibrated on my ear: your commiseration is the first link which may perhaps tend again to unite the chain

* Emily, in the mean time, approach- which once bound me to the world? Vol. IV. No. XXI. ⠀

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lancholy, as you may well conceive. To think on what I have suffered almost removes my reason from her seat: yet, as I do not wish you should leave this hut with impressions unfavourable to my character, I will a tale unfold,' which I think will move you to pity, and you will cease to wonder that I, at times, appear misanthropic and wild.

I pray you, pardon me: I am rough, untutored, and the outrages which have been perpetrated on this hapless form have almost driven me mad; but you shall not find me ungrateful." He then left the hut, and Emily and Hammond busied themselves in making preparations in an adjoining room for the reception of Mrs. Ridley, who expressed herself able to leave her couch. She now found that "My name is Edward Bertrambi this abode consisted of two rooms: was born at Boston, in which city I inthe one she at present occupied, and herited a small patrimony, and where which was the sleeping-room of the I married the daughter of an Engowner; and another, which was a lit-lish gentleman, an officer in the custle more comfortable in its appear- toms, by whose interest I was apance, and where his daughter gene-pointed to succeed him, when he was rally reposed. Her couch consisted recalled to a higher station in his naof a few skins, laid in one corner of tive land. I doted on my wife; you the room; and though this apartment there (pointing to Emily) see her possessed a much greater appearance image, and can say whether she was of comfort than the other, inasmuch not beautiful. We were as happy as as it was clean and free from smoke, it was possible for two persons to be, yet they were afraid of placing Mrs. and never knew a minute of care or Ridley in it during her illness, as sorrow, till the unnatural disputes be there was no means of warming it, tween the colonies and England comand the winter season was just set- menced. I do not want to detail to ting in. Logs of wood formed the you the causes in which those disonly seats; but they contrived, with putes were said to have originated; the assistance of boughs and skins, you all know that the imposition of to form a kind of sofa for Mrs. Rid- a duty on tea and the stamp act were ley, who, as soon as she was removed the ostensible reasons held out as exfrom the dense sooty atmosphere of cuses for that turbulent spirit which the outer apartment, gratefully ex- my countrymen now began to foster pressed her sense of the change, and to exhibit; and you know too, which gave her the greatest relief. that the Bostonians resorted to acts of the meanest and most dastardly outrage on the king's officers, who endeavoured to do their duty to their sovereign, as prescribed by their consciences and their oaths bonrrels

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Their host returned just as they had concluded their arrangements. He brought some deer's flesh for Mrs. Ridley; and as she gratefully thanked him for his kindness, she begged, if he could tell his story without recalhing too many painful emotions, that he would let her know to whom she was indebted, and how she could serve him.

"My story, lady, is brief, but me

"Being in that service which was most obnoxious to these rebellious spirits, I was early marked out for vengeance. In the first disturbances that took place in Boston, my home was attacked and my property de

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